Internship - Government Affairs/Presidential Transition Spring 2020

The Partnership for Public Service is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with a big mission: we’re working to ensure the federal government is dynamic, innovative and that it effectively serves the American people. We’ve got a great team that helps make it happen.

Our staff is diverse in experience and perspective, but at our core, we share a lot of the same traits. We are mission-driven, creative, collaborative, optimistic and inclusive.

Our work is strategic, fast-paced and guided by our values:

We hire smart and friendly people who are great at what they do and good to one another in the process. Are you ready to join our team?

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS: The government affairs team is the Partnership’s voice on Capitol Hill, working to advance the organization’s good government agenda by building bridges of understanding between federal agencies and Congress, advocating for a modernization of America’s civil service system and sharing the Partnership’s work with committees, members and their staff. Interns on the government affairs team will follow Hill activity related to our core initiatives of civil service modernization, while helping deliver content to congressional staff and agency employees with the goal of improving understanding between branches of government. The Government Affairs team offers candidates the opportunity to become more informed about the legislative process and the policies and practices of the federal government.

The ideal candidate will have great communication, teamwork and time management skills, flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and a commitment to public service.

CENTER FOR PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION: Every four years, the federal government plans for a critical transition to a first or second term presidential administration. The Partnership for Public Service's Center for Presidential Transition helps the presidential candidates and their transition teams, second-term administrations and federal agencies navigate the transition process and ensure our president will be ready to govern. As a Center team intern, you will play an important part in supporting effective transition preparations ahead of the 2020 election. You will support events that educate leaders in government and members of the public about presidential transition, conduct research on transition-related issues and assist with program administration. The Center offers candidates an opportunity to contribute to an historic process while learning more about the federal government and developing expertise in a niche subject area.

The ideal candidate will have strong written and oral communication, teamwork and time management skills. Additionally, the ideal candidate will have initiative to take on new projects, the ability to thrive in a fast-paced work environment and a commitment to non-partisan public service.

The Public Service Internship Program is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students as well as recent graduates to contribute to the Partnership’s mission while developing valuable professional skills.

Spring 2020 internships available in:

Specific internship position descriptions are available at https://ourpublicservice.org/about/public-service-internship-program/.

Interns work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Their responsibilities vary but often include event planning and execution, research, writing and outreach to external partners, including federal agencies and colleges and universities. Additionally, there is time allocated to support the organization by taking shifts to staff the front desk and assisting other teams as needed. Due to the matrixed environment of our organization, interns will have the opportunity to work on multiple projects and learn about other teams.

The program also incorporates opportunities for professional and personal growth through workshops and trainings specifically geared toward students and young professionals, such as networking, office etiquette, resume reviews, interviewing, etc. Interns are also invited to participate in all staff-wide workshops and trainings, including brownbag speakers such as high-ranking government officials and corporate partners. Interns complete a learning agreement at the start, a mid-point review and end-of-term evaluation. Interns are supervised by a full-time staff member on their team, in addition to having the support of three intern coordinators and an assigned buddy.

The Partnership strives to be an inclusive organization that fosters learning, collaboration and respect. We actively recruit for diversity in our workplace, believing that a range of backgrounds, perspectives and experiences contributes to our mission of revitalizing government.

We seek extraordinary undergraduate students, graduate students and recent graduates with:

There is no single academic major or background we prefer over another—if you share our passion and are committed to developing your skills while gaining valuable experience, we want to hear from you!

All internship positions are physically located in Washington, DC at the Partnership’s office. There are no current opportunities for interns to work remotely. Applicants must be willing to relocate to Washington, DC for the duration of the term. Please note that the Partnership does not provide housing or relocation assistance for interns.

 

Before applying, carefully read the internship position descriptions at https://ourpublicservice.org/about/public-service-internship-program/ to determine which position(s) you are best qualified for and most interested in pursuing. While each position requires a commitment to public service, the descriptions detail the skills and competencies necessary for each particular position. You may only apply to one internship position per term but will have a chance to indicate your interest in other positions on the application form.

For full consideration, you must apply through our website.  We can only consider applications received directly; we cannot consider applications submitted only through Handshake.

The applicant review and selection process depends on the number of applicants, though we strive to conduct interviews (including phone and video interviews) and have offers extended within a month after the application deadline of November 1, 2019. Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as we do review resumes on a rolling basis and reserve the right to fill positions before the application deadline.

 

Interns receive the following compensation: