Policy Communications Intern

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All legitimate communication from our recruitment team will come from an official calstart.org email address via email, we will not text you about a role you have not applied to or shown interest in. We will not perform any interviews via text or Zoom chat.

CALSTART does not ask for any fees or personal information such as social security numbers or bank details during the recruitment process.

About Us:

CALSTART is a mission-driven industry organization focused on transportation decarbonization and clean air for all.

For over 30 years, it’s been CALSTART’s mission to develop, assess, and implement large-scale, zero-emission transportation solutions to mitigate climate change and support economic growth. CALSTART works with businesses, organizations, governments, and communities to create real-life impact toward clean air and equitable access to clean transportation for all. CALSTART provides scientific, technical and policy support for regulatory development and clean technology and infrastructure acceleration.

The Role:

CALSTART has an immediate 3-month paid internship opportunity for a highly motivated and organized individual to join our Policy Initiative. Our Policy Communications Intern will support the Policy team and report directly to the Director, Public Engagement and Media Relations.  Our intern will play an important role in supporting the policy team by helping amplify our work across various digital platforms. 

• Collaborate with the policy and communications team to develop engaging written and visual content for diverse communication channels. 
• Draft media pitches and press releases (or advisories) in connection with breaking news and/or special events.  
• Assist in creating social media content that the team can uplift on our social channels and across various digital platforms. 
• Contribute to the planning and execution of advocacy campaigns by supporting our communication strategies to amplify our message to both traditional media and on social media platforms. 
• Assist in summarizing key findings of CALSTART’s research on the clean transportation sector for internal use and external communications. 
• Assist in promoting CALSTART’s events, webinars, and initiatives on social media platforms to maximize attendance and engagement. 
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment between policy goals and communication strategies, providing support as needed. 
• Conduct research on suitable “beat” reporters and others interested in the issues we care about at CALSTART—and update media lists in Cision, a media database. 
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

• Currently enrolled in an accredited college/university level coursework pursuing a bachelor's degree in communications, Public Relations, Political Science, Environmental Studies, or a related field. 
• Passion for clean transportation, environmental sustainability, and policy advocacy through the lens of communication and storytelling. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with a creative flair. 
• High proficiency in communications project management across various stages of development and implementation (planning, execution, monitoring and completion) focusing on media campaigns and online strategy. 
• Familiarity with social media platforms and understanding of social media analytics. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite of applications (Excel, Word, Power Point, Outlook).  
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and project management abilities. 
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and multi-task in a fast-paced environment 
• Minimum commitment of 10hrs/week 

• Graphic design skills or experience with design tools (Photoshop, Canva, Adobe InDesign, etc.) are a plus. Experience with creating graphics for social media platforms such as: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. 

We understand that not everyone will match the above qualifications 100%. If your background isn't perfectly aligned but you feel you would be a great addition to the team, we'd love to hear from you.

We're a tight-knit team of world-class innovators, business minds, and change agents who believe passionately in our mission and put our team ahead of self. We are committed to the continued development and growth of our employees and invest in your success!

We care about your personal well being as much as your professional success and offer generous benefits to full time employees including: 100% company paid comprehensive health benefits for Medical, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability and Life Insurance, Retirement plan with generous company contributions, FSA for Health and Dependent Care, 3 weeks of vacation time in the first year of employment, 11 paid company holidays, paid sick time, paid family leave, and more!

Our inclusive environment focuses on making decisions based on merit without regard to race, color, hair texture, gender, religion, age, nationality, social or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, LGBTQIA+ status, marital status, pregnancy, disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.