Hybrid Operations Planning Intern chez Central Park Conservancy

Reports to:  Director of Operations Initiatives

Department:  Park Operations

Schedule:  20 hours weekly

Note: This is an in-person internship. This role is expected to be mobile (working at the 5th Avenue office, 79th St Operations Facility, and throughout the Park.)

About Central Park and the Central Park Conservancy Central Park is one of the world's most famous and beloved public spaces. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858, the 843-acre Park was the country's first purpose-built public park and is a National Historic Landmark and a New York Scenic Landmark. The Central Park Conservancy, a private, not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1980 to rescue the Park, which had fallen into serious disrepair. Since then, the Conservancy has overseen the investment of over $1.6 billion in the restoration of the Park, which now hosts over 40 million visitors a year.

The Conservancy is one of the largest and most successful public private partnerships in New York City and is considered a major civic institution given its impact on the health and vibrancy of both the Park and the City. The Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and celebrate Central Park as a sanctuary from urban life. The City of New York has formally entrusted the care of the Park to the Conservancy which is responsible for every aspect of its care, including landscape maintenance, capital improvements, and the visitor experience. The Conservancy employs roughly 400 people and has an annual operating budget of $100 million.

The Conservancy recently completed a seven-year plan, Central Park Conservancy, A Plan for the Stewardship of Central Park: 2020-2027, which focuses on the ongoing capital investment of the last four decade’s investment of more than $1 billion into Central Park.

Project Summary

The Conservancy and World Monuments Fund are partnering to conduct a climate risk assessment and adaptation plan for Central Park. The assessment and plan will be completed by spring 2026. The plan will inform a capital or operations-based pilot project in years two and three of the partnership.

Position Summary

The Central Park Conservancy seeks two graduate level interns to conduct data collection and analysis for a climate risk assessment. The internships are funded as part of the Cultivating Resilience Program grant generously gifted by the World Monuments Fund (WMF). The risk assessment will be conducted by third-party engineering contractor, Arup, with data support provided by the Conservancy. The graduate interns will report to the Director of Operations Initiatives and collaborate closely with leadership in both the Park Operations and Capital Projects teams.

The internship will take place over 10 weeks in the fall of 2025, 20 hours per week. With the ideal candidate beginning October 1st.

The Conservancy seeks two graduate interns to assist in the following areas:

• Perform data mining, data capture, verification, and analysis for a climate risk assessment;
• Help with data management and research for record updates. Conduct quality assurance/control on data collected in the field;
• Deliver dataset, key findings, and methodology updates to senior staff;
• Support planning for upcoming climate projects (e.g. future asset inventories); and
• Participate in stakeholder meetings for climate risk assessment, as needed.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or currently enrolled in a master's degree program in one of the following areas of study: environmental science, urban planning, landscape architecture, accounting, business, economics, nonprofit administration, or a related field.
• Previous experience or interest in data collection, survey implementation, analytics, or project management are a plus.
• Strong technical writing, attention to detail, problem solving, and time management skills.
• Must be highly proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, Geographic Information Sciences (GIS)/Geoinformatics, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), R, or similar, Statistical Computing, Python, or similar, coding languages are desirable.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Central Park Conservancy’s work is guided by the belief that Central Park, and all public parks, must be managed and actively protected as an inclusive and democratic space for all. Working closely with our New York City partners, we will always strive towards creating and sustaining a sense of belonging for all visitors and advocating for equitable and accessible public use of the Park. In service of this belief, we are committed to fostering a workforce and organizational culture that is as diverse as Central Park itself and the dynamic city it serves.

Safety Requirements

Establishment and maintenance of a safe work environment is the shared responsibility of this organization and employees at every level. The Conservancy will make every effort to assure a safe environment and be in compliance with federal, state, and local safety regulations. Employees are expected to obey safety rules and to exercise caution in all their work activities. Accordingly, employees should be aware of any hazards which could cause an injury or accident (e.g., spills, obstacles in walkways, etc.). If an employee discovers a potentially dangerous condition, he/she should alert other employees and notify his/her supervisor immediately.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.