Strategic Communications and External Engagement Intern

*Please note this is a paid internship role with a hybrid approach for the possibility of both remote and in office work.  See below for specific details regarding applicant location eligibility.

About Rare

Rare inspires change so people and nature thrive. For over 45 years, across 60 countries, we have inspired and empowered millions of people and their communities to shift their behaviors and practices to protect our shared planet. 

We are a global leader in driving social change for people and nature. We facilitate solutions that help individuals, their communities and their local leaders tackle global environmental challenges, manage their resources, and take charge of their futures. And we believe that the cumulative power of individual and community action is a vital pathway to safeguarding and restoring our shared waters, lands, and climate. 

Rare’s organizational culture is results-oriented, entrepreneurial, and defined by our five core values: Courage to Take Risks, Commitment to Accountability, Mindset of Solutionology, Investments in People, and Spirit of Celebration. We are working toward ambitious goals and creating measurable social change.

Position Overview   

Fish Forever is Rare’s coastal waters initiative. It is an innovative global movement to transform the management of near-shore ecosystems and fisheries. It has ambitious goals to combat chronic overfishing, recover fish stocks and protect the most biologically diverse marine habitats, while building local leadership capacity to ensure sustainability. The impact of this work can increase the economic value of local fisheries, ensure food security, and contribute to the climate change resilience of some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.  

The Strategic & External Engagement team enables the success and scale of Fish Forever through impactful global engagement and positioning with diverse stakeholders.  The team collaborates with departments across the organization to lead several functions for the global program, including fundraising, driving partnerships for scale, expansion to new countries, Coastal 500 network coordination, advancing global ocean policy priorities relevant to Fish Forever, and strategic engagement at global events.

The Strategic Communications & External Engagement Intern will have an exciting opportunity to support scaling this impactful program by through a focus on Coastal 500 and strategic communications. The intern will gain valuable insight into global ocean policy frameworks and convening events, the crucial role that local government leaders play in advancing ocean, climate and biodiversity goals, and strategies for scaling a global communications campaign.

This is a great opportunity for anyone looking for experience in strategic communications and scaling a social program with a global non-profit conservation organization.   

Core responsibilities:

• Advance and support post-UN Ocean Conference engagement tasks, such as:
• Drafting follow up emails to Coastal 500 members who attended with us to continue momentum
• Sorting through photos from the event and drafting an internal update to Rare staff summarizing our accomplishments at the event
• Draft a guide or best practices document for how we engage with local leaders at global events, including criteria for their inclusion in a Rare delegation
• Help drive engagement and momentum in the Coastal 500 WhatsApp community by drafting regular posts and updates
• Help refresh Coastal 500’s social media accounts and content
• Partner with Rare’s Communications team to draft at least one major story or article about Coastal 500 for strategic placement in online media
• Support outreach and distribution of new resources to Coastal 500 members
• Update and ensure accuracy of Coastal 500 member directory/roster

Are you a policy- or communications-oriented student or recent graduate interested in a career in conservation or international development? Do you enjoy using your writing and social media skills in your work?

We want to hear from you!

Targeted Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Pursuing or completed an undergraduate or graduate degree in communications, public policy, environmental science, international development, or related fields
• Dynamic personality ready to contribute where needed
• Well organized, self-motivated, and able to manage deadlines independently
• Excellent understanding of MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Eager and quick to learn new systems and software
• Excellent editing, writing and communications experience
• Superb attention to detail and proven ability to execute highly specific tasks
• Interest in conservation/environmental issues through coursework, work experience, or extracurricular activities
• Native or near-native written and spoken English language skills required

Important commitments

• To Rare’s mission and values 

Application and Selection Process:

Rare’s Talent team will contact candidates directly for interviews and finalize hiring decisions between the end of April and mid-May. Please keep in mind that not all candidates will be contacted for interviews. Due to the volume of applications, we do not confirm receipt of applications. You can confirm submission of your application by logging back into iCIMS via our Career Page.

*The selected candidate must have current residence in the following states:

• Virginia
• Maryland
• DC

Rare is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic.