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

National Alliance to End Homelessness - The National Alliance to End Homelessness is a Washington, DC based non-profit that, as its name indicates, is working to end homelessness.

See the complete National Alliance to End Homelessness profile

Job Title	Location
Housing Voucher Project Coordinator	Washington, DC

See all 1 job postings

The National Center on Time & Learning - The National Center on Time & Learning is a Boston, MA non-profit that “is dedicated to expanding learning time to improve student achievement."

See the complete The National Center on Time & Learning profile

Job Title	Location
Experienced Women's Competitive Gymnastics Bars Coach	Chesterfield, MO
Diabetes Program Coordinator,	Brunswick, GA
Supervisor Medical/Surgical Diabetes Center	Winter Haven, FL
Client Account Leader	Colorado
CAE in Cyber Operations Summer Intern Program	Fort George G Meade, MD

See all 4,813 job postings

Natural Resources Defense Council - NRDC is an NYC based non-profit that wants to "safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends."

See the complete Natural Resources Defense Council profile

Job Title	Location
2014 Legal Internship	Washington, DC
GIS Intern	Washington, DC
Water Efficiency Intern	Santa Monica, CA
Sustainability Intern	New York, NY
Legal Intern	Chicago, IL

See all 23 job postings

Landesa - Landesa is a Seattle, WA based non-profit that “works to secure land rights for the world’s poorest people."

See the complete Landesa profile

Job Title	Location
Engagement Officer	Seattle, WA
Engagement Officer (Seattle)	Seattle, WA
Program Manager, Foundations in Land Tenure	Seattle, WA
IT Systems Administrator / Support Specialist	Seattle, WA

See all 3 job postings

American Council of Young Political Leaders - American Council of Young Political Leaders is a DC non-profit that introduces "rising political and policy professionals to international affairs and to each other.”

See the complete American Council of Young Political Leaders profile

No current job openings.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership - Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is a Washington, DC based non-profit that aims to “guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.”

See the complete Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership profile

No current job openings.

Americas Society/Council of the Americas - Americas Society and Council of the Americas are two New York, NY based non-profits in one that aim to improve relations across the Americas.

See the complete Americas Society/Council of the Americas profile

No current job openings.

International Council on Clean Transportation - International Council on Clean Transportation is a Washington, DC based org that aims “to improve the energy efficiency of road, marine, and air transportation."

See the complete International Council on Clean Transportation profile

Job Title	Location
HVAC Inspector	Greenbelt, MD
Global Safety and Health Manager	Rogers, CT
HVAC Inspector	Greenbelt, MD
Assistant Professor (Practice)	John Day, OR
Director of Planning and Development	Portland, OR

See all 5 job postings

Institute for Educational Leadership - The Institute for Educational Leadership is a Washington, DC based non-profit that does research, leadership development, and policy work in the area of education.

See the complete Institute for Educational Leadership profile

Job Title	Location
Dir - Digital Marketing	Birmingham, AL
OAR I - Sustainability Initative - Construction Management	Los Angeles, CA
Manager PCS Education CV Acute	Los Angeles, CA
Coordinator, Communications	Los Angeles, CA
Head, Professional Conduct Program	New York, NY

See all 1,182 job postings

Center for Clean Air Policy - The Center for Clean Air Policy is a Washington, DC based non-profit that is “a recognized world leader in climate and air quality policy."

See the complete Center for Clean Air Policy profile

Job Title	Location
Research Assistant	Waimea, HI
Inpatient Services RN 3K Sign On	Phoenix, AZ
Inpatient Services RN	Fort Worth, TX
Social Worker Sign On Bonus Available!	Midland, TX
Sr. Staff AME Controls	Jackson, MI

See all 1,005 job postings

Defenders of Wildlife - Defenders of Wildlife is a Washington, DC based non-profit that aims to “protect and restore imperiled species throughout North America."

