Sustainability Associate - Communications & Engagement

Launch your Sustainability Career with the Climate Corps Fellowship program!

SEI’s Climate Corps Fellowship program offers the chance to lead impactful climate and community resilience projects while gaining paid, hands-on experience. This full-time, bridge-to-career opportunity pairs fellows with host organizations, from local governments to nonprofits and businesses, to drive real-world change.

About the Opportunity 

Start Date: September 2nd, 2025

Length of Fellowship: 10 months

Are you excited to inspire change and amplify climate action through strategic communication and hands-on community engagement? As a Sustainability Associate - Communications & Engagement in the Climate Corps Fellowship program, you’ll gain hands-on experience supporting sustainability communications, developing and coordinating outreach materials, and engaging with staff and the community to advance environmental sustainability initiatives.  This is a hybrid position with an expectation of 2 days onsite and 3 days remote work per week. Some weekend work is required (on average, 1 outreach event per month throughout the term and 1-2 outreach events per week during Earth Month in April).

This position requires the employee to be physically located in Redwood City, CA, at the time of hire. Only candidates currently residing within commuting distance of the onsite location will be considered.

The Communications & Engagement Fellowship is an exciting opportunity to help advance the Sustainability Department’s mission, vision, and program goals through the coordination and implementation of the Department’s communications and community engagement efforts. Working closely with the Senior Sustainability Specialist on the Communications team, the Fellow will help create materials and content to promote and support Sustainability Department programs. This includes designing and creating materials such as flyers, presentations, social media posts, newsletters, videos, and more. The Fellow will also support outreach and engagement strategies with internal and external stakeholders and represent the Department at community events across San Mateo County. 

Projects you will be working on include:

• Content Development: Write and edit content for the Department’s website, newsletters, and social media channels, focusing on topics related to waste reduction, greenhouse gas reduction, and other sustainability topics.
• Community Engagement: Attend outreach events and engage with community members to promote sustainability initiatives.

This is a dynamic opportunity to build your creative and outreach skills, grow your network, and help drive climate awareness and action across San Mateo County.

About Our Partner: San Mateo County

The San Mateo County Sustainability Department strives to improve the sustainability of the County’s operations and the greater community through work in areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency, resource conservation, climate resiliency, and greenhouse gas emission reductions. San Mateo County, CA, is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest cities in California.

Here, at the Sustainability Department, we:

• Are passionate about protecting and saving the environment while serving our community.
• Are compassionate and empathetic to the needs of our colleagues, community members, and stakeholders.
• Actively work to ensure inclusion in our programs.
• Value varied life experiences and strive to create a workplace that is welcoming to all. 

What You’ll Do

• Support coordination and implementation of the Department’s community engagement programs and communications. 
• Create engaging presentations and materials to support internal communications and program initiatives. 
• Coordinate materials needed for outreach events and coordinate the development of new materials as needed. 
• Brainstorm, organize, and evaluate community engagement activities with stakeholders such as partners and community-based organizations to advance the department’s programs in waste reduction, climate resilience, greenhouse gas reduction, and water quality. 
• Track and organize task orders with vendors and community-based organizations. 
• Track and report program metrics to monitor progress. 

What We’re Looking For

• Strong writing skills and understanding of visual design.
• Excellent organization skills and attention to detail.
• Understanding of sustainability and climate change.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of project management, implementation, and evaluation.
• Experience working with communities with varied backgrounds.
• Experience using communication and design tools such as social media platforms, email marketing software, Canva, Adobe Suite, and content management systems.
• Bilingual language skills (Spanish or Mandarin) preferred.
• A valid CA Driver’s License; you will have access to a County vehicle for site visits.
• A college degree is preferred but not required.
• The ability to work onsite on a hybrid basis (2 days onsite and 3 days remote work per week) and some weekends.
• Coursework or related experience in environmental fields (e.g., internships, volunteer work) is preferred.
• Commitment to a fair workplace that honors the experiences, voices, viewpoints, and values of all individuals.
• Authorization to work in the United States for the duration of the fellowship (SEI is unable to sponsor visas).
• May require occasional moving about to accomplish tasks, moving from one worksite to another, or adjusting or moving objects under 25-50 pounds in all directions.

We encourage everyone interested in this position to apply, even if you don’t meet every qualification. We value all perspectives and believe that a unique background can bring significant strengths to this role, even if some qualifications are not fully met.

What We Provide and Why This is a Game-Changer for Your Career

• A fixed, monthly stipend of $3570.
• $1000 end-of-program financial award.​
• Health care coverage with 100% of health care insurance premiums covered by the employer.
• Comprehensive career-readiness training, including interview prep, salary negotiation, and resume building.
• Panels, workshops, and networking with climate resilience industry professionals.
• Professional networking and learning opportunities.
• University of California Climate Stewards Certification equips you to lead community and ecosystem resilience initiatives.

Join the Climate Corps Movement

Climate Corps, a program of SEI, is an award-winning fellowship designed to prepare the next generation of leaders in sustainability and climate action. Our fellows work on cutting-edge sustainability and resiliency projects with local governments, nonprofits, and businesses, building essential skills and creating real-world impact. Since 2010, Climate Corps has empowered over 800 Fellows to work with 500+ partners on 1,350 transformative projects. With nearly 99% of Fellows continuing careers in sustainability—many hired by their host organizations—you could be the next environmental leader shaping a better future!

Our Hiring Values

SEI is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to uplifting the experiences, voices, viewpoints, and values of all individuals. We believe that a wide array of perspectives contributes to creative climate solutions where all communities can thrive. We strive for a workforce that reflects the communities we partner with and serve, especially those most impacted by climate change and environmental, social, and economic injustice. We welcome candidates who share SEI’s commitment to cultivating a people-centered work environment. Individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.