Climate change, Climate action

CAFES Paid Internship Position 2026

Position: Climate Program Intern (two positions available)
Organization: CAFES (Community Action for Environmental Sustainability)
Location: Ottawa, Ontario (Work from home with in person attendance at events and meetings, including some weekends and evenings)

• Time Commitment: 30 hours/week for 9 weeks (as part of the Canada Summer Jobs Program)
• Ideal Start Date(s): We have two 9-week positions (with possibility of extension), one starting ideally May 11, 2026 to July 10, 2026 (Early Summer), the second starting ideally June 29, 2026 to Aug 28, 2026 (Mid-Summer). Candidates should submit two separate applications if interested in being considered for both starting dates. Please see the ‘how to apply’ section for more information.

SUMMARY OF ORGANIZATION:

CAFES is a network organization that advocates for environmental sustainability and promotes environmental action and leadership in Ottawa through a membership-based network of residents and community groups. For more information please go to CafesOttawa.ca.

ROLE AND JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Intern will work under the guidance of the Executive Director of CAFES. The intern may also be assigned to specific projects and work with respective project managers and program coordinators.

The Intern will be active in community engagement:

• Support the planning, organization and execution of the Green Fair Ottawa (formerly Smartnet Sustainability Showcase)
• Support the planning, organization and execution of CAFES community and climate events
• Engage with CAFES members/member organizations and their environmental neighbourhood initiatives, including attending community eco-events and responding to general inquiries from stakeholders.

The Intern will be active in knowledge and content production and awareness raising:

• Work on the promotion of heat pumps and other clean energy solutions at consumer level
• Research and prepare comms content, backgrounders and explainers relevant to the climate advocacy work of CAFES
• Undertake policy analysis using a climate lens of on-going municipal policy, program and regulatory processes in the city of Ottawa
• Support the Executive Director on related issues and initiatives as needed
• Support the Communications Coordinator as needed.

REQUIREMENTS AND ASSETS

• Have equipped workstation and internet to work from home; prepared to work from other locations in Ottawa as required (occasional and for training)
• Follow an agreed-upon work plan for the tasks, level of effort, timelines and deliverables, tracking the work against the work plan using a daily timesheet
• Available to work weekends and evenings (community events)
• Have own transportation to reach locations across Ottawa including rural (asset).

COMPENSATION:

$20/hour, 30 hours per week.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in climate policy and regulatory analysis, ideally across more than one sector
• Demonstrated commitment to climate action and community development
• Facility with communications platforms and tools including Google docs, Excel, Wordpress, Word, Zoom, Powerpoint, Instagram, Facebook, Canva, LinkedIn
• Capacity to communicate with and work effectively with others in English; French an asset
• Proven capacity to work in a self-directed manner
• Ability to organize work, prioritize, and meet deadlines and targets, and the ability to effectively handle spontaneous demands
• Ideal candidate is a creative, energetic, flexible, motivated, and detail-oriented professional.

QUALIFIED CANDIDATES ARE:

• Resident of the greater Ottawa area. The intern will work from home but must be available for community events
• Post Secondary graduates or enrolled part time in post-secondary education in environmental studies or related field
• Available to work for the full duration of the internship, including some evening and weekend availability for community events
• Motivated to contribute to local climate action
• To be eligible for employment under the Canada Summer Jobs Program you must:

• be between 15 and 30 years of age at the beginning of the employment period*
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment** and
• have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

*The youth must be 15 years of age at the beginning of the employment period. The youth may be more than 30 years of age at the end of the employment period as long as the youth was 30 at the beginning of the employment period.

**International students are not eligible participants. As the objective of the Canada Summer Jobs program is to support youth entering the Canadian labour market, the temporary nature of an international student's time in Canada does not allow for a long-term connection to the labour market.

HOW TO APPLY:

If you are an enthusiastic and organized individual ready to contribute to our team, please email your resume and cover letter to info@cafesottawa.ca with the subject line: "CAFES Intern App for Early Summer - [Your Name]"  OR "CAFES Intern App for Mid-Summer - [Your Name]"

Candidates should submit two separate applications if interested in being considered for both the early summer and mid-summer starting dates.

Please ensure your cover letter and resume attachments use this naming convention: your first name_ your last name_document name_desired start date
Examples:
Jill_Green_Resume_Early Summer
Jill_Green_Cover Letter_Early Summer

Please mention you saw this at GoodWork.ca.

We will consider all candidate applications until the position is filled. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Thank you to all applicants for their interest in the position.