Careers in Public Policy

By Willy Franzen

Looking for an entry level job or internship in public policy? Here's an overview of how to approach the search and a list of companies that might have entry level and internship opportunities that will interest you.

See companies with public policy careers or search the latest public policy jobs and internships.

Photo Credit: Flickr user USDAgov

Public policy is a disciplined approach to analyzing and solving current issues involving many people, as well as how policy decisions are made. Many jobs in public policy can be divided into a few major areas: government, business, consulting, law, and the nonprofit sector.

Most jobs involving public policy require a bachelor’s degree, which can be in public policy or in another field of interest. More important are your writing, reading, and critical thinking skills, as well as turning theory into experience via internships or research.

Companies with Entry Level Jobs and Internships in Public Policy

Group of Fifty - The Group of Fifty is a DC based non-profit made up of select “business leaders who head some of the most significant and forward-looking enterprises in Latin America."

See the complete Group of Fifty profile

Job Title	Location
Sr. ASP.NET Developer	Waltham, MA
Certified General Real Estate Appraiser	Dexter, MO
Director of Social Media	Schaumburg, IL
FBR Licensed Credential Outpatient Therapist, Johnstown PA Clinic	Johnstown, PA
FBR Licensed Credential Outpatient Therapist, Indiana PA Clinic	Indiana, PA

See all 985 job postings

The Trust for Public Land - The Trust for Public Land is a San Francisco, CA based org that was “founded in 1972 with goals of protecting land in and around cities and pioneering."

See the complete The Trust for Public Land profile

Job Title	Location
Principal Transportation Planner	Orlando, FL
Associate Community Outreach Specialist – San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Forester III	Sacramento, CA
Litigation Attorney	Rochester, NY
Forest Practices Forester	Colville, WA

See all 177 job postings

Parent Revolution - Parent Revolution is a Los Angeles, CA based non-profit that is aiming to “transform public education based on what is good for children, not adults."

See the complete Parent Revolution profile

Job Title	Location
National Campaigns Director	Los Angeles, CA
Lead Organizer	Los Angeles, CA
Community Organizer	Los Angeles, CA
Unpaid Internship	Los Angeles, CA
Dental Assistant Instructor	Philadelphia, PA

See all 25 job postings

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy - Rails-to-Trails is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is aiming “to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines."

See the complete Rails-to-Trails Conservancy profile

Job Title	Location
Vice President of Trail Development	Washington, DC
Online Media Manager	Washington, DC
Content Strategy Manager	Washington, DC
Coordinator, Development	Washington, DC
Program Assistant (Temporary, Part-Time)	San Francisco, CA

See all 6 job postings

National Academy for State Health Policy - The National Academy for State Health Policy is a non-profit that helps “states achieve excellence in health policy and practice” by working with each other.

See the complete National Academy for State Health Policy profile

Job Title	Location
Insurance Sales Professional	San Diego, CA
Coder Diagnostics	Mesa, AZ
RNP I/PA I ( Job Number: 158442 )	Lancaster, CA
ARNP - Specialty Diabetes - East Orlando	Orlando, FL
Coder Sr HIMS	Phoenix, AZ

See all 559 job postings

City Hall Fellows - City Hall Fellows is a San Francisco, CA based non-profit that engages “diverse, talented young people in the work of cities.”

See the complete City Hall Fellows profile

Job Title	Location
VIP Marketing Host	Las Vegas, NV
Public Relations Manager	Las Vegas, NV
Asst, Assoc, or Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation - 36525	Kansas City, MO
Senior Graphic Designer	Las Vegas, NV
Assistant or Associate Professor	Norman, OK

See all 49 job postings

Better Government Association - The Better Government Association, a Chicago, IL based non-profit that “works for integrity, transparency, and accountability in government."

See the complete Better Government Association profile

Job Title	Location
Marketing Specialist - Hospitals and Health Systems	Redlands, CA
Business Development Executive	Prairie Village, KS
Test & Evaluation Engineer 2/3	Patuxent River, MD
Senior Policy Analyst	Washington, DC
Vice President for Health Services Policy, Government Affairs	Washington, DC

See all 296 job postings

Inter-American Dialogue - Inter-American Dialogue is a DC based "leading U.S. center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs.”

See the complete Inter-American Dialogue profile

Job Title	Location
Urban Environmental Consultant	Washington, DC
Resource Planning and Administration Associate / Senior Associate	Washington, DC
IFD/ICS-HQ-Consultant Specialized in Citizen Security-BK-A1625; BK-A1620-DTC	Washington, DC
Modernization of the State Specialist - IFD/ICS	Washington, DC
Modernization of the State Specialist	Washington, DC

See all 5 job postings

National Immigration Forum - The National Immigration Forum is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “advocates for the value of immigrants and immigration to our nation.”

