Open Positions with the Office of Sustainability

Sustainable Columbia Background

Columbia University commits to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner. We aim to address climate and sustainability issues through world-renowned research conducted right here on our campus, engaging staff leadership and fostering individual participation. Columbia’s Office of Sustainability and the Climate School are pleased to offer this opportunity. 

The role requires strong project management abilities, administrative skills, clear verbal and written communication, attention to detail, and strong interpersonal skills.

Internship Description

This position’s responsibilities will primarily support the University's renewed effort to report to The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), which is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. 

The intern will support the Office of Sustainability's efforts to contact key Columbia departments to gather data and information to be entered into the STARS online reporting framework in preparation for submission. They will also research Columbia policy and University activities to prepare written and linked information for STARS submission.

As needed, the position responsibilities may also include special projects related to other Office of Sustainability needs, which could include tasks related to campus engagement and sustainable procurement.

Activities include:

  • Perform stakeholder engagement with key Columbia operations staff to obtain necessary data and draft descriptive narratives for submission
  • Manage and clean data, enter into Excel spreadsheets in preparation for submission
  • Research Columbia policy library for key sustainability topics to support submission
  • Identify gaps, broken links on existing policy pages and consolidate them for review and update
  • Support policy updates on the URLs with refreshed language
  • Research peer university policies on key sustainability topics and draft policy language for Columbia
  • Research and inventory key sustainability industry updates on trends that could influence changes and use of products and services, e.g., certifications, industry standards

This internship is a fantastic opportunity to gain experience applying climate and sustainability reporting frameworks within a large organization; obtaining and managing data and information across a broad spectrum of sustainability topics; liaising with a cross-section of stakeholders, and applying project management skills. 

Hours,  Compensation, and Eligibility Information

The position is open to all full-time Masters Columbia students with concentration/specialization in sustainability/climate studies. 

The position pays $23/hour. The maximum possible funding is for 250 hours, estimating up to 20 hours/week, from Sep  7 –  Dec 31. 

Per the University's remote policy, all students hired for this position must reside within commuting distance of the campus.

Please reach out to Samreen Afzal, Office of Sustainability, [email protected], with any specific questions and to apply.