Jobs - Volunteer/Intern Coordinator
Volunteer/intern Coordinator
The volunteer/intern coordinator position is a position with a number of responsibilities, suited to a highly active and enthusiastic person with a love of zoology and fieldwork. The coordinator is responsible for ensuring that all PLT visitors get a well-rounded and rewarding experience during their stay in Paraguay and that our long-term monitoring projects are conducted to the highest standard.
Job description and responsibilities.
1. Maintain a happy and healthy volunteer house.
Ensure that all PLT visitors are kept up-to-date with on-going activities, coordinating with everyone to ensure all interns and volunteers stay informed of events and opportunities offered by PLT.
Address any needs for equipment or food-shopping in the house.
Lead a weekly house meeting with all PLT visitors to address any issues with the house or PLT activities, and relay relevant information to PLT management.
Organise volunteer and intern chores, including Sunday cooking and cleaning.
Introduce new visitors to the house, give them the safety induction, pair them with a more experienced intern or volunteer “buddy” and orient them so that they settle well into the existing group.
Pick up new volunteers and interns and take health and insurance details on arrival of new visitors.
Ensure health and safety of PLT visitors through familiarity with all procedures and equipment.
Ensure that all visitors comply with the requirements for leaving the site, including depositing all photos and data on the designated hard drive.
Ensure compliance with PLT house rules.
Organise fun activities such as quiz nights, beach visits or game nights.
2. Scientific responsibilities
Drive interns and volunteers into the field to guide them through new habitats and train them in various scientific methods.
When volunteers are not available, continue the weekly data collection and collation of long-term monitoring projects.
Maintain a positive attitude in the field, leading by example for all interns and visitors.
Ensure that all field activities are conducted safely, providing volunteers/interns with the equipment, training, and support necessary to the safe execution of their projects.
Collaborate with other staff members to facilitate volunteer participation in other projects, in accordance with the volunteer timetable.
Ensure that all data is correctly recorded and input.
3. Admin
Meet with the Scientific Director and Executive Directors when required.
Submit a monthly report to the Executive Director on the 2nd of each month.
Coordinate with the Supervisors to ensure protocols for organisation of data collected through volunteer science projects are being followed.
Attend the staff meetings and appointments when requested.
When necessary, fulfil domestic responsibilities including but not limited to cooking meals, cleaning dishes, doing the shopping, coordinating recreational activities, and managing PLT home projects.
Ensuring that breakfast items (bread, bananas, coffee, tea, jams, dulce de leche) are always stocked up the night before for people leaving early for field work.
Contribute to the engagement of PLT volunteers and interns in an academic and challenging culture.
4. Establish a culture of acceptance and equality through leading by example.
Position requirements
A valid, clean driving licence for a manual vehicle is mandatory. Candidates who cannot drive a manual car will not be considered for this role.
An undergraduate degree in biological sciences.
Ability to live in a communal setting with flexible working hours.
Outgoing and friendly, comfortable managing groups of people.
Basic knowledge of Spanish – or a proven willingness to learn.
Experience living and working in the tropics will be beneficial – Paraguay can be extremely hot and humid in the summer months.
Details
Full time, permanent live-in, paid position with no expenses (full bed and board provided), and six weeks paid holiday, plus National vacation days. Contract length is 24 months fixed term following a six-month probation period. You must be prepared to apply for legal residence and a biologist’s licence in Paraguay within the first month, the cost of which (one round of application only) will be reimbursed by PLT upon completion of your contract.
The post is compensated at a rate of 430 euros/month for the first six months and 480 euros/month for the following 18 months. With almost no living costs, our staff are able to save much of what they earn.
You’ll be contributing to ground-breaking research in Paraguay. To apply, please send your CV, a cover letter, two professional or academic references to Dr. Rebecca Smith at paralatierra.py@gmail.com. The recruitment process will also include a zoom interview.