See the complete National Immigration Forum profile

Job Title	Location
Hispanic Leadership Network - Summer Term	Washington, DC
Residence Hall Coordinator (Student Services Professional II), R (5034)	San Diego, CA
Citizenship and Immigration Intern	New Jersey
Visualization and Analytics Center Lead	Groton, CT
Director Translational Development	San Francisco, CA

See all 34 job postings

Smart Growth America - Smart Growth America is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that believes “smart growth solutions support thriving businesses and jobs."

See the complete Smart Growth America profile

Job Title	Location
Affiliate Marketing Manager	McLean, VA
Marketing Associate	New York, NY
Account Executive - Software Sales (SaaS)	Lighthouse Point, FL
Inside Sales Representative	Phoenix, AZ
Web Copy Writer	Menlo Park, CA

See all 783 job postings

Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress - The Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress is a DC based nonpartisan non-profit "that systematically examines past successes and failures of the Presidency."

See the complete Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress profile

No current job openings.

NORC at the University of Chicago - NORC at the University of Chicago is a non-profit organization that aims to “to conduct high-quality social science research in the public interest.”

See the complete NORC at the University of Chicago profile

Job Title	Location
Survey Specialist - Health Care Research	Chicago, IL
GRA/Project Assistant - Part Time	Chicago, IL
Research Assistant - Public Health	Bethesda, MD
Research Assistant - Health Care	Bethesda, MD
Field Interviewer-NAHSG Project-REHIRES ONLY-Central Region	Wisconsin

See all 53 job postings

Fantasy Politics - Fantasy Politics is based in Boston, MA and offers “a fun opportunity for you to build a team of national politicians and pundits and get points from their real life actions.”

See the complete Fantasy Politics profile

Job Title	Location
VP of Marketing	Boston, MA
Software Engineer for Awesome Fantasy Football for Politics Company	United States

See all 2 job postings

Public Knowledge - Public Knowledge is a Washington, DC based non-profit that “preserves the openness of the Internet and the public’s access to knowledge."

See the complete Public Knowledge profile

Job Title	Location
Research Neuropsychologist (#207448)	Fort Carson, CO
Campus Safety Officer, Part-time	Cheyenne, WY
Specialist, Alumni Affairs	Baltimore, MD
Director of Public Relations	Orlando, FL
Assistant Glassblower, Hands-On (part time/seasonal)	Dearborn, MI

See all 95,064 job postings

Center for The National Interest - The Center for The National Interest is based in Washington, DC and was originally founded by former President Nixon as the Nixon Center for Peace and Freedom

See the complete Center for The National Interest profile

Job Title	Location
Professional Educator -DPI license required	Racine, WI
Product Marketing Sr. Specialist	Boston, MA
Social Media Specialist	Schaumburg, IL
Research Associate	Washington, DC
Physical Therapist Assistant	Honolulu, HI

See all 6,459 job postings

The Can Kicks Back - The Can Kicks Back is a DC based non-profit that is organizing millennials to push for financial reform and debt reduction.

See the complete The Can Kicks Back profile

Job Title	Location
Curious Ruby Developers	Seattle, WA
Service Fanatic - Delivery Driver	Salt Lake City, UT
DevOps Engineer	San Francisco, CA
Client Relations Specialist	Houston, TX
PHP/MySQL Developers: 12 REASONS why programmers love to work for us	Boston, MA

See all 185 job postings

U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress - The U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress is a Washington, DC based non-profit that puts former members of Congress to work on important causes.

See the complete U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress profile

Job Title	Location
Vice President, Government Affairs	Washington, DC
Executive Director, U.S. Policy & Government Relations Job	Washington, DC
Deputy Director and Vice Chancellor AD 1701 27	Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
Deputy Director and Vice Chancellor, AD-1701-27	Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

See all 4 job postings

ONE - ONE is a Washington, DC based “grassroots advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease."

See the complete ONE profile

Job Title	Location
Scrum Master - Relocation to Panama City, FL	Phoenix, AZ
Sales Representative	Fredericksburg, VA
Online Advertising Specialist	Seattle, WA
Senior Account Executive	Los Angeles, CA
Account Executive	San Mateo, CA

See all 183,558 job postings

InterAction - InterAction, is a Washington, DC based non-profit that “seeks to shape important policy decisions on relief and long term development issues."

See the complete InterAction profile

Job Title	Location
Intern	Dresher, PA
Copywriter	Orlando, FL
Clinical Document Coordinator	Missoula, MT
Coiled Tubing Instructor	Houston, TX
Senior User Researcher	Mountain View, CA

See all 129,113 job postings

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation - If you love the sporting life and its intersection with politics, you should consider a job with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation in Washington, DC.

See the complete Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation profile

No current job openings.

