Work at APS >> Government Affairs Intern
Government Affairs Intern
Summary
Title:Government Affairs Intern
ID:1417
Department:External Affairs
Location:Remote
Description



Government Affairs Intern

 

Who we are:



The American Physical Society is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance physics by fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and global community dedicated to science and society. APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and around the world.

 

Position Summary:
 

The part-time, temporary Government Affairs Intern supports the American Physical Society (APS) Government Affairs (GA) in advancing advocacy efforts and educating stakeholders on federal research funding and other science policy priorities. This role involves researching science policy topics, developing materials to highlight the impact of federal funding, and creating tools to track legislative interactions. The intern will assist in member engagement activities, advocacy campaigns, and documenting case studies that illustrate APS policy priorities. Regular collaboration with the Member Advocacy Senior Associate, APS staff, and external stakeholders is essential, as is staying informed on APS policy positions to effectively contribute to ongoing projects. Additional responsibilities include providing logistical and administrative support to ensure the success of GA initiatives.

 

This is a temporary, part-time position with an expected duration of no more than six months. This internship does not provide visa sponsorship.

 

Responsibilities:

Advocacy and Communication Support 
  • Research and draft letters to the editor for members, in consultation with the Member Advocacy Senior Associate.

  • Assist the Member Advocacy Senior Associate to educate stakeholders on federal science policy initiatives that positively impact the physics community, including federal research funding.

  • Assist the Member Advocacy Senior Associate with the development of APS GA advocacy campaigns.

Tracking and Research Support 

  • Develop legislative contact tracking tools to support GA advocacy efforts in consultation with the Member Advocacy Senior Associate and the Director of Public Affairs.

  • Participate in discussions of office projects within the science policy portfolio.

  • Remain up-to-date on APS GA policy priorities, positions, and activities to independently complete daily responsibilities.

Administrative Support

  • Assist the Member Advocacy Senior Associate with logistics and provide other administrative support as necessary.

  • Communicate regularly with the Member Advocacy Senior Associate.

  • Interact with the Director of Public Affairs, APS Government Affairs staff, Office of External Affairs staff, and other APS staff as appropriate, as well as APS membership and colleagues at other scientific organizations.

  • Perform other duties as assigned.


Education: 
  • High school diploma or equivalent required. Associate or Bachelor’s degree preferred. (directly relevant work experience in lieu of degree accepted).


Experience, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 
 
  • Minimum of one year relevant work experience and or two years of undergraduate coursework may be accepted.
  • College, university, and/or higher education experience in physical science and/or public policy/political science and/or journalism or related/relevant fields preferred
  • Experience with data/statistical analysis preferred. 
  • Strong writing skills. 
  • Strong written communication skills for a general audience.
  • Preferred experience in advocacy work.
  • Proficient in data management, in Salesforce or similar systems.
  • Proficient in using data visualization tools and techniques, web-based tools preferred such as Visio or PowerBI and or Tableau.
  • Proficient in Google Suite.
  • Proficient in analyzing data, using MS excel or other tools.
  • Strong organization, documentation, and prioritization skills.
  • Excellent attention to detail.
  • Ability to work well with interdepartmental teams as well as independently.


Travel: The position requires up to 5% of travel for in-person meetings with staff as well as periodic, as well as additional travel as assigned. This is a temporary, part-time position with an expected duration of no more than six months.


Salary:


The salary range for this position takes into account various factors influencing compensation decisions, such as skill sets, experience, training, and other business and organizational requirements. The salary listed within the specified ranges considers relevant experience. Our compensation philosophy at APS aims to maintain salaries at the midpoint of the market. As a result, we typically hire within the target starting range. Exceptional, rare cases may merit reviews above target starting range for specialized or niche skills aligned with strategic operational goals.


Target salary: $18.00/hour (USD)


This is Us:

Help us achieve our mission of advancing and diffusing the knowledge of physics for the benefit of humanity, promote physics, and serve the broader physics community.


At APS, we:

  • Provide a welcoming and supportive professional home for an active, engaged, and diverse membership
  • Advance scientific discovery and research dissemination
  • Advocate for physics and physicists, and amplify the voice for science
  • Share the excitement of physics and communicate the essential role physics plays in the modern world
  • Promote effective physics education for all


Core Values:

Core values are essential to shaping the culture of an organization. They provide the structure and guidance for how we conduct ourselves in our day-to-day interactions. Every employee has a responsibility for upholding these values. The behaviors and actions associated with demonstrating competency in these Core Values are described in a separate document.


Our Core Values:  Our values are our guideposts

  • Scientific Method
  • Trust, Integrity, and Ethical Conduct
  • Equity, Diversity, and Respect
  • Collaboration
  • Education and Learning
  • Speaking Out


Amazing 2025 Benefit Offerings:

  • Remote First: The majority of staff work primarily from remote locations. APS promotes equal treatment and access for staff in the United States, regardless of physical work location.
  • Locations: APS is operational in most but not all 50 states. Our headquarter office is in College Park, Maryland, with physical offices also located in Washington, DC, and Hauppauge, New York.
  • APS does not offer relocation assistance/costs.
  • APS allows flexible work hours. Responsiveness is required during workday core hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
  • This role is not benefits eligible.
 

The American Physical Society is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of American Physical Society not to discriminate or allow the harassment of employees or applicants on the basis of race, religious creed, immigration status, alienage or citizenship, religion, color, ethnicity, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, protected veteran status, protected military status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics, ancestry, domestic violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by law with regard to any employment practices, including recruitment, advertising, job application procedures, hiring, upgrading, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, job assignments, benefits and/or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, provided the individual is qualified, with or without reasonable accommodations, to perform the essential functions of the job. This policy applies to all jobs at APS. The American Physical Society is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact APS Human Resources at hr@aps.org. The “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal'' poster, prepared by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), provides an overview of several laws that protect you from discrimination on the job, and several rights are afforded to you by these laws. The “Pay Transparency Non Discrimination Provision,” prepared by the U.S. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), provides an overview of several protections implemented to protect individuals working under federal contracts from discrimination when inquiring about or discussing compensation; these protections apply to all employees and applicants. The APS has a "remote first" concept that promotes equal treatment and equal access, independent of physical work location, with a majority of staff working primarily from remote work locations. #LI-SB1


 


The application deadline is January 6th, 2025.

PM21 #LI-SB1