See the complete Defenders of Wildlife profile

Job Title	Location
Marketing Intern -Washington, DC Headquarters	Washington, DC
Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff Conservation Policy Intern	Albany, NY
Endangered Species Science and Policy Analyst	Washington, DC
Southwest Representative-Tucson, Arizona	Washington, DC
Coordinator to the CFO	Washington, DC

See all 4 job postings

Marine Conservation Institute - Marine Conservation Institute is a Seattle, WA non-profit that uses the latest science to identify and advocate for important marine ecosystems around the world.

See the complete Marine Conservation Institute profile

Job Title	Location
Marine Biologist	Cabo Rojo Municipio, PR
OPS RESEARCH ASSISTANT	Jupiter, FL
Assistant/Associate/Full Research Professor	Boca Raton, FL
OPS BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST I - FWC	Marathon, FL
OPS BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST I - FWC	Monroe County, FL

See all 22 job postings

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
Construction Superintendent	Fort Meade, MD
Professional Relations Specialist Zion	Zion, IL
FBR Licensed Credential Outpatient Therapist, Indiana PA Clinic	Indiana, PA
FBR Licensed Credential Outpatient Therapist, Johnstown PA Clinic	Johnstown, PA
FBR Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS), Cranberry Township PA	Township of Cranberry, PA

See all 976 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
Technical Editor/Writer	Brooklyn, NY
Tax Staff	Houston, TX
General Counsel	New York, NY
Associate Vice Chancellor, University Relations	Berkeley, CA
SW/Applications Build/Release Analyst	Denver, CO

See all 192 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 Organizing Director	Los Angeles, CA
CNC Instructor	Philadelphia, PA
Sales and marketing reps for organic health and beauty company	Gurnee, IL
EFDA - Certified Dental Assistant - OR - Temporary 90 days ( Job Number: 219985 )	Beaverton, OR
Office Manager - Camden	Camden, NJ

See all 20 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
Development Coordinator	Washington, DC
Healthy Communities Manager	Washington, DC

See all 2 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
Business Consultant	Sioux Falls, SD
Lead Advanced Practice Provider - Clinicial Decision /ED	Stanford, CA
Forensic Photographer	Dover AFB, DE
Corrections Officer - Entry Level & Lateral Transfer	Seattle, WA
Director of Social Services	South Daytona, FL

See all 557 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
Become an Environment America Fellow	United States
Social Media Coordinator	Atlantic City, NJ
Family Medicine with Sports position -Celebration, Florida (Orlando area)	Celebration, FL
Fellowship Program	United States
Public Relations Manager	Las Vegas, NV

See all 59 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
Recruiter	McLean, VA
Test & Evaluation Engineer 4\5	St. Louis, MO
Partner	Philadelphia, PA
Visual Designer	Bowie, MD
Summer Intern: Data Literacy in Parent/Child Interaction	Iowa City, IA

See all 196 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
Integration and Trade Specialist	Washington, DC
IFD/ICS-HQ-Citizen Security and Justice Knowledge and Research Coordinator-TTC	Washington, DC
Education Senior Specialist	Washington, DC
Office Support Sr. Assistant CCB/CCB	Washington, DC

See all 2 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
Communications Intern	Washington, DC
Bank Branch Manager Multiple Locations Available	Jersey City, NJ
Assistant Student Life Advisor (Student Services Professional IB), Student Life and Leadership	San Diego, CA
Mission Support Admin III	McLean, VA
Associate Partner - Global Telecom SME	United States

See all 37 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
Managed IT Services Consultant - Account Executive	Birmingham, AL
Vice President of Marketing – Global	Santa Clara, CA
Sales Executive - MarketMap	New York, NY
VP New Sales and Relationship Management	New York, NY
Sales Executive - Post Trade Derivatives(PTD) Solutions	New York, NY

See all 681 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

Job Title	Location
Faculty Positions	Highland Park, NJ

See all 1 job postings

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
Research Assistant	Bethesda, MD
Research Assistant - Substance Abuse, Mental Health Research	Bethesda, MD
Research Analyst (2013355)	Bethesda, MD
Research Assistant	Bethesda, MD
Graduate Research Assistant - International Projects (2013363)	Chicago, IL

