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

The Institute for Humane Studies - The IHS is an Arlington, VA based organization that “advances a freer society by discovering and facilitating the development of people who share an interest in liberty.”

See the complete The Institute for Humane Studies profile

Job Title	Location
Part-Time Marketing Communications Assistant	Arlington, VA
Research Specialist 2	Chicago, IL
On-Campus Programs Coordinator or Assistant	Arlington, VA
Two Faculty Positions - Sociology	New Orleans, LA
Director, Laboratory Animal Sciences Program 603814 (NCI) Job	Frederick, MD

See all 10 job postings

Juvenile Law Center - Juvenile Law Center is a Philly based org that “plays a leadership role in shaping and using the law on behalf of children in the child welfare and justice systems."

See the complete Juvenile Law Center profile

Job Title	Location
Summer 2015 Undergraduate Internship	United States
Volunteer/Intern Program	Los Angeles County, CA
Youth Court Program Assistant Internship	New York, NY
Community Engagement & Service Intern	New York, NY
MANAGEMENT ANALYSTS	Sarasota County, FL

See all 181 job postings

Generation Citizen - Generation Citizen is a Boston, MA based non-profit that “teaches teenagers direct political action through an innovative in-class curriculum.”

See the complete Generation Citizen profile

Job Title	Location
Engineering Manager, Flex Circuits	Minneapolis, MN
Propulsion Lead Engineer - Relocation to Manassas, VA	Wichita, KS
Propulsion Lead Engineer	Manassas, VA
Education Program Coordinator-Waltham, MA	Waltham, MA
International Finance & Accounting Intern	Atlanta, GA

See all 2,266 job postings

Small Business Majority - Small Business Majority is a San Francisco, CA based “national small business organization" that focuses "on solving the biggest problems facing small businesses today.”

See the complete Small Business Majority profile

Job Title	Location
Technical Service Sales Specialist	Wilmington, CA
Outbound Sales Team Executive	Eugene, OR
Sales Manager - Fire	Jessup, MD
Sales Manager - First Aid and Safety	Brooklyn Park, MN
Account Executive-LandWatch	Bellevue, WA

See all 2,064 job postings

Local Initiatives Support Corporation - LISC is an NYC based non-profit that connects "local organizations and community leaders with resources to revitalize neighborhoods and improve quality of life.”

See the complete Local Initiatives Support Corporation profile

Job Title	Location
Tax Senior Manager - Partner Track Opportunity!	Syracuse, NY
Tax Senior Manager - Partner Track Opportunity!	Buffalo, NY
RN Team Leader	Plainview, TX
RN Team Leader Day shift	Milwaukee, WI
Veterinarian (Doctor)	Lewisville, TX

See all 3,851 job postings

Justice Policy Institute - Justice Policy Institute is a D.C. non-profit that aims to "reframe the conversation around justice for all."

See the complete Justice Policy Institute profile

Job Title	Location
Lead Technical Architect	Ashburn, VA
Research Assistant	Washington, DC
Research Intern (Undergraduate), Global Philanthropists Circle	New York, NY
Research Intern (Graduate), Global Philanthropists Circle	New York, NY
Residential Counselor	Wendell Depot, MA

See all 2,226 job postings

FWD.us - FWD.us is a San Francisco, CA based lobbying organization that promotes "policies to keep the United States and its citizens competitive in a global economy."

See the complete FWD.us profile

Job Title	Location
Organizing Coordinator	San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles Regional Organizer	Los Angeles, CA
Development Fellow	San Francisco, CA
Silicon Valley Regional Organizer	San Francisco, CA
Chief Technology Officer	San Francisco, CA

See all 7 job postings

Stitcher - Stitcher is a San Francisco, CA based company that lets you access “over 20,000+ radio shows and podcasts on your iPhone, iPad, Android or PC–anytime, anywhere.”

See the complete Stitcher profile

Job Title	Location
Driver - Production Assistant - Part Time	Round Rock, TX
Experienced Marine Canvas or Upholstery Stitcher	Orleans, MA
Inserter Operator	Los Angeles, CA
Florida Today Packaging Center Coordinator	Melbourne, FL
Profesional Seamstress / Pattern Maker	Colorado Springs, CO

See all 143 job postings

Targeted Victory - Targeted Victory is an Alexandria, VA based agency that has “anchored digital campaigns on the local, state, and presidential level.”

