Spring 2018 Policy Intern

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Spring 2018 Policy Intern

Washington, DC
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    Environmental Defense Fund (edf.org), a leading international nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships. Connect with us on EDF Voices, Twitter and Facebook.

    Are you interested in exploring a career at an internationally-recognized environmental organization? By joining EDF as an Intern, you too can be part of a vibrant workplace that welcomes diverse perspectives, talents and contributions, where innovation and a focus on results are a way of life. EDF’s Internship Program welcomes intellectually hungry leaders to join us, advance our work, and cultivate the skills and relationships needed for a successful career working for the environment. Alumni of our Internship Program have gone on to important leadership positions, most notably our own President, Fred Krupp. Could you be the next Fred Krupp?

    EDF offers internships and fellowships for students and recent graduates in a variety of programs and departments throughout the organization. The ultimate goal of our internship and fellowship program is to provide high-quality experiences (including relevant projects and opportunities for networking) that form the foundation for any individual who is serious about pursuing an environmental career.

    Environmental Defense Fund’s Legal and Regulatory team is seeking a highly qualified and deeply motivated individual to work on projects related to climate, air quality, and energy, with particular focus on defending our national clean air laws and regulations from harmful and unnecessary rollbacks. 

     

    Reports to

    Senior Manager, Climate and Air Policy

    Overall Function

    We seek a student interested in working on cutting edge regional and national climate and air quality issues.  EDF is working on many fronts to clean the air and halt climate-disrupting emissions of greenhouse gases.  One of the tools we have available to secure clean air, climate, and health protections is the federal rulemaking process.  The federal standards being promulgated under the Clean Air Act — a momentous piece of legislation first passed by Congress in 1970 and strengthened in 1990 — require enormous efforts by EDF and partners to ensure that rigorous protections are adopted and that implemented.  The Intern will be with the Legal & Regulatory Advocacy team, part of EDF’s Climate & Energy program, and will assist in our activities to protect and advance clean air standards at the federal and state level.

    The intern will be an integral part of the L&R team, working on analytic and outreach projects related to defending national ozone standards, the Clean Power Plan, and assisting with state level efforts to secure carbon reductions from the power sector. One example of a project the intern will lead is the development of a system for tracking the public health and environmental impacts of rollbacks of climate and air protections occurring at the federal level. The intern will develop public outreach materials for this project, including fact sheets, internal memos, blogs, and will partner with EDF graphics designers. Based in Washington, DC, the intern will have access to innumerable professional growth opportunities including through attending policy summits, briefings, and seminars hosted by national thought-leaders, as well as be able to attend public congressional events such as committee hearings and briefings related to climate and clean energy policy. The intern will also have the opportunity to work with colleagues at partner organizations in the DC area working on climate, air, and clean energy issues.


    Key Responsibilities

    Tasks will include but are not limited to:

    • Perform research, policy analysis, and preparation of briefing papers and other relevant materials to support EDF’s defense and advancement of the nation’s clean air laws;

    • Prepare public communications documents, including fact sheets, blogs, and outreach materials for decision-makers and the public;

    • Research regulatory issues, monitor congressional and other hearings;

    • Prepare presentations, graphics, and databases/spreadsheets;

    • Coordinate with media, field, and online staff on material preparation as necessary;

    • Track power sector carbon reductions;

    • Attend weekly meetings with a broad group of staff working on political issues, where discussions focus on defeating anti-environmental legislation, working across the environmental community to garner support for new clean air initiatives, and engaging key demographics that range from members of Congress to grassroot supporters.

     

    Qualifications

    • Demonstrated interest in climate, clean energy, or air quality policy and strong commitment to environmental protection;

    • Ability to undertake both quantitative and qualitative analysis of clean air and climate policy issues;

    • High degree of professionalism;

    • Excellent written and oral communication skills;

    • Must be well organized and detail-oriented;

    • Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and meet deadlines;

    • Ability to work in a team setting and have the ability to work independently when projects are due;

    • Demonstrate initiative and problem solving skills;

    • Experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint;

    • Excellent judgment, flexibility, good humor, self-starter, and highly motivated.

    Location

    Washington, D.C.

    Term

    Spring 2018

    Hours

    Part-time


    Compensation

    Hourly rate or academic credit

    Application Materials

    Interested applicants should attach their cover letter, short writing sample, and resume to the application.

    Due to the volume of employment applications and queries received, EDF is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate.

    Environmental Defense Fund is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant's qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.