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

Sustainability Communications Assistant
Student Position | Academic Year 2025–2026

The MIT Office of Sustainability (MITOS) is seeking a creative and skilled student communicator to support storytelling and digital engagement around campus sustainability and climate initiatives, particularly those outlined in Fast Forward: MIT’s Climate Action Plan for the Decade.

This role centers on content creation for MITOS’s communications channels, especially Instagram (fun, visual storytelling) and LinkedIn (professional, research-driven narratives), as well as contributions to the MITOS blog. The ideal candidate brings strong writing and content development skills, curiosity about climate and sustainability, and the ability to translate complex topics into accessible and compelling stories.

Details

• Location: MIT Office of Sustainability (in-person and/or hybrid)
• Timeline: Fall 2025, with potential to continue
• Pay: $16 to $20/hour, depending on experience
• Hours: 6 to 10 hours/week, flexible schedule

Key Responsibilities

• Research and write blog posts that showcase MIT’s sustainability work, people, and progress
• Interview students, staff, and faculty involved in sustainability projects
• Develop tailored content for Instagram (short-form visuals, reels, graphics) and LinkedIn (longer-form posts, research highlights)
• Collaborate with MITOS staff to identify key themes and storytelling opportunities
• Adapt content tone and style to suit different audiences while aligning with the voice and values of the MIT Office of Sustainability.
• Collaborate on communications that support student and departmental sustainability engagement efforts
• Help highlight stories of sustainability leadership and participation across campus
• Contribute to promotional content for MITOS events, initiatives, and learning opportunities

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong writing and storytelling skills, especially blog- or journalism-style writing
• Experience creating content for Instagram and/or LinkedIn
• Familiarity with tools such as Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, or video editing software
• Interest in sustainability, climate action, or science communication
• Ability to synthesize complex topics into clear and engaging formats
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work independently
• Experience with interviews or multimedia content creation is a plus
• Open to undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline

Application

Applications for our fall student positions are now closed. Please check back for future opportunities.

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.