See all 68 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
Leadership and Marketing Internship	Manhattan, NY
Online Marketing Specialist	Rochester, NY
Online Marketing Specialist	Rochester, NY
Software Engineer for Awesome Fantasy Football for Politics Company	United States

See all 1 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
Lead Research Protocol Registered Nurse - Health Care / Oncology	Kalamazoo, MI
Environmental Resource Technician	Sleepy Eye, MN
ENTRY LEVEL MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATE	Arlington, VA
Social Media Coordinator	Lake Mary, FL
Executive Administrative Assistant to the President	Ogden, UT

See all 88,202 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
Experienced Women's Competitive Gymnastics Bars Coach	Chesterfield, MO
Esthetician Wax Specialist	Lawrenceville, NJ
Sales Technician	Indianapolis, IN
RNAC MDS Coordinator	Philadelphia, PA
SLP - CCC just north of Louisville, KY	Scottsburg, IN

See all 5,893 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
Inside Sales Rep - Credit Sales Consultant	Phoenix, AZ
Office Manager	Portland, OR
Web Developer	Las Vegas, NV
Loyalty Marketing Analyst I, II, III	Pleasanton, CA
Senior Director of Marketing	Washington, DC

See all 167 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
Assistant Special Counsel	Washington, DC
Director, Health and Environmental Impacts Division	Durham, NC

See all 2 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
International Search Engine Marketing Specialist	Alexandria, VA
Software Test Engineer - Distributed Systems - RS	Reston, VA
Media Assistant	Stamford, CT
Account Executive - Entry level	San Mateo, CA
Ruby on Rails Developer	San Francisco, CA

See all 167,194 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
Direct Sales	Pine Brook, NJ
Ruby on Rails Developer	Washington, DC
Paid Marketing/Social Media Internship at Rutgers University (RU)	New Brunswick, NJ
UX Researcher/Tester	Morrisville, NC
UI/UX design intern	Chicago, IL

See all 116,290 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
Research Intern, Presidents Office	Washington, DC
Aqueduct Communications and Research Intern	Washington, DC
Program Assistant	Washington, DC
Research Intern, President’s Office	Washington, DC
40838 - Conservation Agriculture Field Coordinator (for Indonesian nationality only)	Provinces, MD

See all 50 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
Director of Leadership Development	Washington, DC

See all 1 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 2014 Undergraduate Internship	United States
Summer 2014 Legal Internship	United States
Spring 2014 Undergraduate Internship	United States
Spring 2014 Legal Internship	United States
2014 Spring Internship	United States

See all 19 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
Director, Philanthropic Partnerships, Environment	Washington, DC
Senior Associate, Global Shark Conservation	Washington, DC

See all 1 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
Business Development Director	Washington, DC
Targeting & Data Director	Washington, DC
Manage a Fundraising Campaign for Top Non-Profits	Austin, TX
Manage a Fundraising Campaign for Top Non-Profits	Boston, MA
Manage a Fundraising Campaign for Top Non-Profits	Denver, CO

See all 45 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
Development Officer 109-13	Gardena, CA
Program Specialist for our Take the Wheel Project 111-13	Houston, TX
State Executive Director 112-13	Honolulu, HI
Court Monitor	Lincoln, NE
Program Coordinator	Dublin, CA

See all 15 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
Civil and Commerical Analyst	El Segundo, CA
Government Relations Advocate	Orlando, FL
Associate Director Advocacy & Policy	Somerville, MA
Hourly Internship Government Relations (Seattle Denver & Phoenix)	Seattle, WA
Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff Conservation Policy Intern	Albany, NY

See all 1,238 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
Curatorial Internship	Philadelphia, PA
Inside Sales Representative Hamden, CT	Hamden, CT
Research Bench Chemist	Indianapolis, IN
Security Operations Coordinator	Golden, CO
Research Bench Chemist	Indianapolis, IN

See all 20 job postings

Check out the latest job and internship postings in public policy.

See more companies with entry level jobs and internships in public policy:

jobs by

Relevant Career Recommendations

Find similar career opportunities

Careers in Public Policy

Companies with Entry Level Jobs and Internships in Public Policy

See more companies with entry level jobs and internships in public policy: