Maryland Policy Intern (Graduate Student)

Position Overview

Do you want to learn how cities and their populations are shaped? Are you hoping to build a career in local or regional urban development, land use, housing, or transportation? Greater Greater Washington is seeking a Policy Intern to strengthen our advocacy work on the state and local levels in Maryland.

This is a paid, part-time position suitable for a graduate student or recent college graduate during the summer of 2026, with the potential to continue through the fall. You’ll be immersed in our 18-year effort to build community through writing, advocacy, and policy work in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. You will also have the opportunity to forge connections with an extensive network of planning professionals, local government staffers, and advocates across the region.

This position combines writing, qualitative research, quantitative analysis, and public engagement. We encourage those who can bring a diverse perspective to our organization and our work, in terms of race, socioeconomic status, geographic diversity, sexual orientation, or gender identity, to apply.

Responsibilities

Advocacy and Research (60% of time)

• Assisting staff with preparation and planning, including research, logistics, and drafting materials, for advocacy work such as public hearing testimony, meeting with decision-makers, and hosting workshops for decision-makers
• Tracking zoning and land-use activity, policy, and legislation across Maryland
• Reading, organizing, and analyzing qualitative data on local elected officials and candidates running for office

Communications (25% of time)

• You will have the opportunity to publish pieces on ggwash.org and participate in our editorial process
• As part of this role, you’ll get to write a blog post and do a small research project of your choosing

Events (15% of time)

• Assisting staff and volunteers with virtual and in-person planning for events such as meet-ups

The intern should also expect to assist with some administrative tasks and be willing to take on other duties as assigned.

About You

You should apply if you meet at least 75-80% of the following criteria:

• You’re interested in the issues GGWash works to advance: the increased production of housing and affordable housing, fair land use, sustainability and climate resiliency, public transportation, and racial and economic equity.
• You have excellent reading comprehension and can extract useful data from lengthy or complex sources of information.
• You are organized, detail-oriented, thorough, and able to produce accurate, high-quality deliverables.
• You are capable of taking direction and can manage multiple tasks with little daily supervision.
• You possess strong verbal and written communication skills and can turn copy around quickly.
• You have a connection to and/or experience with the Washington, DC, region and are excited to learn about and explore new places within it.
• You are able to work between 15 and 20 hours per week for the duration of the internship.

Compensation

This is a paid internship compensated at $21 per hour, for 15-20 hours per week, for a maximum of 300 hours between May 2026 and August 2026. This position is eligible for pro-rated paid sick leave. It is not eligible for any other benefits. Exact hours and timing are somewhat flexible and will be determined between the intern and manager.

Work Environment

At this time, GGWash has a flexible, hybrid work environment, with some in-person work required at the GGWash office in the Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington, DC. This position requires access to a workspace with an Internet connection. A GGWash-owned laptop will be provided. Given anticipated travel to communities not accessible via transit, a valid driver’s license and access to a car are helpful but not required.

The specific schedule for this position will be determined in collaboration with the Maryland Policy Director. Work hours are generally between 9:00am and 5:00pm, with occasional mornings or evenings for special events.

About Greater Greater Washington

Greater Greater Washington is a nonprofit organization that works to advance racial, economic, and environmental justice in land use, transportation, and housing throughout Greater Washington.

Our work builds civic capacity and moves the needle on important issues, in service of a broader vision of a dense, growing Washington region with an abundant supply of quality housing, attainable at all income levels, and a regional transportation network that prioritizes the needs of underserved users and makes it safe and easy to travel without a car. We work in support of public processes, plans, and policymaking that embrace both our responsibility to care for people we don’t know personally, and the need for cities to be shared among people who are here now and who will come in the future.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send their resume, a one-page cover letter explaining why you think this internship in particular is a good fit for you, and a short writing sample to jobs@ggwash.org with “MD Policy Internship Application” in the subject line by 11:59pm on Monday, April 20, 2026. In your cover letter, please indicate where you found this internship listing.

Please direct any questions about the position to Dan Reed at dreed@ggwash.org.

Greater Greater Washington provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, military status, marital status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal or local employment discrimination laws.

Paid Sick Leave