MountainTrue’s staff care deeply about our environment and the communities of the Southern Blue Ridge. As a team, we’re committed to hard work but also having fun with each other. Accountability, camaraderie, and fidelity to our Guiding Principles: this is what makes MountainTrue a wonderful place to work.
MountainTrue is committed to the principles of equity, inclusion, and non-discrimination. We do not discriminate against individuals, communities, or organizations on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or physical/mental disability.
We recognize and honor diverse cultures and traditions and proactively seek individuals for all aspects of our work from varied backgrounds for the greater enrichment of the organization. To address structural bias, MountainTrue intentionally invests in diverse leadership within our programs, staff, board, volunteer base, and membership.
We are committed to a proactive and strategic equity approach at an institutional and societal level. We understand this work to be an ongoing learning journey as we build an understanding of how structural differences in power impact and inform the work we do in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains. Our board and staff work together to continually build our analysis and invest in capacity-building opportunities (e.g., workshops) that can deepen and inform our commitment to fostering equity through our work
Click any of the openings below to see job descriptions and application instructions:
Internship overview:
MountainTrue’s Southwestern Office is located in Murphy, NC, and covers six counties in Southwestern North Carolina and two counties in North Georgia. This paid internship is within the Clean Water program and is part-time for a total of 150 hours. The intern must live (or at least have summer housing) within 50 miles of Murphy, NC, as the majority of the work will be within that radius. However, the work schedule within the week is somewhat flexible.
Position summary
The intern’s primary responsibilities will be to assist with collection and analysis of weekly E.coli samples for our Swim Guide monitoring program and to manage the microplastics sampling program in the Hiwassee River basin. This work involves traveling around a 4-county area, collecting water quality samples, interacting with volunteers, and conducting lab analyses.
Another major focus of the internship is to assist with distribution of supplies and recertification workshops for the long-established volunteer water quality monitoring program in the Hiwassee River watershed (Cherokee & Clay counties in NC and Towns & Union counties in GA). And helping plan a summertime social event for all water program volunteers.
Other responsibilities may include sampling natural drinking water sources and helping with educational events related to water quality in rivers, lakes and streams.
Eligibility:
Desired skills:
Application deadline: March 27, 2026
Start date: May 18, 2026
End date: Early August 2025
Work schedule: Internship is approximately 12.5 hours/week for 12 weeks. Tuesday-Thursday are the preferred days of the work week, but the intern will often be working independently and some work can be done remotely.
Location: The intern must live within a 50-mile radius of Murphy, NC, during the internship period.
Compensation: The intern will receive a taxable stipend of $1,500 and mileage will be reimbursed at $0.725 per mile.
How to apply: Apply through this form. Including a resume is optional.
Internship overview & position summary:
French Broad Water Quality Interns will assist our water team with a variety of tasks needed to help improve ecosystem health within the French Broad River Basin. We’ll teach on-the-job skills — prior experience is not necessary but is helpful. Examples of tasks include, but are not limited to the following:
Application deadline: March 15, 2026
Flexible start date: May 2026
Flexible end date: Late July or early August 2026
Work schedule: Approximately 15-20 hours per week
Compensation: Mileage will be reimbursed at $0.725 per mile
Location: This position will work with staff in our Asheville office. The samples will be collected throughout the French Broad Watershed.
How to apply: Apply here. Including a resume or cover letter is optional.
Internship overview & position summary:
The Healthy Communities intern will work with Chris Joyell, Healthy Communities Director, to research issues involving housing, transportation, land use controls and health, and assist in engaging communities in designing their future. Our work is rooted in the principles of Smart Growth, and we encourage prospective interns to familiarize themselves with these principles prior to engaging with us. A background in design and/or planning is preferred, but students studying health, environmental management, geography/GIS, and economics have also found their niche in our program.
Application deadline: March 15, 2026
Flexible start date: May 2026
Flexible end date: Early June 2026
Work schedule: Approximately 10-40 hours per week.
Compensation: Mileage reimbursed at approximately $0.725 per mile
Location: This position will work with staff in either our Asheville or Hendersonville offices, and much of the work can frequently be done remotely.
How to apply: Apply here. Please answer the following questions in your cover letter and attach that document when
submitting your application form:
Including a resume is optional.
