Policy Intern

Use your research, analytical, and writing skills to help transform the food system

The Good Food Institute is a nonprofit think tank working to make the global food system better for the planet, people, and animals. Alongside scientists, businesses, and policymakers, GFI’s teams focus on making plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated meat delicious, affordable, and accessible. Powered by philanthropy, GFI is an international network of organizations advancing alternative proteins as an essential solution needed to meet the world’s climate, global health, food security, and biodiversity goals

As an Intern, you will have the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to GFI’s mission by developing a comprehensive database to track congressional activities, conducting research, and drafting content for our monthly Policy newsletter. The Policy Intern will be responsible for the following:

• Creating a congressional database to identify and track key congressional activities and member information.
• Researching and implementing methods to connect the congressional database to GFI’s Salesforce platform.
• Conducting research and drafting content for our monthly newsletter for policymakers, Protein Innovation Nation.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

The Policy Intern must have:

• The ability to write clearly and effectively.
• Excellent research and analytical skills.
• A sense of ownership and accountability over assigned work and goals.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Prior experience in or knowledge of government legislation, policy, political science, and related areas is a plus.
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to building an inclusive workplace where everyone feels like they belong.
• Strong support for GFI’s philosophy and mission; demonstrated interest in plant-based & other alt proteins, public health, environmentalism, climate change, animal protection, or hunger relief.
• A commitment to GFI’s values: believe change is possible, do the most good we can, share knowledge freely, act on evidence, and invite everyone to the table.

We want the best people and we don’t want biases holding us back. We use a third-party anonymizing tool to redact personal information from submitted applications — including name, location, contact details, and several other factors — to reduce bias and increase fairness in our process. We strongly encourage people of every race, color, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability to apply. Since we value a diverse workplace, we prioritize an inclusive climate absent of discrimination and harassment during the application process and after you join the team. 

Research indicates that men tend to apply for jobs when they meet just 60% of the criteria, while women and people from other marginalized groups only apply if they are a 100% match. If you are passionate about GFI’s mission and think you have what it takes to be successful in this role even if you don’t check all the boxes, please apply. We’d appreciate the opportunity to consider your application. 

• Position Type: Independent Contractor
• Position Term: 10-15 hours per week for 9-12 weeks (a set number of hours per week and internship length within these ranges will be determined in consultation with the intern before the position begins)
• Reports to: Saira Weinzimmer, Policy Coordinator
• Location: Remote - United States or Farragut Square, Washington, D.C., Hybrid (Monday/Thursday in office; Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday optional from home or office)
• Stipend: The stipend amount will be determined based on the anticipated number of hours worked per week and the length of the assignment and will be paid pro-rata biweekly over the length of the assignment. The hourly rate for determination of the stipend is $20/hour, so possible stipends include but are not limited to:
  • $1,800 for 10 hours of work a week for 9 weeks
  • $2,400 for 10 hours of work a week for 12 weeks
  • $2,700 for 15 hours of work a week for 9 weeks
  • $3,600 for 15 hours of work a week for 12 weeks

Application Deadline: Tuesday, October 3, 2023 

Start Date: We anticipate that the Policy Intern will start in late October or early November.

Interested in working at the Good Food Institute? Join us for the Career Opportunities Webinar to learn more about our work and ask questions about specific job opportunities! See upcoming webinar dates and more information at https://tinyurl.com/GFICareers. 

Application Instructions

GFI uses an anonymized hiring system that redacts key identifying personal information from all applications. We are testing this tool as part of an effort to reduce bias in our hiring process. Following these instructions will help to ensure your application is not delayed by a failed redaction. 

• Where possible, limit the creative formatting of your documents. If the name on your resume is an inserted image file or is styled with large spaces between each letter, for example, the redaction is likely to fail. Colors and designs are OK, but wherever possible, the text itself should just be regular text. 
• Submit PDF or .docx files only. Other file formats, like .txt, are likely to fail redaction. 
• Please do not include personal identifying information in your responses to the application questions. Referencing past education, work experience, and mission-alignment is OK. 
• Please do not contact the role’s supervisor or any potential member of the hiring team. If you have questions, please email careers@gfi.org. 

Thank you for helping us to ensure that the redaction process works smoothly and to review your application as quickly as possible!