TITLE: 2025 Information Center & Bookstore Assistant
PAY: $20.00/hour
STATUS: Non-exempt, full time
DURATION: May 16 through October 31
ORGANIZATION: Mono Lake Committee
LOCATION: Lee Vining, California
SUPERVISED BY: Information Center & Bookstore Manager

Description:
The Mono Lake Committee is a 16,000-member non-profit citizens’ group dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Mono Basin ecosystem; educating the public about Mono Lake and the impacts on the environment of excessive water use; and promoting cooperative solutions that meet real water needs without transferring environmental problems to other areas.

As an Information Center & Bookstore Assistant, your primary role in the Information Center & Bookstore is to promote the Mono Lake Committee mission. In addition to ringing up customers and stocking the store, this position is an opportunity to teach about the health of Mono Lake, educate the public about water issues and local environmental concerns, help visitors develop a personal connection to the Mono Basin, and help build the membership to support our policy, restoration, and education work. Approximately 35,000 visitors come through the bookstore each year and the bookstore staff are the primary representatives of the Mono Lake Committee. The Mono Lake Information Center & Bookstore Assistant position is valuable for those wanting to gain experience working for an environmental non-profit, hone their communication skills, broaden their experience working with visitors, and gain practical experience working in a retail position.

In this role you will:

• Staff the Information Center & Bookstore.
• Effectively communicate the Mono Lake Committee’s mission.
• Educate the public about Mono Lake’s history, current situation, and future vision.
• Learn, prepare, and deliver hour-long outdoor interpretive tours at South Tufa.
• Promote Mono Lake Committee membership to store visitors and on South Tufa tours.
• Promote and show The Mono Lake Story film to interested visitors.
•  Operate the point-of-sale system and become familiar with store products.
•  Follow store opening, midday, and closing procedures.
• Keep the store, restroom, and outdoor storefront clean and tidy throughout the day.
• Assist with receiving, stocking, displaying, and tidying merchandise.
• Provide visitors with detailed and accurate information about Lee Vining, the Mono Basin, Yosemite National Park, and the Eastern Sierra.
• Stock and maintain tourist information binders, outdoor kiosk, bulletin board, sidewalk sign, and Chamber of Commerce area.
• Assist with promoting interpretive programs, taking program reservations, and answering phones.
•  Work collaboratively with retail sales, information, education, and membership programs.
• Assist with other tasks as needed.

Qualifications:

• Excellent customer service and money handling skills.
• Enthusiasm for and commitment to the Mono Lake Committee mission.
•  Willingness to learn local natural history and California water issues.
•  Willingness to learn, prepare, and deliver hour-long outdoor interpretive tours at South Tufa.
• Comfortable talking to many visitors, patience with repetitive questions, and the ability to maintain a polite and friendly demeanor with the public.
•  Ability to be a team player and willingness to help to get a project completed.
• Ability to work weekends, work any combination of morning or evening shifts as needed, and periodically work split shifts if needed (an extended lunch break will be provided midday).
•  Ability to lift 40 pounds and stand for up to eight hours per day.
• A valid driver’s license and clean driving record are required.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive training on Mono Basin ecology, California water policy, environmental interpretation, retail operations, and more.
•  First Aid and CPR certification training.
•  Paid time off for observed holidays that occur during time of employment.
• Mileage is paid for all job-related travel from place of work in personal vehicle.
• Affordable shared housing within walking distance of the office in Lee Vining.
•  Employee discount on merchandise in the Information Center & Bookstore.

Additional information:
The Information Center & Bookstore Assistant position is temporary, lasting about five and a half months. The Information Center & Bookstore Assistant works 40 hours per week with two consecutive days off. Shared housing may be available in Lee Vining through the Committee for $350/month (sorry, no pets). We provide comprehensive training to develop a thorough understanding of the Mono Basin and the Mono Lake Committee in order to be able to fulfill job duties. The Mono Basin is composed of sagebrush steppe, pinyon-juniper, and Jeffrey pine forest plant communities, 46,000 acres of Mono Lake, numerous 12,000+ foot Sierra peaks, and plug-dome volcanoes. The Mono Lake Committee Information Center & Bookstore is in the town of Lee Vining (population 400, elevation 6,780'). Lee Vining is a remote town that sees a massive influx of visitors during the peak season but stays fairly quiet the remainder of the year. It lies on the eastern edge of Yosemite National Park, overlooking beautiful Mono Lake. The town is located adjacent to the Mono Basin National Forest Scenic Area, and the Ansel Adams and Hoover wilderness areas. Lee Vining is situated along Highway 395. It is 30 miles north of Mammoth Lakes, California; 65 miles north of Bishop, California; and 140 miles south of Reno, Nevada