Jobs

Community Events & Resource Reuse Assistant
Student Work-Study Position | Academic Year 2025–2026

The MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS) is hiring a Community Events & Resource Reuse Assistant to support sustainability-focused events that promote waste reduction, reuse, and community engagement. These events, including Clothing SWAPs, Fixit Clinics, Bike Tune-Ups, and more, are open to the general public and aim to reduce material waste, save money, encourage repair and reuse, and build a more connected community at MIT and beyond. The assistant will help with planning, outreach, setup, and event-day logistics to ensure successful community participation and impact. 

The assistant will also play a role in supporting community reuse through Rheaply, MIT’s digital reuse platform. This includes working with community organizations to access and navigate the tool, enabling better resource sharing between MIT and local partners.

This position is ideal for a student who enjoys hands-on work, public engagement, and creative problem-solving in a dynamic, community-centered environment.

Eligibility

This position is open to undergraduate and graduate students who are eligible for Federal Work-Study through MIT. To check eligibility please email federalworkstudy@mit.edu.

Details

• Hourly Wage: $16-$20 (based on experience)

• Hours/Week: 8-10

• Duration: Academic Year (Fall/Spring)

• Work Location: On campus

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with planning and organizing public sustainability events that serve both the MIT and Cambridge communities
• Coordinate event logistics such as volunteer sign-ups, materials inventory, signage, and setup/teardown
• Help document and evaluate events through photos, attendance, and feedback
• Work with staff, student groups, and community partners to improve and expand reuse and repair programming over time
• Work with MIT’s Community Engagement Administrator and Rheaply Support Team to help onboard local partner organizations to Rheaply platform
• Provide basic guidance or host info sessions to show community users how to access and claim available items
• Help identify potential “matches” between available surplus items and community needs to activate the reuse platform
• Develop a data collection plan for tracking and reporting of reuse activity, event materials, and community partner contacts

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in sustainability, circular economy, waste reduction, access and affordability, and/or community outreach
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Comfortable working in public settings and interacting with people of all ages
• Able to work independently and adapt to event-day logistics
• Some experience with event support, logistics, or outreach a plus
• Familiarity with online platforms (e.g. digital marketplaces or community tools) a plus

Application

Student Sustainability Project Assistant
Campus Sustainability Tour & Multimedia | Spring 2026

The MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS) is seeking a student to help design and develop multimedia materials for a campus sustainability tour. The project will focus on communicating MIT’s sustainability initiatives to a broad audience through engaging, accessible content.

Details

• Work Location: MIT campus

• Hourly Wage: $16-$20 (based on experience)

• Hours/Week: 8-10

• Duration: Spring Semester 2026
  Strong performance during the spring semester may lead to consideration for participation in MITOS’s summer student cohort, subject to project needs and funding availability.

Key Responsibilities

• Developing digital or multimedia content (e.g., short videos, graphics, interactive elements, or signage concepts)
• Translating technical sustainability topics into clear, engaging narratives
• Supporting updates or expansion of existing campus tour materials
• Coordinating with MITOS staff to align content with campus messaging and priorities

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in sustainability and storytelling or communications
• Comfortable working independently and creatively
• Experience with design, video, or digital media tools

Application

Student Sustainability Project Assistant
Green Cleaning & Sustainable Products | Spring 2026

The MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS) is seeking a student to support a focused evaluation of cleaning products used on campus as part of an already strong green cleaning program. Approximately 75% of current cleaning product purchases meet high sustainability standards (per the latest AASHE STARS reporting). This project will focus on understanding the remaining products, identifying lower-impact alternatives where feasible, and improving how innovative practices are documented and reported.

Details

• Work Location: MIT campus

• Hourly Wage: $16-$20 (based on experience)

• Hours/Week: 8-10

• Duration: Spring Semester 2026
  Strong performance during the spring semester may lead to consideration for participation in MITOS’s summer student cohort, subject to project needs and funding availability.

Key Responsibilities

• Reviewing the remaining ~25% of cleaning products that do not currently meet high sustainability standards and assessing opportunities for substitution
• Researching environmentally preferable alternatives and relevant certifications or criteria
• Evaluating how cleaning equipment that uses little or no detergent (e.g., floor washers) can be appropriately accounted for in sustainability tracking and reporting
• Developing clear summaries and recommendations to support continuous improvement and future reporting

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in sustainability, environmental health, chemistry, or facilities operations
• Strong research and analytical skills
• Comfortable working with product data, certifications, and sustainability metrics
• Experience with environmental standards or reporting frameworks is a plus, but not required

Application

Student Sustainability Project Assistant
Vehicle Fleet Electrification Modeling | Spring 2026

The MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS) is seeking a student to support a light modeling and analysis effort related to the campus vehicle fleet’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

Details

• Work Location: MIT campus

• Hourly Wage: $16-$20 (based on experience)

• Hours/Week: 8-10

• Duration: Spring Semester 2026
  Strong performance during the spring semester may lead to consideration for participation in MITOS’s summer student cohort, subject to project needs and funding availability.

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting analysis of campus fleet data (e.g., vehicle types, usage, fuel consumption)
• Assisting with high-level modeling of EV transition scenarios
• Documenting assumptions, methods, and limitations
• Summarizing findings in clear visuals or short briefing materials

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in climate, transportation, energy systems, or data analysis
• Comfortable working independently with spreadsheets or analytical tools
• Experience with modeling or data analysis

Application

Student Sustainability Project Assistant
Urban Heat Study | Spring 2026

The MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS) is seeking a student to support an ongoing urban heat monitoring project on the MIT campus. Spring semester work will focus on preparing for outdoor heat monitoring planned for summer 2026, including sensor deployment planning, field support, and data communication.