See the complete Targeted Victory profile

Job Title	Location
Intern, Digital Media Marketing	Alexandria, VA
Information Graphics Designer	Washington, DC
Relationship Manager, National Accounts	Brady, MD
Materials Management Supervisor	Houston, TX
Campaign Manager	Washington, DC

See all 16 job postings

Bipartisan Policy Center - The Bipartisan Policy Center is a Washington, DC based non-profit that encourages the two parties to work together on important issues.

See the complete Bipartisan Policy Center profile

Job Title	Location
Web Assistant (Intern) - Web Team	Washington, DC
Intern - Global Food Security Project	Washington, DC
Intern - Freeman Chair	Washington, DC
Intern - Sumitro Chair	Washington, DC
Intern - Burke Chair	Washington, DC

See all 16 job postings

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a DC based non-profit that “conducts research and analysis to help shape public debates over proposed budget and tax policies."

See the complete Center on Budget and Policy Priorities profile

Job Title	Location
Vice President, Human Resources, North Suburban Medical Center - Thornton, CO	Thornton, CO
Director of Catering I	Woodland Hills, CA
Vice President Human Resources, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center - Las Vegas, NV	Las Vegas, NV
FPG, SYSTEM MANAGER	Sandusky, OH
Financial Analyst II	Greeley, CO

See all 3,311 job postings

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
Sales Associate	Auburn, NY
Client Care Specialist - Ithaca (FT)	Ithaca, NY
Program Manager - Ithaca	Ithaca, NY
Director of Information Technology	San Jose, CA
Sales Associate	North Syracuse, NY

See all 7 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
LMSW Part Time Floater\Damariscotta ME	Damariscotta, ME
LMSW Full Time\Augusta ME	Augusta, ME
Preschool Teacher	Ames, IA
Medical Social Worker Full Time 5000 Sign on Bonus	Danville, VA
Preschool Teacher-Must have experience	Hudson, OH

See all 8,517 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
Energy Communications Intern	Washington, DC
GIS Intern	Washington, DC
Water Program Intern	Washington, DC
Summer Intern	Bozeman, MT
NRDC/MSU Native American Studies Program Intern	Bozeman, MT

See all 66 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
Communications Manager	Seattle, WA
Director of the Landesa Center for Women’s Land Rights	Seattle, WA
Chief Exectuvie Officer	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

Job Title	Location
Media Relations Director	Washington, DC

See all 1 job postings

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

Job Title	Location
Temporary-TA Committee Support, Technical Activities	Piscataway, NJ

See all 1 job postings

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
Stage Coordinator	Evanston, IL
Housing and Council Administrator	Evanston, IL
LIBRARIAN IV	Los Angeles, CA
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER	Great Lakes, IL
NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER	United States

See all 11 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
Director of Compliance	Madison, MS
Campus Director	Chicago, IL
Associate Director of Mental Health	San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Program Dir, Applied Information & Analytics Technologies	Blacksburg, VA
Director, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism	Baltimore, MD

See all 1,493 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
Auto Tech-Entry Level	New Albany, IN
Licensed Social Worker MSW Odessa TX 5K Sign On Bonus Available	Odessa, TX
MSW 30 Hours South Durham NC	Durham, NC
Assistant Nurse Manager, Surgical Services	Oxnard, CA
Social Worker Bi lingual Westside Chicago	Chicago, IL

See all 1,677 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
Gift Planning Associate	Washington, DC
Gift Planning Manager	Washington, DC
Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff Conservation Policy Intern	Troy, NY
Human Resource Coordinator-Cheyenne	Cheyenne, WY
Conservation Data Specialist	Washington, DC

See all 9 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
Research Associate Intern	Boston, MA
Financial Aid - Shark Research and Conservation Program, Cape Eleuthera Institute	United States
KESRP Field Technician-Kauai	Honolulu, HI
Software Engineer	Stanford, CA
Assistant Professor	Corvallis, OR

See all 14 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
Physician Assistant - Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota	Ellsworth AFB, SD
Family Nurse Practitioner BC, Dyess AFB, TX	Dyess AFB, TX
Nurse Practitioner	Fort Benning, GA
Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS) Openings in Robinson, PA w/ FBR!	Pittsburgh, PA
Therapeutic Staff Support (TSS) Openings in Ford City, PA w/ FBR!	Ford City, PA

