Working at SUWA
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) staff is made up of passionate advocates working together to defend Utah’s redrock wilderness. We value autonomy, persistence, collaboration, and a hands-on attitude from our fellow team members.
We act with integrity, transparency, loyalty, and respect to each other and our mission. We’re proud to work for SUWA in no small part because our work matters. It matters for the canyons and mesas we seek to protect, as part of addressing the loss of nature and the extinction crisis, and in mitigating the harm from climate change.
We are the best at what we do: defending and protecting the redrock wilderness. Where feasible, we offer flexible work hours and considerable paid leave. But we also step up to do what is necessary to protect the redrock.
Current Openings
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) is dedicated to the preservation of the outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau in Utah, and the management of these lands in their natural state for the benefit of all Americans. SUWA promotes local and national recognition of the region’s unique character, and supports both administrative and legislative initiatives to permanently protect the wild places in Utah within the National Wilderness Preservation System.
SUWA’s legislative team in Washington, DC focuses on a wide array of public land policies and issues—including wilderness proposals, energy development, and recreation. These staff members track relevant legislation, communicate with federal land management agencies, lobby for or against pertinent legislation with elected officials, and work alongside NGO partners to defend our public lands.
This internship is ideal for graduate students, undergraduate college students in the later half of their degree program, or those who are looking to move into the legislative advocacy space (college degree/enrollment not required!). If you think you’d be a good fit for this role, we want you to apply!
Dates: Flexible – mid-August to mid-December
Location: Washington, DC
Hours: 40 hours a week
Compensation: $18 per hour
Application Deadline: June 30, 2025
DUTIES:
- Conduct research and assist the legislative team with preparation of lobby materials, fact sheets, testimony for congressional hearings, etc.
- Assist the Legislative Advocate with National Wilderness Coalition Fly-In event in September, including follow-up communications
- Keep notes at meetings with coalition partners and elected officials
- Coordinate with regional organizers
- Perform data entry and other clerical work
- Coordinate and conduct drops of material to Congress
- Assist with logistical items for “Wilderness Week” fly-in of volunteer activists
- Other duties as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS:
- A commitment to the environment is essential, and knowledge of government and/or public land issues is a plus but not mandatory
- Clear and concise communication abilities, both written and spoken
- The ability to keep track of, shift between, and quickly complete multiple tasks
- A positive attitude and a desire to work in a fun office setting
COMPENSATION:
- The internship pays $18.00 per hour, with an expected 40 hours per week. SUWA provides desk space and a SUWA email address, but the intern will need to provide their own computer. Work days/hours are flexible. We expect 3 days per week physically in SUWA’s DC Office near Capitol Hill, with flexible WFH policy.
- SUWA does not provide housing in the DC area but can provide resources and advice for those relocating to DC.
- SUWA does not provide benefits for this role.
HOW TO APPLY:
Email a resume, 2-page writing sample, and cover letter by June 30 to: Lauren Hainsworth at lauren@suwa.org.
No phone calls please. You can also find us on Facebook/Instagram.
The environmental movement has a regrettable history of excluding and oppressing marginalized people. We know that the redrock, humanity, and the future of the planet itself depend on working together to solve our greatest common threat: the climate crisis. As we face the challenges of the 21st century head-on, we recognize we can only do so by including, involving, and elevating Tribes, communities of color, people of diverse economic backgrounds, faith communities, the LGBTQ+ community, and the tapestry of experience that weaves together our common humanity. We are committed to doing this both within our staff and through our daily work to protect the redrock.
Benefits (full-time employees only)
- 15 days of paid vacation time (with increases yearly with tenure up to 20 days)
- 12 paid sick days annually
- 14 paid holidays, including a year-end office closure
- Employer-paid medical, vision, and dental benefits
- 2-month paid sabbatical every 5 years
- Flexible work days, depending on position
- Parental, bereavement, jury duty, and other leave
- Cell phone subsidy and travel reimbursements
- Access to outdoor gear pro deals
Ready to Apply?
When our team is looking for new staff members, we want to hear from you! Explore below to see what openings we currently have on SUWA staff. If none are available, consider signing up for our email list to hear about new open positions in the future.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at SUWA
The mission of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is to defend and protect the wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau and in Utah’s West Desert.
We are committed to the idea that our commonalities greatly outweigh our differences, and that the redrock is for everyone. Our mission is to protect the redrock for the wonder and enjoyment of all future generations, both human and non-human alike.
The lands we work to protect are the ancestral homelands of many Tribes, including those that were forcibly removed at the hands of the U.S. government in an effort to exterminate their cultures, languages, and ways of life. These injustices are still felt today, but the quest to erase the Tribes failed: indigenous communities continue their traditions and remain an integral part of the landscape and our community. We are committed to working toward understanding this history; to expanding present-day common ground, collaboration, and reconciliation with our Tribal neighbors; and to advocating that Tribes receive a seat at the table when others would exclude them.
The environmental movement has a regrettable history of excluding and oppressing marginalized people. We know that the redrock, humanity, and the future of the planet itself depend on working together to solve our greatest common threat: the climate crisis. As we face the challenges of the 21st century head-on, we recognize we can only do so by including, involving, and elevating Tribes, communities of color, people of diverse economic backgrounds, faith communities, the LGBTQ+ community, and the tapestry of experience that weaves together our common humanity. We are committed to doing this both within our staff and through our daily work to protect the redrock.
