Jobs

Research and Writing Internship

Posted on: December 8, 2020 Apply Now
New York, NY Internship or Part-Time Job Expires May 1, 2021

Academic Credit: Offered upon the school department’s approval

Overview:

The Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI) is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization dedicated to renewing and advancing the values of liberal democracy in the U.S. and around the world. We promote intellectual humility and an empathetic approach to disagreement. 

We have a small, tight-knit executive team, so interns will have the unique opportunity to learn all aspects of how to run an organization and make a personal impact on America’s democratic landscape. Because we are a start-up organization, interns should also be ready to play multiple roles as we have an “all hands on deck” mentality. All roles will have a mix of substantive and administrative responsibilities.

Interns will have unprecedented access to our Board of Directors through our lunch & learns and other events—including renowned chess grandmaster & Putin critic Garry Kasparov, Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Lt. Col Alexander Vindman, Pulitzer Prize winner Bret Stephens, former head of the Republican National Committee, Michael Steele, and many others. Check out our website for more info!

About the role

This role will involve working on some combination of the below. Please be sure to review examples of our work including our newsletters, Defining Democracy narratives & videos prior to applying! 

  • Drafting RDI’s weekly newsletter and other materials;
  • Developing concepts and writing scripts for RDI video content;
  • Writing creative narratives to illustrate democratic and constitutional principles;
  • Creating engaging online content and writing pithy captions that effectively summarize key ideas;
  • Authoring high-quality articles and reports targeting RDI’s audience;
  • Attending on meetings and producing accurate, professional notes and takeaways;
  • Writing clear & concise memos for consumption by staff members and the Board of Directors;
  • Assisting senior staff with Op-Ed writing for mass consumption. 

Qualifications of an ideal candidate:

  • Exceptional undergraduate, graduate, and recently-graduated writers are encouraged to apply;
  • Detail-oriented to a fault;
  • Strong belief in RDI’s mission and values; 
  • An exceptionally strong, concise, and effective writing style with an ability to communicate complex ideas simply;
  • Significant research experience;
  • Politically well-informed & interested in promoting liberal democracy; 
  • Experience on Capitol Hill, a political campaign, or a non-profit working on issues related to current affairs is a plus;
  • Open-minded and willing to interact with a broad range of often-conflicting political points of view;
  • Social, articulate, and a self-starter unafraid to take initiative;
  • Experience with Google Suite (including Google docs, sheets, etc) is a plus. 

Logistics & Benefits

  • An ability to work remotely due to the pandemic and, if/when it’s safe to return to the office, an opportunity to work at an exciting start-up with unlimited snacks, coffee, and other perks; 
  • Our internships last 3-6 months. Interns can either work full time (40 hours/week) or part time (25+ hours/week); but can be flexible depending on applicant’s circumstance;
  • Hours are flexible and we are willing to work around your academic schedule;
  • An opportunity to work closely with senior organizational leadership, including the Executive Director and Director of Content & Strategy, as well as access to members of the Board of Directors, and other individuals from RDI’s extended network;
  • This is an unpaid internship;
  • A typical day could include spending a few hours researching and writing for RDI’s weekly newsletter or Democracy Examined blog; participating in a lunch-and-learn with a prominent political figure, a world champion poker player, or a business leader; writing scripts for videos, and attending team meetings to iterate on a previously outlined piece.

We recruit on a rolling basis. Please send a resume, brief cover letter, and a short (~500 words) writing sample ready for public consumption on a social, political, historical, or educational topic that offers a strong coherent argument to apply@rdi.org. The writing style should not be overly academic—the point is to see how well you write something meant to be read by the public. Please also indicate your desired hours per week and start date in your cover letter. Only complete applications will be reviewed.

Apply Now