Intern - Policy and Government Relations ( Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa & Zambia)

Quito, Ecuador

LA064

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our   to hear stories from staff or visit  .

One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”

The Conservation Assistant will be responsible for a variety of administrative support tasks, which may include domestic and international travel arrangements, calendar management, drafting correspondence, processing expenses and office payments, and assisting with the scheduling and logistics of meetings and special events. They will use available systems and resources to track and research data, and produce and review reports. The Conservation Assistant will coordinate activities with multiple variables, setting realistic deadlines and managing the timeline. They will apply established processes and practices in order to improve effectiveness. The Conservation Assistant will communicate on behalf of their supervisor with staff in various programs across the Conservancy, as well as with donors, vendors, and business relations. They will provide other staff with information they need to make decisions and to solve problems. They will perform administrative functions for program as required.
This is a 2-year Term Contract

The Conservation Assistant will provide direct administrative support to one or more directors within a business unit.  
RESPONSIBILITIES & SCOPE

•    Does not supervise any staff, but may supervise volunteers, interns, or temporary staff;
•    Perform duties under general supervision and established guidelines; 
•    Demonstrate sensitivity in handling confidential information;
•    Makes purchases, process invoices, contract with vendors, and assist with budget tracking;
•    Support the coordination of workshops, trainings and meetings of the BU team, including the agenda management of the BU Director
•    Support the coordination of workshops and meetings with external partners and leaders of the Conservation Strategies.
•    Identify routine problems and utilize existing resources for resolution, referring difficult questions and problems to supervisor;
•    Make day-to-day decisions within the scope of work assignments and prioritize work independently; 
•    Serve as a team member for assigned projects.
•    May assist with program budget preparation and monitoring.
•    May support the monitoring of projects implementation with internal policies and external requirements.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
•    Bachelor’s degree and 1-year experience or equivalent combination;
•    Experience in business writing, editing, and proofreading;
•    Experience using applications such as advance Microsoft Word, power point, Excel.
•    Experience organizing time and managing diverse activities to meet deadlines; and
•    Experience working and communicating with a wide range of people
•    Good communication skills via written, spoken and graphical means in English and excellent communication skills in Spanish.    
 
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•    Multi-lingual skills and multi-cultural or cross-cultural experiences are appreciated;
•    Ability to analyze information for the purpose of preparing reports, coordinating activities, and solving problems;
•    Database skills, including managing and tracking data, and producing reports; 
•    Experience working with a board of directors, donors, volunteers, the public, and/or all levels of staff; and/or 
•    Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world! 

TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our on nature.org/careers. 

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

To apply for job ID 53182, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at by 11:59 PM EST on April 4, 2023. Need help applying? Visit our page or contact .

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. to match your military experience with our current job openings!

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

Where legally permissible, TNC requires all new employees to be fully vaccinated and willing to keep up to date with vaccines that protect against COVID-19.   By accepting an offer of employment, you agree to comply with this requirement, unless you are entitled to a legally mandated exemption.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.