Labor and Community Job Opportunities, Opportunities

NYC Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) – Geology/Engineering Internship

About OER

The NYC Mayor’s Office of Environmental Remediation (OER) designs and implements the City’s brownfield cleanup and redevelopment initiatives.   The NYC Voluntary Cleanup Program (NYC VCP), the nation’s first municipally-run cleanup program, offers remedial oversight and liability protection to property owners and developers of over 100 sites each year.  Brownfields are sites where redevelopment is complicated by the presence of contamination, such as from prior site uses, historic fill, or chemical spills.  OER also supports Community Brownfield Planning Areas and administers the Brownfield Incentive Grant (BIG) program, which provides funding for the investigation and cleanup of brownfield sites as well as grants to community-based organizations conducting planning around brownfields.  Additional OER programs and initiatives include the NYC E‐Designation Review Program for hazardous materials, air quality, and noise; the Clean Soil Bank; brownfield educational workshops; Green Property Certification, and community outreach activities.  To learn more about OER, please visit www.nyc.gov/oer.

Internship Description

Interns work closely with technical staff to advance OER initiatives and projects.  The office environment is dynamic and flexible.  Examples of intern responsibilities include:

  • Assist with technical review of NYC cleanup projects and project documentation
  • Assist in research/reviews/cataloguing of historical OER remediation projects
  • Attend consultant meetings to gain understanding of the remediation industry
  • Research regulatory guidance and funding sources
  • Assist with OER’s sustainability initiatives (e.g. green infrastructure, clean soil bank, resiliency surveys)
  • Draft OER newsletter articles and educational materials
  • Assist in updating OER’s website
  • Provide outreach, planning, and support for brownfield workshops, events, and educational initiatives
  • Support OER’s social media strategy
  • Work with the NYC Brownfield Partnership and its community benefit programs
  • Provide feedback on brownfield web applications
  • Track OER correspondence, including e-mails and 311 information
  • Use OER’s SPEED mapping and search tool to produce maps and gather information on adjacent site owners

Internships at OER are part of the ten-week Mayor’s Office Internship Program, which includes a speaker series and a service project, as well as the work assignment at OER.   See application link below for information on dates and FAQs.

Qualifications

  • Demonstrated college coursework or work experience in one or more of the following fields: environmental or brownfield investigation/remediation, geology, hydrogeology, civil engineering, environmental engineering, chemical engineering;
  • Interest in economic development, real estate, urban planning, and government preferred;
  • Demonstrated analytical, time management, and leadership skills;
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work independently;
  • Proficiency with MS Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) (required);
  • Experience with MS Access; HTML; Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, and InDesign; and/or GIS software and/or open source mapping applications (e.g. Google Earth) (preferred).

Hours and Compensation

  • Internships are for the duration of ten weeks. See application link below for dates.
  • Hours flexible depending on student schedules (more hours preferred; minimum 3 days/week for summer)
  • Internship positions in the Mayor’s Office are unpaid.

To apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter describing your interest in the position, relevant coursework, and availability at http://on.nyc.gov/nycmointernship.   Highlight aspects of your experience that are relevant to this position, and explain why you are interested in brownfields and interning with OER.   Be sure to indicate your interest in the Office of Environmental Remediation under “Unit Choice.”