Watershed Planning Program (Nonpoint Source Management Section) Intern (Unpaid Internship)

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Worcester, MA

16d

About The Position

This internship is unpaid and designed to support students or recent graduates seeking practical experience in the field. Candidates may be eligible to earn academic credit through their college or university. The Watershed Planning Program (WPP) in the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is a statewide program with a mission to protect, enhance, and restore the quality and value of the waters of the Commonwealth. Together with other MassDEP programs and state environmental agencies, WPP shares the duty and responsibility to secure the environmental, recreational, and public health benefits of clean water for all people of the Commonwealth. WPP’s Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Section coordinates the restoration of waters impaired by NPS pollution and the protection of healthy waters by developing and implementing the Massachusetts NPS Management Plan, which is a five-year planning document. To implement the NPS Management Plan, the NPS Management Section manages two federally funded grant programs related to water quality\: the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning Grant and the CWA Section 319 NPS Implementation Grant. The NPS Management Section implements initiatives to improve access to the benefits of the NPS Management Plan for all Commonwealth communities and enhance the capacity of Massachusetts communities to respond to long-standing as well as emerging challenges associated with NPS pollution. Additionally, the NPS Management Section continuously seeks to improve the quantity and quality of grant proposals it receives through outreach and capacity building through technical support to potential grant applicants. To further that goal, the NPS Management Section conducts an annual NPS outreach forum for prospective grantees and launched an online GIS-based capacity building tool called INSPIRE (Ideas for Nonpoint Source Projects\: Information, Resources, and Examples) to help communities develop new project ideas for competitive grant proposals. The Watershed Planning Program seeks an intern to support the goals of the NPS Management Section and the delivery of high-quality programs and technical support to applicants and grantees.

Nice To Haves

Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
SharePoint
OneDrive
PowerPoint
Advanced attention to detail
Time management skills
Ability to navigate through Code of Massachusetts Regulations
Advanced organizational skills
Data analysis
Public Speaking skills
Writing skills that are clear, concise and easily understood by all reading levels
Experience using reputable sites for research

Responsibilities

Support public outreach and the implementation of the Massachusetts NPS Management Plan (2025-2029).
Support the planning and facilitation of an NPS Management Symposium in 2026.
Support development of an NPS grant project success story for submittal to EPA.
Update content on the NPS website.
Maintain and update the 604(b) and 319 grant databases and GIS data layers.
Develop and/or update supporting documentation for the INSPIRE capacity building tool, such as the user guide and instructional videos.
Document project development and activities for future reference.
Other tasks as assigned.