Environmental Policy and Project Intern

~ The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) is a national, membership-based nonprofit committed to reducing the health, safety, and environmental impacts of consumer products across their lifecycle with a strong focus on sustainable end-of-life management. ~

Headquartered in Boston, Mass., we take a unique product stewardship approach to solving waste management problems by encouraging product design changes and mediating stakeholder dialogues.

With 47 state environmental agency members, along with hundreds of local government members from coast-to-coast, and 95 corporate, business, academic, non-U.S. government, and organizational partners, we work to design, implement, evaluate, strengthen, and promote both legislative and voluntary product stewardship initiatives across North America.

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ProductStewardship. Follow us on Twitter @ProductSteward.  

Position Overview

Make a difference in the world leading an environmental project!

The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) seeks a creative, energetic individual with a keen interest in reducing waste and pollution by working with multiple stakeholders.

PSI does cutting-edge work making producers responsible for internalizing the real costs of pollution by funding and managing waste from their products, including electronics, batteries, carpet, paint, pharmaceuticals, mercury thermostats, fluorescent lamps, and tires.

More than 80 new product stewardship laws have been passed on 10 products in 32 states, and PSI has played a significant role in passing most of those laws. PSI accomplishes this work through a "facilitative leadership" approach, working closely with product manufacturers, recyclers, retailers, government agencies, and environmental groups. 

• For example, through a national multi-party facilitation, PSI helped craft a model bill for recycling leftover paint that has already resulted in eight new laws, and we are working with the paint industry to roll out the plan nationally. 

Our work has an impact - by reducing waste, creating recycling jobs, and saving taxpayers and governments millions of dollars on waste management costs. You can be part of this work, too. With the help of PSI staff, interns manage one or two specific projects for which they take primary responsibility.

Interns also perform some administrative assignments, as do all staff, and have the opportunity to learn about a variety of projects. Our intern's thoughts and ideas are taken seriously, and contribute to our mission and the organization as a whole.

The time commitment for this position is approximately 12 to 20 hours per week, with a possibility of additional hours during breaks. 

Responsibilities 

Potential tasks might include: 

• Conducting research to support ongoing product stewardship projects;
• Building national coalitions with PSI staff on legislative and other project priorities;
• Developing fact sheets and other educational materials to support PSI legislative efforts; and
• Analyzing and summarizing legislation, and conducting economic and financial analysis of the impacts of EPR programs. 

Qualifications 

• Interns should have excellent analytic, organization, and communication skills (both written and oral), and be passionate about moving toward a more sustainable future.
• Ideal candidates will have an undergraduate or graduate degree in planning, public policy, political science, natural science, environmental science, law, business administration, economics, or a related field.
• Alternatively, an intern may be a degree candidate in one of these areas. 

Compensation: Unpaid; limited paid opportunities available for qualified candidates. 

To Apply 

Please use the email address below to send a resume, cover letter and two writing samples (preferably one short and one long) to Amanda Nicholson. 

Please address all of the following in your cover letter: 

• Are you able to reliably meet the minimum time requirement?
• Why are you interested in working on product stewardship issues?
• Why are you interested in working for PSI?
• What makes you uniquely qualified for this position?
• What do you hope to gain from this experience?

Note: Application due date is September 30, 2014, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so apply early!  

~ The Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. ~