International Food Policy Research Institute - International Food Policy Research Institute is a Washington, DC based non-profit that aims to end hunger and poverty, and they're hiring.

See the complete International Food Policy Research Institute profile

Job Title	Location
Clinical Research Associate II 326512 (NCI) Job	Frederick, MD
Senior Research Assistant/Research Analyst	Washington, DC
Research Project Coordinator	Chicago, IL
Research Assistant/Senior Research Assistant	Washington, DC
Research Study Coordinator	Chicago, IL

See all 54 job postings

50CAN - Great Schools Can Change Everything. That's what 50CAN believes, and that's why they're hiring people to help them advocate for education reform.

See the complete 50CAN profile

Job Title	Location
50CAN States Director	New York, NY
50CAN States Associate	Washington, DC
Vice President, Policy at Rocketship Education	New York
Vice President, Policy at Rocketship Education	United States

See all 4 job postings

Constitutional Rights Foundation - Constitutional Rights Foundation is an LA based non-profit that helps educate youth about civic participation and democracy, and they're hiring.

See the complete Constitutional Rights Foundation profile

Job Title	Location
Summer 2013 Civil Liberties Intern/Extern (2L/3L)-ACLU of Idaho	Boise, ID
2013 Summer Legal Internship-ACLUF San Diego and Imperial Counties	San Diego, CA
Summer 2013 Litigation Intern (3L/2L)-ACLU of Idaho	Boise, ID
Summer 2013 Internship	United States
Summer 2013 Undergraduate Pre	United States

See all 28 job postings

National Marine Sanctuary Foundation - The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation works with NOAA to protect and support the U.S. national marine sanctuaries, and they're hiring.

See the complete National Marine Sanctuary Foundation profile

Job Title	Location
Associate Stock Footage Licensing Representative	Monterey, CA
Director, Office of Ecosystem Protection	Boston, MA
Footage Licensing Associate	Monterey, CA

See all 3 job postings

League of Conservation Voters - The League of Conservation Voters is a Washington, DC based non-profit organization that “works to turn environmental values into national priorities.”

See the complete League of Conservation Voters profile

Job Title	Location
Deputy National Field Director	Washington, DC
Research and List Management Director	Washington, DC
Account Executive	Washington, DC
Development Manager	Los Angeles, CA
Grassroots Giving Manager	Anchorage, AK

See all 20 job postings

Mothers Against Drunk Driving - Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization dedicated to stopping drunk driving and saving lives, and they're hiring.

See the complete Mothers Against Drunk Driving profile

Job Title	Location
Part Time Court Monitor Project Specialist 051-13	Jackson, TN
Vice President, Marketing and Communications 046-13	Irving, TX
Victim Services Specialist	Long Island, NY
Program Specialist 53-13	Tallahassee, FL
State Executive Director 020-13	Albuquerque, NM

See all 20 job postings

Council of State Governments - Council of State Governments is a non-profit organizations that brings state governments together to learn from each other, and they're hiring.

See the complete Council of State Governments profile

Job Title	Location
Case Manager for Elders	Springfield, VT
Tribal Administrator	Ketchikan, AK
Senior Policy Manager	San Francisco, CA
United Way Manager	Central, IL
Senior Auditor	Dallas, TX

See all 1,269 job postings

Chemical Heritage Foundation - The Chemical Heritage Foundation is all about fostering "an understanding of chemistry’s impact on society," and they offer some exciting job opportunities.

See the complete Chemical Heritage Foundation profile

Job Title	Location
IT Manufacturing Systems Engineer	Eden, NC
Utilities Technician	Fort Worth, TX
Mgr Product Quality	Fort Worth, TX
Operations Intern - Engineering	Milwaukee, WI
Technical Consultant	United States

See all 29 job postings

Sacramento Tree Foundation - Do you love trees? If so, then a career with the Sacramento Tree Foundation might be a great fit for you.

See the complete Sacramento Tree Foundation profile

Job Title	Location
Physician - Pulmonology	San Francisco, CA
Pulmonary Disease Physician San Francisco Bay Area, CA	San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Seeking an experienced Cardiologist	Red Bluff, CA
Neurology Opportunity	Red Bluff, CA
Pulmonology Physician	San Francisco, CA

See all 4 job postings

New America Foundation - The New America Foundation's approach is broad, but if you think that you could help them build a better America, then take a look at their jobs.

See the complete New America Foundation profile

Job Title	Location
Senior Account Executive	Norwell, MA
Account Executive/Outside Sales	Gaithersburg, MD
Senior Industry Manager, Infrastructure and Natural Resources	Waltham, MA
Product Manager	San Francisco, CA
Principal Subsea Engineer	Katy, TX

See all 2,551 job postings

VOICES of September 11th - VOICES of September 11th seems to continually adapt as the needs of people affected by September 11th change.

