Sustainability Intern

Universities of Wisconsin; Stevens Point (WI); On-site; USD 15,000 - 21,000; Part time

Job summary

University Dining at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is seeking a Sustainability Intern. The role supports sustainable dining initiatives, including waste minimization, data collection, and student engagement within the campus operation.

Ideal for students studying sustainability or food systems; offers hands-on experience and opportunities for independent or collaborative projects, with mentorship and performance evaluations during the eight-week probationary period.

Qualifications

• This position is ideal for a student with interest in sustainability, food systems, or student outreach.
• Must work 10–12 hours per week; weekend shifts permissible after training.
• Positive, professional attitude with strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and meet deadlines.
• Analytical and detail-oriented with problem-solving ability.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office/Excel/Google Drive and data presentation.
• Able to lift up to 30 lbs and stay seated/standing for extended periods.
• Must be enrolled as a part-time student (6 undergrad credits or 5 grad credits) with good academic standing.
• Background check required; employment onboarding includes trainings.

Responsibilities

• Host educational tabling events around campus and at dining locations.
• Promote sustainability program at new student orientation.
• Create educational materials and write content for website/social media.
• Support long-term projects such as local food reporting, waste auditing, and farmers market coordination.
• Analyze composting and recycling activity across dining locations and report findings.
• Research sustainable initiatives and provide recommendations for improvements.
• Attend mandatory staff meetings and complete trainings.
• Complete University Dining orientation and mandatory trainings.
• Adhere to University Dining policies and student employment handbook.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Sustainability knowledge

Hours flexibility

Communication skills

Self-motivation

Analytical skills

Excel/data viz

Physical fitness

Student status

Background check

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Google Drive

Pivot Tables

Job description

Position Title:

Sustainability Intern

Job Category:

Student Hourly

Job Profile:

Student Help

Job Summary:

Accepting work-study and regular pay applicants.

Accountability

Reports to the University Dining Associate Director.

Responsibilities

The Sustainability Intern will provide support on various projects within out sustainable dining program, including initiatives addressing waste minimization, student engagement, and data collection and analysis. This is an excellent opportunity for students to explore the difference faucets of food sustainability within the framework of a university dining operation. There will be opportunities for independent and collaborative projects, with the potential to develop additional projects based on the intern’s personal interests and academic expertise.

Specific Duties

• Host educational tabling events around campus and at dining location, including events promoting local foods, waste minimization, and composting.
• Promote University Dining's sustainability program at new student orientation.
• Create educational materials for distribution to the student body and write content for the University Dining website and/or social media accounts.
• Support long-term projects, such as local food reporting, waste auditing, food recovery, farmers market coordination, etc.
• Analyze composting and recycling activity in multiple dining locations and report out finds, and trends.
• Research sustainably initiatives and best practices around the country. Evaluate the current University Dining sustainability program and make recommendations for improvements.
• Attending mandatory staff meetings.
• Complete University Dining Orientation and all mandatory trainings.
• Being held accountable and abide to the policies outlined in the University Dining Student Employment Handbook.
• Other duties and projects as assigned to address current trends or issues.

Qualifications

• This position is ideal for a student with knowledge and interest in the field of sustainability, food systems, and or student outreach.
• Must be able to work a minimum of 10-12 hours per week; Weekend shifts, once trained, would be permissible.
• A positive, professional, and outgoing attitude with strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and meet project deadlines.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills. High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to understand and use Microsoft Office/Excel/Google Drive/pivot tables and creating visual data presentations.
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs.; Sit, walk, and stand for extended time periods, up to 6 hours.
• All applicants must be at least a part-time student (enrolled in at least 6 undergraduate or 5 graduate credits) and be in good academic standing (cumulative and semester GPAs of 2.0 or higher).
• Applicants must pass a criminal background check (only criminal activity directly pertaining to the position description will be evaluated.)
• Successful applicants must pass all UWSP mandatory trainings along with department specific (food handling) trainings as part of their employment onboarding.
• Upon the completion of the eight-week probationary period, the staff supervisor will conduct a performance evaluation with results impacting the students’ future employment status.

Learning Outcomes

Although your job in University Dining may not be directly related to your future profession, the skills you learn here are transferable and will help you within any career path while also giving you valuable work experience to strengthen your resume. As a result of their involvement in the University Dining student employment program, student employees will gain experience in:

• Job Knowledge
• Personal Development
• Responsibility/Task Completion
• Customer Service
• Community Engagement
• Inclusivity at Work
• Work Practices
• Judgement/Problem Solving
• Success Attributes

Base Wage

$13.00/hour

Special Notes:

Through the discovery and dissemination of knowledge, UW-Stevens Point stimulates intellectual growth, provides a liberal education, and prepares students for a diverse sustainable world. The university is committed to creating a safe, inclusive learning community for all faculty and staff from a variety of backgrounds. Visit https://www.uwsp.edu/join-uw-stevens-point/ for more information about UW-Stevens Point. To learn about the Stevens Point (aka Point) area fun, jobs, housing, education, quality of life, and bragging rights, visit www.stevenspointarea.com.

Individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process should contact Human Resources and Aff,ionate Action at 715-346-2606 or [e-mail].

The safety and success of students, faculty, and staff at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is paramount. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act requires the distribution of an annual security report to all current and prospective students, faculty, and staff. You may obtain the complete report at https://www3.uwsp.edu/protsv/Pages/Clery.aspx

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

An offer of employment will require a criminal background check and authorization to work within the United States as required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

UW is an Equal Opportunity Employer:

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other bases protected by applicable federal or State law and UW System policies. We are committed to building a workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.