Dillon, CO or Washington, DC

Position Title: Project Associate & Ruckelshaus Fellowship

Organization: Meridian Institute

Location: Dillon, CO or Washington, DC

Organization Overview: Meridian is a mission-driven, non-profit organization that has helped our clients and partners develop and implement solutions to complicated, often controversial problems—big and small, global and local—on issues of climate change, food systems, forests, water, science and technology, and more. Meridian Institute designs, manages, and facilitates collaborative processes that bring people together who understand the issues and have a stake in their resolution.

Position Overview: The Ruckelshaus Fellowship is an opportunity for early-career professionals to contribute to Meridian’s mission to help people collaborate to solve complex problems, make informed decisions, and implement solutions that improve lives, the environment, and the economy. The Fellowship is a two-year, full-time position working in either a hybrid or remote arrangement. Hybrid employees are based in one of Meridian’s two offices – in Dillon, CO or Washington, DC. They strongly encourage hybrid work for Fellows as it provides more opportunities to build relationships within the cohort and leverage the networking benefits of the program. Project Associate and Ruckelshaus Fellows who are selected will begin work in summer of 2023.

Duties:

Project Associate and Ruckelshaus Fellows typically work on several project teams focused on various topics over the course of their time at Meridian Institute. Projects range from one-month efforts to support a single meeting to multi-year projects where Meridian oversees the development, design, and implementation of an ongoing collaborative initiative. Project Associate and Ruckelshaus Fellows contribute research, writing, project management, and other types of support to teams. They can be responsible for a wide range of duties, which differ depending on the project team assignments as well as the individual’s skillsets and interests. Typical areas of responsibility include:   

• Take detailed notes for internal and external virtual and in-person meetings in order to document the range of perspectives, capture key points and next steps, and draft meeting summaries.   

• Draft various types of documents including meeting summaries, research reports, surveys, interview synthesis and takeaways, press releases, letters, slide decks, and more.   
• Conduct research, including tracking public policy developments, preparing literature reviews, identifying stakeholders, and gathering background information to support project teams in a variety of ways.    
• Participate in and document interviews or otherwise engage participants in Meridian processes, including leaders of the business, civil society, and government sectors.   
• Assist in planning and executing local, regional, national, and international scale meetings.    
• Support the preparation of proposals and reports, helping project teams effectively liaise with funders.    

• Support the scheduling of meetings for project teams and team members.  
• Provide administrative support for client funded and intra-organizational project teams, including but not limited to attending and supporting domestic and/or international meetings and maintaining timelines and spreadsheets such as grant tracking spreadsheets, databases, and website maintenance.  

For more information, the full Application Guide for the Project Associate & Ruckelshaus Fellowship is available here.  

Qualifications: 

REQUIRED CHARACTERISTICS

Successful applicants must have:

• Experience with qualitative and/or quantitative research
• Strong written and oral communication skills,
  synthesizing, and communicating complex information
  across an array of audiences.
• Strong attention to detail and note-taking skills
• Ability to learn new skills quickly
• Ability to handle multiple tasks at once, manage time
  effectively, and receive and balance direction from
  multiple supervisors
• Passion for the issues and work that Meridian is involved
  in, ability and willingness to learn, and ability to work
  independently and be self-motivated
• Experience and enthusiasm for effectively working as
  part of a team.
• Ability to work with people from
  culturally diverse backgrounds
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook,
  Teams, SharePoint, OneNote, PowerPoint) and other
  commonly used computer programs and technology, such
  as social media, as well as the ability to learn and deplo)
  new and evolving technologies and tools

DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS

Preference will be given to candidates with the following
characteristics:

• Interest or experience in collaborative decision-making,
  facilitation, or mediation
• Experience with detailed notetaking, drafting meeting
  summaries, documenting interviews conducting surveys,
  researching, and assembling background materials, copy.
  editing, and providing meeting and logistical support
• Basic understanding of the institutional and political
  context in which public policies are deliberated
• Substantive experience in Meridian topic areas
• Experience with virtual collaboration tools, including Zoom,
  visual collaboration (e.g., Mural, Miro), and polling (e.g., Poll
  Everywhere) and information/data management (e.g.,
  Airtable)
• Online communications skills including experience with
  social media, managing website content in WordPress, and
  facility with platforms such as Twitter and MailChimp
• Skills in graphic design for multiple platforms (web design,
  infographic creation, etc.), including the ability to create
  and develop visual responses to communication problems
  using knowledge or aesthetics and composition to construct
  meaningful images
• Advanced technology competencies (e.g., qualitative
  research methods such as survey development and coding,
  template development, and database management)
• Experience in multicultural and/or international settings
• Language skills at a full professional level in French,
  Spanish and/or Portuguese

Application Deadline: 10:00 p.m. EST on Monday, January 23, 2023.

How to Apply: Please use the online application to view the full job description as well as how to apply.