Coastside Naturalist

Website County of San Mateo Parks & Recreation

Description

San Mateo County Parks is currently seeking a full-time extra help Coastside Naturalist for the Department’s Interpretive Division. This position would be employed from January – December 2025.

The Interpretive Division provides environmental education and outreach efforts by hosting a variety of events and activities throughout the year, including the Take A Hike Challenge, Junior Ranger Program, Classroom Programs, Junior Naturalist Camp, and more!

Examples Of Duties

The Coastside Naturalist position is responsible for assisting Park Ranger staff with the following:

  • Work closely with staff and volunteers to create and implement programming and events at several parks on the coastside
  • Strengthen community partnerships on the coastside
  • Continue supporting partnerships and programming with San Mateo County Libraries, such as Junior Ranger and Storytime events
  • Create, organize, and co-lead school programming, both virtual and in-person
  • Create interpretive materials and social media content for the Department
  • Other duties as assigned

Estimated work schedule (subject to change): 

  • Wednesday: 8 – 4:30 PM (8 hours) – work from home
  • Thursday: 8 – 4:30 PM (8 hours) – on site
  • Friday: 8 – 4:30 PM (8 hours) – work from home
  • Saturday: 8 – 4:30 PM (8 hours) – on site
  • Sunday: 8 – 4:30 PM (8 hours) – on site

The position will require regular work at various San Mateo County Parks, so the candidate must be able to report to those locations by their own means. The parks the intern will most frequently work within are Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, San Pedro Valley Park, Coyote Point Recreation Area and Tunitas Creek Beach.

Some of this position will be “work from home”, so the candidate must have a situation in which they have the ability to perform their job duties from a remote location (reliable internet connection, computer access, etc.)

NOTE: This is an extra-help, at-will assignment, paid on an hourly basis. Some extra help positions are eligible for benefits under the Affordable Care Act. Extra help employees are not guaranteed permanent status at the end of the assignment.

Qualifications

The ideal candidates for this position should have the following competencies:

  • Interest and enthusiasm for the environment
  • Experience in planning and coordinating projects and events
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially in a formal public setting
  • Flexible, deadline-driven and customer service oriented
  • Culturally competent in working with diverse communities
  • Excellent organizational skills in handling multiple and competing priorities
  • Collaborative and able to maintain strong relationships with community-based organizations and other partners
  • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and instruction; as well as, collaboratively as part of a team
  • Advanced skills in computer systems and applications, such as the Microsoft Office suite (Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), Zoom, Social Media platforms, Canva, Video editing programs, etc.
  • Experience working with environmental education or outreach programs is preferred
  • Bachelor’s degree is preferred
  • Previous experience working with children is preferred

Application/Examination

Please submit an online application with a copy of your resume and cover letter attached to the application.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County’s website, you may click the “Apply Online” button above or below. If you are not on the County’s website, please go to http://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply.

Apply immediately. This recruitment is open on a continuous basis and selections may be made at any time within the process.

Contact
For questions about this internship, please contact Katherine Wright at kewright@smcgov.org. For questions/comments/issues relating to the application process and material submissions, please contact Chaten Berry at cberry@smcgov.org.
At the County of San Mateo, we take pride in the way our employees bring together their diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to serve our community’s needs. The County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.