See all 1,096 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
Director 5 plus years required	Peterson, IA
Senior Healthcare Manager/ Planner	Minneapolis, MN
HCP GIS Data Steward and Programming Analyst - ITS4	Olympia, WA
Forest Practices Lead GIS Analyst-ITS 4	Olympia, WA
NATURAL RESOURCE SPECIALIST, GS-0401-9	Fort Thompson, SD

See all 250 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
Licensed Real Estate Sales Agent	Orlando, FL
College Counseling (AZ 2014-2015)	Phoenix, AZ
Field Academic Advisor	Remote
Receptionist	Friendswood, TX
Professional Tutor	Austin, TX

See all 40 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
Internship, Transportation Policy	Washington, DC
Internship, Trails and Greenways Program – West Coast	Washington, DC
Project Manager - Philadelphia Region (Full	Philadelphia, PA
TrailLink Photography	Philadelphia, PA
Internship, Trails and Greenways Program	Oakland, CA

See all 5 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
Dean, UT Southwestern School of Health Professions	Dallas, TX
Certified Diabetes Educator	Salt Lake City, UT
Adjunct - CE Health Part-Time (Health Information, RN, LVN, Emergency Medical, Billing and Coding)	Houston, TX
Practice Coder I @ Florida Heart Group Admin cc5650	Orlando, FL
Practice Coder I @ Florida Heart Group Admin cc5650	Orlando, FL

See all 401 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
Director, Center for Crops Utilization Research and the BioCentury Research Farm (Associate Professor/Full Professor)	Ames, IA
2015 Program Support Staff Positions (Spring & Summer)	United States
Main Street and Planning Coordinator	Auburn, GA
San Francisco City Hall Reporter	San Francisco, CA
Reporter - Alameda	Alameda, CA

See all 25 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
NYC Government Affairs Intern	New York
Summer Intern: ACTLabs Prototypes	Iowa City, IA
Pathways Student Intern (Policy Intern) NTE 1 year (FDIC Interns Only)	Washington, DC
Pathways Student Intern (Graduate Policy Intern) NTE 1 year	Washington, DC
Pathways Intern Student Trainee (Engineering)	Rome, NY

See all 388 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
Accounting Associate	Washington, DC

See all 1 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
Analyst II Market Risk	Fort Worth, TX
Bank Branch Manager	Jersey City, NJ
Technical Insight Internship - Summer 2015	United States
Advisory Designer - Interactive Experience	New York, NY
Watson Information Developer	Pittsburgh, PA

See all 71 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
Financial Services Solutions Architect - San Francisco	San Francisco, CA
Business Development (Software Sales)	Hunt Valley, MD
Managing Director, Cost Management	Sacramento, CA
Application Development Summer Intern	Batesville, IN
Senior UX Designer	New Jersey

See all 1,327 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
Field Interviewer-NAHSG Project-Cuba, NM	Cuba, NM
Field Interviewer-FDPIR Project-Poplar, MT	Poplar, MT
Business Development Intern - International Projects	Bethesda, MD
Research Scientist - Health Care	Bethesda, MD
Senior Research Scientist - Medicare/Medicaid	Bethesda, MD

See all 45 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

No current job openings.

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
Behaviorist (LCP or LSCSW)	Salina, KS
Business Development & Sales Representative	Palmer, AK
Front End Developer	San Diego, CA
Coordinator Infection Prevention - Registered Nurse	Austin, TX
KPN ORTHO TECH	Dayton, OH

See all 124,029 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
Research Scientist -- RF Design	El Segundo, CA
Ionospheric Scientist	El Segundo, CA
Remote Sensing Scientist	El Segundo, CA
Account Executive - KJZZ and KBAQ	Phoenix, AZ
Post Doctoral Research Associate, Cancer Drug Therapy Discovery Applying Functional Genomics	Seattle, WA

See all 11,723 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
PROJECT MANAGERS (IT Security Experience a Plus)	Washington, DC
Temp to Hire Warehouse Jobs-Jeffersonville IN-Up to $11.00/hr	Jeffersonville, IN
Tattoo artist, Barbers	Aurora, CO
Business Development and Sales Coordinator	Fairfax, VA
Sr. Account Executive	New York, NY

See all 205 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

No current job openings.

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