See the complete VOICES of September 11th profile

Job Title	Location
Facilitator, Door-to-Door	Brooklyn, NY

See all 1 job postings

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - If you're interested in "improving health policy and practice," then a job with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation might be a great fit for you.

See the complete Robert Wood Johnson Foundation profile

Job Title	Location
Research Assistant	Street, MD
PROGRAM ASSISTANT - SMDEP	Durham, NC
Executive Director	New York, NY
Travel & Reimbursement Coordinator	Washington, DC
Manager, Responsibility & Sustainability	White Plains, NY

See all 18 job postings

New England Healthcare Institute - If you’re interested in public health, you should definitely take a look at the New England Healthcare Institute and their job opportunities.

See the complete New England Healthcare Institute profile

Job Title	Location
MEDICAL ASSISTANT - MENTAL HEALTH	North Stonington, CT
RECOVERY HOUSE MANAGER	New London, CT
DISCHARGE COORDINATOR	North Stonington, CT
Medical Science Liaison - Respiratory	Remote
Vice President, Government Affairs	Washington, DC

See all 45 job postings

Atlantic Council - If you’re interested in getting involved, then head over to The Atlantic Council’s Jobs page to learn more about how they foster international relations.

See the complete Atlantic Council profile

Job Title	Location
Occupational Therapist / Therapy (OT) Travel - Skilled Nursing Facility	Atlantic, IA
Social Worker (Mental Health Service Manager)	Manchester, NH
Director of Workforce Partnerships and Projects	Richmond, VA
Program Assistant, Energy and Environment Program	Washington, DC
Program Assistant, Transatlantic Security	Washington, DC

See all 61 job postings

Institute for the Study of War - If studying war sounds interesting to you, check out The Institute for the Study of War’s job opportunities for college grads.

See the complete Institute for the Study of War profile

Job Title	Location
Professor of National Security Affairs	Carlisle Barracks, PA
Professor of Theater Planning	Carlisle Barracks, PA
Staff Research Associate III, Supervisor - FT	San Francisco, CA
Program Assistant, Asian Studies Program	Miami, FL
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT 5	Reserve, LA

See all 10 job postings

Arthritis Foundation - If you’d like to be a part of what the Arthritis Foundation is doing, check out their Job opportunities for new grads.

See the complete Arthritis Foundation profile

Job Title	Location
Physical Therapist-Outpatient Ortho/Sports Med Physical Therapist in Reston, VA	Reston, VA
IS PROGRAMMER/ANALYST II - SR.STATISTICAL PROGRAMMER / 40 HOURS / DAYS - BWH KATZ RESEARCH BWH WK	Boston, MA
Senior Director, Special Events	Philadelphia, PA
Executive Editor, Consumer Health Content & Products	Atlanta, GA
Lifeguard/Aquatics Instructor - On Call - Stillwater	Stillwater, MN

See all 64 job postings

Center for Science in the Public Interest - If you’re big on nutrition, then a job at the Center for Science in the Public Interest might be exactly what you're looking for.

See the complete Center for Science in the Public Interest profile

Job Title	Location
Business Development Specialist – Strategic Information	Arlington, VA
Health Promotion Technician	Fort Drum, NY
Rehab Manager-Homecare	Saint Paul, MN
Software Quality Assurance Supervisor	Columbus, OH
Compliance Coordinator	Saint Paul, MN

See all 1,085 job postings

Common Cause - If you like what Common Cause is doing to hold the government accountable, then you should consider a job with them after graduation.

See the complete Common Cause profile

Job Title	Location
Product Development (Beverage) Opening - Scientist, Sr Scientist or Principal Scientist	Lakeville, MA
Software Engineering Supervisor - .NET ( ATM / Debit Card Solutions )	Allen, TX
Depot Technician II	Sidney, NE
Front End Developer / Interactive Designer	Portland, OR
999934 Technical Support Representative	Dallas, TX

See all 2,435 job postings

One Economy Corporation - If you’d like to be a part of One Economy, then head over to their Jobs page to see what's available.

See the complete One Economy Corporation profile

Job Title	Location
National Advisor, Community College Partnerships	Braintree, MA
Property & Casualty Actuarial Senior Associate	Chicago, IL
K-12 Education, National (B2B) Advisor, Workforce Solutions	Chicago, IL
Vice President of Development	Oakland, CA
National Advisor Workforce Solutions	Columbia, MD

See all 220 job postings

National Bureau of Asian Research - The National Bureau of Asian Research conducts research on U.S. relations with Asia while also training next generation of Asian specialists.

See the complete National Bureau of Asian Research profile

Job Title	Location
Report Analyst - Multicultural / Hispanic	Chicago, IL

See all 1 job postings

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