Temporary Administrative Assistant - Forest Futures Lab/Western Fire and Forest Resilience Collaborative

This is a full-time, hourly, non-exempt temporary position from November, 1 2026 to June 1, 2027. The salary is $20 to $22 per hour based on experience.

Position Summary

The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies seeks a temporary administrative assistant to join the Western Fire and Forest Resilience Collaborative and the Forest Futures Lab. The Fire Collaborative includes 12 science teams and a team of boundary spanners working together to advance predictive science in fire ecology and ecosystem resilience in ways that are actionable for western US land managers. The administrative assistant will support our administrative team with ongoing tasks of running a large scientific collaborative. They will be joining a welcoming and nurturing team, gain exposure to forest and fire science, and engage with the broader Cary Institute community.

The position is based at the Cary Institute in the beautiful Hudson Valley of New York, a short way north of New York City. The Cary Institute is home to a diverse, vibrant, and supportive community of colleagues. The anticipated start date is November, 1 2026.

Questions about the position may be directed to Dr. Winslow Hansen at the Cary Institute.

Essential Responsibilities

• Meeting scheduling and calendar updates
• Complete travel reimbursement paper work
• Contribute to social media
• Event coordination
• Assist Cary Institute Grants office as needed
• Additional administrative tasks as assigned
• Associates degree and at least 2 years of professional experience in non-profit administration, small business administration, or executive assistance or 5 years of professional experience in non-profit administration, small business administration, or executive assistance.

Required Qualifications

Working Conditions

• Full-time, non-exempt, temporary position.
• Occasional travel for meetings may be required.
• Will require computer work for 7 hours or more a day.

Closing Date: Review of applications will begin 10/01/2026

To Apply:

Visit our website at ( and complete our online job application. Please submit one document that includes a cover letter (no more than 2 pages) describing your experience and interest in the position, resume, and contact information for three references. The Cary Institute is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of the Institute to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, familial status, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.