2027 Program Administration Internship

oaec; Occidental (CA); On-site; USD 24,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

OAEC is seeking a Program Administration Intern to help run a thriving retreat and education center in Occidental, CA. You will support the Office and Events Manager across admin tasks, communications, retreats, and operations.

This role offers exposure to nonprofit administration, CRM systems, and event logistics, with opportunities to work closely with Communications and Retreat Program teams. Ideal for systems thinkers and self-directed learners seeking hands-on experience.

Qualifications

• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills are essential.
• Hospitality or customer service experience is desirable.
• Able to maintain a clean, organized workspace and handle multiple tasks.
• Willingness to give and receive feedback with compassion and teamwork.
• Proficiency with Mac computers, Google Workspace, and basic design/web tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide general support and management of the OAEC office, including inquiries, mail, orders, inventory, and filing.
• Support the Nursery Program with marketing, social media, and newsletters.
• Assist the Retreat Program Team with administrative tasks and act as daytime Retreat Host when needed.
• Support events throughout the year, including the Chautauqua.
• Manage CRM, organization-wide calendar, and point of sale systems.
• Assist in coordinating logistics for design courses and other programs.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Written communication

Hospitality experience

Team player

Detail-oriented

Tools

Mac

Google Workspace

Canva

Adobe

WordPress

Instagram

Facebook

NeonOne CRM

Job description

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION INTERNSHIP

Are you interested in learning how to run a successful retreat and education center? Join us as a Program Administration Intern to support a wide range of OAEC's internal programs through our admin, retreats, operations, and communications departments. The Program Admin Intern is an integral part of the OAEC team, supporting both the public-facing and invisible structures of the organization. They report directly to the Office and Events Manager and work closely with the Communications team, Retreat Program team, and other departments at OAEC. This intern will gain insight and exposure to the inner-workings and day-to-day running of a thriving, land-based non-profit and retreat center. This internship is for you if you are a systems thinker, people person, and self-directed learner looking to understand the bigger picture and experience the nitty gritty of what it takes to keep an organization afloat!

We are honored to have multiple past interns currently working full-time in our operations departments, and many folks have gone on to successful careers in the nonprofit world.

Typical Tasks

• Provide general support and management of the OAEC office. Typical tasks include responding to incoming phone and email inquiries, sorting mail, processing online orders, inventorying supplies, filing of financial documents, and kitchen restocking.
• Support the Nursery Program with marketing and communications, manage the nursery social media accounts, and draft newsletters.
• Support the Retreat Program Team with administrative tasks and occasionally act as daytime Retreat Host when needed. See our Movement Building Retreats page to learn more about our Retreat Program. Interns are encouraged to take on additional hourly work as Retreat Hosts.
• Assist the Office and Events Manager for events throughout the year, including the famed Chautauqua.
• Use and update OAEC's CRM, organization-wide calendar, and point of sale systems.
• Assist in managing logistics for our Permaculture Design Courses and other emergent courses.
• Work on special projects for core programs and departments as needed.

General Qualifications

• Good foundation in interpersonal and written communication skills, prior administrative experience is desirable.
• Enjoys interacting with the public and being in the service of others. Prior hospitality or customer service experience is desirable.
• An eye for cleanliness and propensity for keeping spaces beautiful and organized.
• Willingness to give and receive feedback in a compassionate and caring manner.
• A team player who is willing to jump in and help out with emergent issues throughout the work day, even if they aren't exactly in your job description or what you expected to be doing at that moment.
• Experience with Mac computers and Google Workspace. Experience in Canva, Adobe, WordPress, Instagram and Facebook is helpful. You will learn how to use our constituent relationship management (CRM) software NeonOne.
• Ability to be detail-oriented and focused in a sometimes busy and social office.
• Enjoys multi-tasking and juggling priorities with the capacity to structure self-guided work throughout the day.
• Ability to work well alone and take initiative, and also work collaboratively as part of a team.

Applications for 2027 internships open on September 1st, 2026, and close at 5pm on October 16th, 2026.

We look forward to receiving your submission!