Internship - Spring 2021 - Government Leadership and Management Programs

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?

Programs team interns have the unique opportunity to develop leadership and management skills by helping our team deliver a variety of programs for federal employees. Our programs aim to develop strong leaders, engage employees, enhance management, encourage innovation and address workforce challenges. Our audience includes agencies as varied as the Executive Office of the President, NASA and the Intelligence Community.

Interns’ work portfolios will align with one of our programmatic areas: federal workforce programs; government effectiveness and federal executive networks; or leadership development. Interns’ specific responsibilities will vary by team but will include a combination of program administration, virtual webinar production, event planning and logistics, presentation development, note taking and information synthesis, database maintenance, and background research. Interns will support a variety of programs and projects and work closely with multiple people across the organization.

The ideal candidate will have strong time management, verbal and written communication skills, attention to detail, adaptability, commitment to exceptional customer service, and a willingness to learn professional skills indispensable in any workplace.

During their internship, interns will learn more about project management, nonprofit management, data collection and analysis, relationship management, event planning and logistics, and customer service. At the end of their term, interns will come away with a greater understanding of how the federal government and its agencies work.

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.

Specific internship position descriptions and more information 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. 

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 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!

Typically all internship positions are physically located in Washington, DC at the Partnership’s office, however due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Partnership has transitioned to remote work. We are planning for our spring 2021 internships to be remote as well. Partnership meetings and activities typically occur Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET. While we can accommodate interns who work remotely in other time zones, please be advised that the majority of intern assignments will take place during these hours. Since time zones and assignments will vary by intern candidates and teams, specific needs will be discussed during the interview stage of the hiring process.

When internships are completed through remote work, the internship is subject to a "Bring Your Own Technology" policy meaning the internship requires the intern to provide and use their own personal computer capable of accessing the internet and to have access to a high-speed internet connection during the work day.

Partnership interns represent a range of geographical regions, educational institution​s and fields of study. We hire interns through ​a standardized application process and pay them in accordance with the rates listed below. Anyone, from any school can be ​a competitive ​candidate and is welcomed to apply! 

Through the generous contributions of donors, some schools have restricted funds they can use specifically to support their students who ​intern at the Partnership. Students from these schools apply through our regular process and​, if selected, are paid through their respective college or university ​at rates determined by their institution. We are grateful for these donor-funded internships and try to maximize their use ​each term​. A few times each year, the Partnership also applies for interns through school-based or third-party programs that place interns at host sites.

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 6, 2020. 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: