Response Dispatch Intern

The Marine Mammal Center•Sausalito, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Response Dispatch Intern will advance The Marine Mammal Center’s mission of ocean health through their in-office role answering phone calls from members of the public who are reporting marine mammals in distress and providing administrative and logistical support to response operations onsite at our Sausalito hospital. The Dispatch Intern is responsible for answering the Center’s rescue hotline, collecting and recording data on location and animal assessment, educating the public about marine mammals and the Center's operations, and providing administrative support to staff and volunteers coordinating response and animal transports. The person in this role will need to be calm under stress, have excellent people skills, be comfortable communicating and working in multiple online tools, and enjoy working in a dynamic team environment.

Requirements

Strong interpersonal skills.
Ability to stay calm and polite in complex, emotional situations with members of the public.
Effective communication skills and ability to smoothly transition between verbal and written communications.
Strong computer skills with the ability to quickly operate across multiple computer applications.
Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
Can easily adapt to new information and re-prioritize work as needed.
Willingness to support and participate in the Center’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives.
Passion for marine and environmental conservation.
Ability to provide simple conflict resolutions, escalate as needed, while maintaining adaptability, empathy, and optimism under pressure.
Ability to work collaboratively and maintain open communication in a team environment.
Minimal skills or ability to learn Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Word) and videoconferencing technology (Slack, Teams, Zoom).
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, which may include staff, volunteers, training participants, and members of the public.
Ability to practice self-awareness and respect while engaging with staff, volunteers, training participants, and members of the public.

Nice To Haves

Basic knowledge of marine mammal natural history in California preferred.
Customer service experience preferred.
At least one year of study toward an undergraduate degree in a related field.
Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or waiver (medical or religious).

Responsibilities

Answer the stranded animal response hotline and appropriately support and educate public callers.
Triage incoming reports, referring calls to outside partner agencies when appropriate.
For relevant reports, collect accurate location and animal assessment information and input that data into electronic Stranded Animal Reports.
Transition actionable reports to Dispatch staff, who take over response coordination.
Provide clear communications to public callers, volunteers, and staff in-person or via phone, email, and other online tools.
Engage the community and represent The Marine Mammal Center positively during all interactions.
Maintain a positive and adaptable presence onsite in the Dispatch office.
Support dispatch staff and volunteers with equipment needs.
Assist in execution of transport and response logistics as requested.
Perform special projects and research as assigned.
Perform other duties as assigned.