Organization Background
At Parks California, our vision is for vibrant, healthy parks that welcome, engage, and inspire. As the official statutory, nonprofit partner to California State Parks, working statewide, we’re uniquely positioned to innovate and work hand-in-hand with communities and experts to bring resources together — ensuring that everyone can experience healthy and thriving parks for generations to come. As a team, each of us at Parks California strives to:
- Be a valued and trusted partner organization.
- Serve as catalysts for the future of parks.
- Cultivate a culture of philanthropy.
- Model emotional and cultural intelligence in our work every day.
- Embody the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Parks California was created to be a new model of public, private, and non-profit partnership. We’re a proud partner of 1% for the Planet, a global network of thousands of businesses and environmental organizations working together to support people and the planet. We currently operate over 30 projects, which are funded by government, public-private partnership agreements as well as the generous support of private donations.
Want to learn more? Check out our website.
About the Role
Do you have a passion for the outdoors and the desire to support a top-notch team of professionals? Ever wonder what it would be like to be able to get in at the ground level working at a nonprofit with a keen lens for climate resilience and equitable access to parks?
This internship is a great opportunity to work alongside our Operations team, supporting the Grants and Contracts Manager on a variety of projects. You’ll gain hands-on experience in nonprofit grant and contract management, help with developing and managing vendor agreements, and support budget planning and analysis—all while contributing to meaningful initiatives in partnership with California State Parks.
The Position
- Assist with payor contract administrative processes to maintain compliance with internal policies and payor requirements
- Implement tasks in Cobblestone (contract management system)
- Review contract requests for all required components
- Upload processed invoices
- Pull contract reports for the Programs team
- Monitor contracts soon to be expired and work with Grants & Contracts Manager on next steps
- Assist with the delivery of timely, detailed program financial reports
- Update the Budget to Actuals grant & contract report
- Pull and review expense detail reports for the various program areas
- Assist with the review and update of payroll recommendations
- Perform ad hoc projects and other duties as assigned
Desired Qualifications
- Major in Business, Finance, Public Administration, or a related field
- Basic understanding of budgeting and financial reporting concepts
- Ability to pick up new software skills with ease
- Experience with MS office 365, Excel, and Word
- Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and integrity
- Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
- Excellent verbal and communication skills; comfortable answering questions and following up with Parks California team members as needed
- Demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
- Self-starter who can thrive in a remote work environment
What You Will Learn
- Foundational budget management skills applicable to both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, including budget development, expense reporting, and financial analysis
- Hands-on experience with the full vendor contract lifecycle—from initial development to closeout
- Familiarity with Oracle NetSuite, a leading cloud-based accounting software
- An understanding of CobbleStone, a contract management platform used in nonprofit and public sector environments
- Project management skills using tools like Monday.com to track tasks and workflows
- A broad overview of nonprofit operations and how finance and contracts support mission-driven work
Office Location
- We are a remote-first organization, which allows you to work virtually anywhere in California.
Compensation and Benefits
- Compensation: $18-20 per hour, depending on experience and the city or county of residence
- Job Period: 12 months
- Laptop provided
- Part-time with an average of 10-15 hours/week, max 20 hours/week
- Flexible schedule available
Deadline to Apply:
Deadline to apply is Sunday, Aug. 3, at 11:59 p.m. Interested candidates should apply by submitting a cover letter and a resume here.
Start Date:
The anticipated start date for this position is Tuesday, Sept. 16.
Parks California is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
We believe that our overall effectiveness is enhanced when equity and inclusiveness are practiced and protected throughout our organizational governance, culture, and staffing. We are committed to leadership in and serving as a catalyst for promoting equity and inclusion in park communities.