Jobs & Internships

Jobs

CENTER FOR HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT AND JUSTICE MANAGER OF DEVELOPMENT

CHEJ mentors a movement, building healthier communities by empowering people to prevent harm caused by chemical and toxic threats.  We do this by mentoring and assisting local activists and emerging group leaders, and providing them with training and technical information.  We also work to build nationwide and state coalitions focused on environmental health issues like children’s special vulnerability to toxic chemicals, and the need for precautionary action.  By building a movement, from the bottom up, we are working to harness the power of the grassroots to curtail the polluting power of industry and government.

CHEJ was founded in 1981 by Lois Gibbs, following her successful effort to prevent harm and win relocation for families living in contaminated Love Canal, New York.  To date, CHEJ has assisted over 11,000 groups nationwide.  Details on CHEJ’s efforts to help families and communities prevent harm can be found at http://www.chej.org.

Summary Description:

The Manager of Development manages CHEJ’s relations with our foundation partners. The successful candidate will prepare grant proposals, reports and correspondence in accordance with funders’ guidelines and criteria and research new foundations to approach. He or she will also assist in the development of the annual fundraising plan and board progress reports.  The position reports to the Executive Director and works with the Development Associate and Donor Relations Manager.

Specific Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the Executive Director, the Manager of Development will be responsible for writing and preparing proposals, inquiries, grant applications and collateral materials, as well as researching, identifying, and responding to grant opportunities.  The individual selected will develop funding sources to support existing as well as planned program activities. The Manager of Development will lead CHEJ’s senior staff in developing a donor strategy for each of our foundation relationships, to maximize support for the organization’s programs and operations.  S/he will also be responsible for collecting from staff, reviewing and reporting information on the performance of program activities that are funded through grants.

Editing all development office communications and supporting the production of the annual report and a quarterly 8-page major donor newsletter, in coordination with CHEJ’s graphic design team, as well as producing other written solicitation and reporting tools, as needed.  The annual state and federal employee campaign applications also fall under the responsibilities of this position.

The Manager of Development will work with the Executive Director and other development staff to create the annual fundraising plan and quarterly board progress reports.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• One or more years of experience and a proven track record in grant writing in a nonprofit setting.
• Strong writing, editing, and communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to multitask and work both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to work under pressure and with short deadlines.
• Enthusiasm and a proactive approach to projects and tasks.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Commitment to organization’s mission.

Salary commensurate with experience.  Benefits include generous vacation leave, flex time, life, disability, and health insurance.  CHEJ is an Equal Opportunity Employer, people of color and women are encouraged to apply.  Position is located  in Falls Church City, Virginia   The office is Metro Rail and Metro Bus accessible.

To apply:

Send cover letter, resume, and salary requirement and grant writing sample to:  sfranklin@chej.org Sharon Franklin  or mail to  CHEJ  – P.O. Box 6806  Falls Church, VA  22040-6806  Attn: Sharon Franklin

About CHEJ

The Center for Health, Environment & Justice exists to mentor the movement to build healthier communities by empowering people to prevent harm in as many ways, and for as many people, as possible.  We believe this can happen when people and groups have the power to play an integral role in promoting human health and environmental integrity.  CHEJ’s role is to provide the tools, the direction, and the encouragement to these people and groups, so that they can build strong, healthy communities where they live, work, learn, shop, play and pray. Following her successful effort to prevent further harm for the people living in contaminated Love Canal, Lois Gibbs founded CHEJ in 1981 in order to continue mentoring others seeking to prevent harm. CHEJ provides mentoring assistance to communities, homeowners, families and individuals throughout the country

Internships

The Center For Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) was founded in 1981, as the Citizens Clearinghouse for Hazardous Waste, by Lois Gibbs, the community leader at Love Canal. CHEJ was formed to meet the urgent need for support and technical assistance by people struggling for environmental justice across the country. Because CHEJ is uniquely different from traditional environmental efforts, our philosophy is to teach and empower by helping grassroots groups and individuals (including interns) build upon their strengths. Through our organizing, leadership development, research and technical assistance, we empower individuals with skills and information to make sound judgements and become part of the political decision making process to protect health and our natural resources.

Hands-On “Work/Learn” Program Specifics
Interns work on a variety of topics such as environmental racism, children and toxics, non-profit management, fundraising, incineration and landfills, sludge disposal, corporate greenwashing and medical waste incineration. In addition to working on special projects, interns will gain insight into the complexities of environmental issues that involve many different players, an appreciation of science for the public interest, the importance of data in advocacy and a respect for the power of informed citizens. Interns are given tasks to match their interests, skills and background with CHEJ’s need, and are directed by a staff person in the same area of interest.

Specific Positions
Specific positions include: Research in Science and Policy, Toxicology, Journalism, Writing, Membership Recruitment, Data Entry, Library Science, Development and Grassroots Organizing. Interns are also invited to join and work on specific  CHEJ campaigns:

• BE SAFE
• Child Proofing Our Communities Campaign (CPOC)
• The Green Flag Schools Program
• PVC: The Poison Plastic Campaign

Making It Happen
Send resume and cover letter outlining what type of internship you want, what you hope to gain from the experience and what time frame you are available. All graduate and undergraduate backgrounds are welcome. If you are committed to making a difference to reclaim our health and rebuild democracy, this internship is for you. A travel stipend is available for all CHEJ interns. If you need assistance in finding housing near the office, please contact the Intern Coordinator at sfranklin(at)chej.org for more information. Send cover letter and resume to: Intern Coordinator, P.O. Box 6806, Falls Church, VA 22040 or email: sfranklin(at)chej.org.