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The City of Aspen is looking for a motivated Environmental Health and Sustainability Intern to support the Environmental Health and Sustainability Department while gaining hands-on experience in waste diversion, recycling, food safety compliance, and sustainability initiatives.

Job Title: Environmental Health and Sustainability Intern – Waste Diversion and Food Safety 
Department: Environmental Health and Sustainability 
Classification: Non-exempt, temporary/ part-time
Dates: Mid-May 2026 to Mid-October 2026 
Pay Range: $21.16 - 25.40 per hour

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Position summary: This temporary part-time intern supports the Environmental Health and Sustainability Department by assisting with waste diversion, recycling, and food safety at special events. The intern educates the public, supports waste reduction programs, reviews and approves food and beverage operational plans, conducts on-site food safety inspections, and works closely with event coordinators and food vendors to promote compliance and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Supervision Exercised and Received: This position works under the general supervision of the Waste Diversion and Recycling team with support from Consumer Protection program staff and the Special Events department. This position is non-supervisory.

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Essential Job Functions:  
Education and Compliance Assistance 
•    Audits City-permitted special events to ensure they follow the zero-waste standards of the City of Aspen. Conducts inspections of food vendors at special events for compliance with food safety rules. Many special events occur on weekends. The intern is expected to be in attendance for the duration of the events.
•    Helps review and approve food and beverage operational plans for special events and temporary food vendor applications.
•    Communicates, in writing and in person, food safety requirements to event coordinators and temporary food vendors.
•    Trains special event hosts on waste diversion practices (recycling and composting) and supports their efforts to keep the recycling and compost free of trash. This involves physically removing trash from the compost and recycling.
•    Tables on some Saturday mornings at the Aspen Saturday Market promoting waste diversion practices.
•    Helps with the Bear Outreach Education Campaign, checks the alleys to improve businesses’ compliance and reduce bear waste intrusions.
•    Educates the public about waste reduction through printed materials, attending community events, and face-to-face interactions with businesses.
•    Participates in the department’s effort to train community members, visitors, businesses, and internal staff on how to properly divert waste through reusables, recycling, and composting at special events, workplaces, and HOAs.
•    Supports the department’s variety of special recycling program events.

Data Entry
•    Records data about waste diversion at Special Events on City properties.
•    Records data about bear intrusions and businesses’ violations.
•    Records data about the waste found in the alleys.
•    Records observations regarding food safety compliance at special events.

Maintenance
•    Cleans, labels, and repairs waste collection tools distributed to the public by the city (i.e., table, tent, event bins).
•    Prepares events with trash, recycling, and composting containers.

Departmental Support 
•    Assists the Waste Diversion Team in the Environmental Health and Sustainability Department with their seasonal programs (e.g. Recycle Center, Special Events, Bear Outreach, Composting and Recycling Programs). 
•    Assists the Consumer Protection Team in the Environmental Health and Sustainability Department with special events.

City Organizational Values
•    Supports and models the City of Aspen organizational values: Service, Partnership, Stewardship, and Innovation. Organizational values are shared principles that guide behavior across the organization.  This position is responsible for upholding and applying these values while performing daily work functions.  
Other duties as assigned

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Learning Objectives
•    Gains practical knowledge of waste diversion, recycling systems, and sustainability practices within a municipal government setting.
•    Develops experience conducting food safety plan reviews and on-site compliance inspections at special events.
•    Strengthens understanding of local government structure, interdepartmental coordination, and public service operations.
•    Builds professional communication, data collection, and program support skills related to environmental health initiatives.

Core Competencies: Displays the following key competencies in the overall job performance to include the following knowledge, skills and abilities:
•    Service: Provides service with excellence, humility, integrity, and respect in daily work, builds trust by listening, treats people with respect, acknowledges opportunities for improvement, and follows through with commitments. 
•    Partnership: Actively creates strong, supportive internal and external relationships to attain a common goal and achieve greater impact together.
•    Stewardship: Balances social, environmental, and financial responsibilities, evaluating the impact of decision making on a thriving future for all.  
•    Innovation: Develops technical expertise to pursue new ideas and creative outcomes, grounded in Aspen’s unique culture, opportunities and challenges.  
•    Communication: Knowledge of effective and appropriate communication.  Ability to use knowledge effectively in various contexts which may require oral, written, visual and non-verbal communication. 
•    Interpersonal: Works to develop strength in interpersonal skills.  Has the ability to work well with diverse groups of people, both inside and outside the organization. Maintain a professional, courteous, and service-oriented demeanor at all times.  
•    Technology: Demonstrates technology skills sufficient for the nature and level of position.  Demonstrates a willingness to learn new technologies and transition job duties accordingly to support technological advances and innovation.

Minimum Requirements:
Education: No high school diploma or GED is required. Interest in Sustainability Studies, Environmental Health, Public Health, or Local Government is encouraged.

Experience: No prior experience required. Interest in Sustainability Studies, Public Health, Environmental Health or Local Government.

Technical Knowledge: Must be proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook (Email), and have a basic understanding of online computer-based technology applications, which includes accessing web-based platforms.

Licenses & Certifications: Must possess a valid Colorado Driver’s License or be able to obtain one within 30 days of start date. 
 

Preferred Candidate:  
•    Spanish speaking and interpretation skills. 
•    Current enrollment in or recent completion of coursework in Sustainability Studies, Environmental Health, Public Health, Environmental Science, or a related field.

NOTE: Any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required abilities, knowledge, and skills as determined by the City of Aspen may be substituted for the requirements above.

NOTE: This position requires a Criminal Background Check upon hire.  Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a Criminal Background Check.

Position Type and Work Hours:
•    Internship Start Date: Mid-May 2026
•    Internship End Date: Mid-October 2026
•    Temporary, part-time, Monday through Friday, less than 29 hours per week.
•    Work schedule coordinated with the Waste Diversion and Recycling team.
•    Hours and days vary depending on depending on operational needs

Work Environment: 
•    Indoors: Office environment. 
•    Outdoors/Off-Site: Project work sites include special events taking place outdoors, potentially in adverse weather. Meetings, trainings, and site visits at a variety of city facilities and areas.

Physical Demands:
Visual Acuity: Ability to bring objects into focus.
Balancing: Maintaining equilibrium.
Bending: Bending or position oneself to move an object no more than 20 pounds from one level to another.
Carrying: Transporting or moving an object no more than 20 pounds
Crouching: Bending body downward and forward by bending leg and spine. 
Climbing: Ascending or descending stationary objects. 
Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination: Performing work through using two or more body parts or other devices.
Gripping/Grasping: Ability to apply pressure with fingers and palm. 
Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, through use of hands, fingers, or other means. 
Hearing: Perceiving and comprehending the nature and direction of sounds.
Kneeling: Bending legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees 
Lifting: Moving objects weighing no more than 20 pounds from one level to another. 
Pushing/Pulling: Ability to use upper extremities to exert force in order to press, draw, drag or haul objects in a sustained motion. 
Reaching: Extending the hands and arms or other device in any direction.
Repetitive motions: Making frequent or continuous movements.
Sitting: Remaining in a stationary position.
Standing: Ability to sustain position for a period of time. 
Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. 
Talking: Communicating ideas or exchanging information. 
Walking: Ability to move to traverse from one location to another. Physical activities include waking, hiking, and working in natural terrain under variable weather conditions.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.    

This job description is designed to indicate the general nature and level of work. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time with or without notice.