Land Intern (Midwest)

Overview

RES is now accepting applications for the Land Intern position at our Chicago office. Our internships typically run from May to August, with an expectation of 40 hours per week.

The Mission: This internship offers valuable hands-on experience in land operations, title research, and stakeholder engagement, providing exposure to a dynamic work environment and the opportunity to develop essential skills for a career in land management, environmental consulting, or related fields. You will work under the supervision of a senior member of the Land team, in a group of like-minded people who are all passionate about the earth.

We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented rising junior or sophomore to support our team with various tasks related to land management, title research, and project coordination. This is your chance to join the growing ecological restoration industry and discover a fulfilling career path that aligns with your passions while opening the door to future opportunities at RES.

What your day-to-day might look like?

In this role, you'll split your time between administrative work and fieldwork, each offering a dynamic range of responsibilities and opportunities to contribute to meaningful projects.

On the administrative side (40-60% of your time), you’ll dive into title research, verifying ownership and legal rights by working with public records, databases, and legal documents. You’ll also track land ownership details, including agreements, leases, and other property data, ensuring everything is organized and accurate.

Document management is another key aspect, as you’ll help maintain both electronic and paper files related to land transactions, agreements, and ownership records. You’ll assist with database updates, ensuring land-related data remains current and error-free, and play a role in reviewing agreements, tracking their execution, and noting key dates for payments or extensions.

Property management tasks such as paying invoices, verifying property tax exemptions, and maintaining proper documentation will round out your administrative responsibilities.

Additionally, you’ll collaborate with GIS tools to create maps and attach them to outreach materials. Preparing correspondence will be part of your day, as you draft emails, create mailers, and manage communications with landowners.

In the fieldwork portion (40-60% of your time), you’ll actively participate in regulatory visits alongside ecologists and project managers, gaining valuable insights into compliance processes.

Shadowing land representatives during activities such as door-knocking, planned landowner meetings, and negotiation processes will provide hands-on experience in stakeholder engagement. Occasionally, you’ll visit land sites to verify property details, meet landowners, and gather essential data for ongoing projects. During negotiations, you’ll take detailed notes and compile summaries for project records, ensuring clear communication and thorough documentation.

Note that this is not an exhaustive list of your duties.

Qualifications

We would love to hear from you if you have many of the following:

• Currently pursuing a degree in environmental science, land management, geography, or a related field.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with GIS tools is a plus.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in office and field settings.
• Attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining accurate records.

VEVRAA Federal Contractor

RES is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.