The project aims to advance the design and implementation of a campus-wide heat sensor network to better understand heat exposure, shade benefits, and microclimate variation at MIT. The work will support campus sustainability planning and future heat mitigation efforts.

Details

• Work Location: MIT campus

• Hourly Wage: $16-$20 (based on experience)

• Hours/Week: 8-10

• Duration: Spring Semester 2026
  Strong performance during the spring semester may lead to consideration for participation in MITOS’s summer student cohort, subject to project needs and funding availability.

Key Responsibilities

• Experimental design support: Assist in refining heat sensor locations and configurations in collaboration with MITOS staff and campus partners, including the MIT Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation (DAPER).
• Field deployment support: Help with the physical installation of outdoor heat sensors across the MIT campus to ensure the network is operational by May 1.
• Data visualization and communication: Support improvements to a draft data dashboard and/or contribute to the development of an ArcGIS StoryMap to communicate heat index trends and shade benefits to the MIT community.

Preferred Qualifications

• Interest in sustainability, climate, urban studies, or environmental data
• Strong communication and organizational skills
• Comfortable working in public settings
• Able to work independently and adapt to real-world conditions
• Experience with data visualization or GIS is a plus, but not required

Application

Applications for our summer cohort are now closed. Please check back for future opportunities.

Program Overview

Join a collaborative, full-time summer cohort dedicated to tackling climate and sustainability challenges at MIT!

This 10-week, paid program—hosted by the MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS)—gives students the opportunity to work on real-world decarbonization, resilience, and climate action projects, leveraging MIT’s campus as a test bed for sustainability innovation. Participants will collaborate with MIT staff, faculty, and external partners to implement and maintain sustainability projects, use applied research to inform MIT’s climate and sustainability strategies, and engage with local organizations in community outreach projects.

This is an opportunity to build skills, make an impact, and grow as a leader. As part of a structured cohort experience, students will also engage in professional development, and peer learning designed to strengthen their understanding of climate action in practice.

The Campus Climate Action Summer Student Cohort includes two different tracks. MITOS will match students to the most suitable track based on their experience, interests, and project availability:

• Decarbonization Accelerator – Focus on campus decarbonization, district energy systems, and electrification, contributing to MIT’s long-term sustainability strategy.
• Sustainability Projects – Plan, implement, and/or maintain sustainability projects on topics like heat resilience (deploying sensors, testing cooling strategies) or food waste reduction (behavioral and policy interventions), in partnership with the MIT Climate Project.
  • Undergraduate students will apply for Summer UROP direct funding
  • Graduate student positions will be funded by MITOS.

This is a unique chance to gain hands-on sustainability experience, expand your professional network, and contribute to meaningful change on campus and beyond.

Program Structure & Expectations

As a member of this immersive cohort experience, you’ll gain hands-on project management and research experience, engage in community impact, and build valuable professional and peer connections. All cohort members are expected to participate fully in both their sustainability projects and the additional programming that makes this a uniquely collaborative and enriching experience.

This structured experience ensures you gain paid, hands-on experience while also developing the skills, networks, and perspectives to drive sustainability impact.

Paid Work (Full-Time, Hourly)

Sustainability Work (36 hrs/week) – Contribute to a sustainability or decarbonization project advancing MIT’s climate goals. Hourly pay based on track and experience.
Community Outreach (4 hrs/week) – Work with local organizations to connect research with real-world impact. Counts toward paid hours.

Cohort Experience & Professional Development

Workshops & Career Development – Climate careers, leadership, and systems thinking sessions.
Networking & Social Events – Build connections with peers and sustainability leaders.

Summer Cohort Program Details and Application

📅  Dates: June 2 – August 8, 2025 (10 weeks)

📍 Location: Cambridge, MA (Hybrid: M-Th in person, Fridays remote)

⏳ Time Commitment: Full-time (40 hours/week)

💰 Compensation: Varies by program track, student level and funding source, ranging from $16/hr (UROP) to $20/hr for graduate students.
 

Who Should Apply?

We welcome MIT-affiliated students from all majors and backgrounds with an interest in sustainability, climate action, and applied problem-solving. Ideal candidates will have:

• Strong interest in climate and sustainability challenges and a desire to apply their skills to real-world projects in an urban campus setting.
• Alignment with MIT’s values, and commitment to collaboration, innovation, and responsibility in addressing complex global challenges.
• The ability to work independently and in teams, engaging with MIT staff, faculty, peers, and external partners.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to present findings clearly in written, visual, and oral formats.
• Experience with data collection, management, and analysis (Excel proficiency preferred).
• Self-motivation, curiosity, and eagerness to learn.
• Coursework, projects, or experience related to sustainability, climate, or systems thinking in areas such as:
   
  • Energy, materials, and building sustainability
  • Land, water, and food systems
  • Urban planning, environmental policy, and public health
  • Data science, engineering, architecture, and design

We encourage students from all disciplines to apply—climate and sustainability solutions require diverse skill sets and perspectives!
 

*Graduate student applicants should confirm with their department administrator that the hourly work for this position aligns with their term-based appointments as well as Graduate Student Appointment Policies
 

Applications are now closed. Please check back for future opportunities. 

Questions? Email: mitosjobs@mit.edu.