Recycling and Materials Management Project Assistant
Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc.
Position located in Seattle, Washington or Oakland, California
www.cascadiconsulting.com

Cascadia Consulting Group is a women-owned, private consulting firm that develops and implements innovative solutions to today’s environmental challenges. Founded in 1993, Cascadia works with public and private-sector clients to advance sustainability through recycling and materials management, transportation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy efficiency, and water and natural resources management. The Cascadia team brings both expertise and creative thinking to research and analysis, strategic planning, program design and implementation, and outreach and evaluation. From our offices in Seattle and Oakland, we serve clients across the country and abroad. Our mission is to inspire and empower communities everywhere to protect and restore our world.

Cascadia aspires to be a multicultural organization and seeks to hire individuals who contribute to our cultural fluency. We value employees who are aware of their own cultural lens, along with the impact it has on their interactions and work, and who can effectively connect across culture and difference, including race, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, and physical ability. Additionally, we hire individuals who value a collaborative, fast-paced work environment, who think creatively and communicate effectively, and who work hard to get the job done well. Consulting is about taking initiative, solving problems, and serving clients, so we seek staff members with skills in those areas.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Project Assistant to support our recycling, organics, and waste reduction programs by performing waste characterization studies throughout North America. It is expected that 75% of this position will be travel. The ideal candidate will have a background in and/or knowledge of recycling, organics, and waste reduction programs, as well as competencies in attention to detail, team building, quantitative analysis, and problem solving.

Specific duties of this role include:

  • Coordinating and/or delegating project preparation tasks that may include travel logistics, assessing gear inventory, setting up databases, printing field forms, etc.
  • Independently or collaboratively collecting desired waste, recyclable, and/or organic material as specified in a research study design.
  • Participating in fieldwork to visually characterize or hand-sort samples of waste, recyclables, and/or organic materials.
  • Rapidly work towards the ability to effectively teach and manage a crew to hand-sort samples of waste, recyclables, and/or organic materials.
  • Ensuring and upholding that performed work adheres to Cascadia’s safety standards.
  • Maintaining field crew morale.
  • Evaluating and informing project design to ensure equitable service delivery.
  • Performing data entry using Cascadia’s cloud-based software and Excel.
  • Conducting quantitative analyses, including use of spreadsheets and databases.
  • Assisting with the writing, production, and overall execution of proposals and reports as needed.
  • Conducting research (internet and telephone surveys) as needed.
  • Other duties as assigned by the client(s) or Cascadia.

Required Qualifications

This position requires a candidate with the following qualifications:

  • Valid driver’s license and comfort with driving large vehicles (i.e. box trucks).
  • Ability to lift up to 60 pounds.
  • Willingness to work both in teams and independently to advance common goals and create high-quality work products.
  • Ability to work independently and with little direction.
  • Strong organizational skills and ability to track, manage, and prioritize multiple deliverables with overlapping deadlines.
  • Flexibility to work in various environments under unforeseen weather conditions.

Other highly desirable attributes include:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field of study.
  • Minimum of 2 years of experience working in the waste and recycling field.
  • Cultural competency and emotional intelligence, including the ability to connect respectfully with people from a variety of backgrounds.
  • Ability to multitask, prioritize, and stay organized in a fast-paced work environment.
  • Spoken and written fluency in both English and another language, such as Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, and/or Russian.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, regular, salaried, exempt position. The work will require flexible hours and may have designated hours including weekends and evenings. Salary will be based on experience and competitive with jobs in the environmental sector. We offer a generous benefits package, including health insurance for employees at or above 60% full-time equivalent, 401(k) with an employer match, life insurance, long term disability, transportation subsidies, flexible spending accounts, and paid time off.

How to Apply

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@cascadiaconsulting.com and indicate “Recycling and Materials Management Project Assistant – [Your Name]” in the subject line. Your cover letter should address your ability to meet the criteria in the Required Qualifications section and highlight relevant experience, education, and why you are interested in this position. Please state where you learned about the position. This position is open until closed.

Cascadia Consulting Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diverse perspectives and life experiences. People of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.