Internship: Graduate Fellow Plastics
Description
Hennepin County’s Environment and Energy department is seeking to hire a graduate fellow to work on several plastic waste prevention projects. The fellow will support both the county’s Zero Waste and Climate Action plans through preventing plastic waste in businesses and homes.
The fellow will be managed by the Waste Reduction and Recycling Unit. The fellow will be responsible for researching a range of topics focused on specific hard-to-recycle plastic products within business and households, and engaging businesses and household in education and waste reduction activities.
Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information visit the employee referral program .
Find us here at upcoming career fairs!
Location and hours:
This position is hybrid and will be performed both on-site at various locations within Hennepin County and at Hennepin County Environment and Energy Department’s main office at 625 South 4th Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415, and remote as job duties require . This internship is anticipated to start August 2026 with flexibility on start date and last one year in duration. Work hours are primarily Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Some weekend or evening events will be required. The fellow will work 40 hours/week during the summer and 19 hours/week during the academic school year. While this position is designated as hybrid, based on current requirements hires must reside in or be willing to relocate to Minnesota or Wisconsin.
About This Position Type
This position is internally classified as a Graduate Fellow.
Click here to view the job classification specification.
This is a limited duration internship.
Graduate Fellow Benefits
About The Department
The Environment and Energy department protects and preserves the environment to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. We engage communities to develop and enact sustainable solutions. We focus on reducing and responsibly managing waste, protecting and preserving ecosystems, delivering clean energy and promoting environmental stewardship.
About Hennepin County
Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work every day to improve the health, safety and quality of life for our residents and communities. All of our jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that eliminate disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all and our vision of a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive.
Our employees receive a combination of competitive benefits and positive workplace culture not found at other organizations. This includes meaningful work that impacts our community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits and opportunities to grow. Learn more at The Bridge (login as Guest).
Hennepin County envisions an organization where our commitment to diversity and the elimination of disparities is fundamental in providing excellent service to our community.
Your future. Made here.
Watch this video for application best practices and tips.
This posting may be used to fill current and future vacancies.
Invitations to interview will be based upon an assessment of education and experience.
Hennepin County values employee retention and engagement through a culture of individual development. If you are a current employee looking for an internship you are responsible for communicating and seeking approval from your supervisor/manager on an arrangement on schedule and workload prior to accepting the paid internship position. The compensation for the internship will be paid at the amount advertised in this posting.
If You Have Any Questions, Please Contact
Talent Acquisition division
Hennepin County Human Resources department
Submit a request at hennepin.us/ask-hr or 612-348-7855
internship2000
Hennepin County’s Environment and Energy department is seeking to hire a graduate fellow to work on several plastic waste prevention projects. The fellow will support both the county’s Zero Waste and Climate Action plans through preventing plastic waste in businesses and homes.
The fellow will be managed by the Waste Reduction and Recycling Unit. The fellow will be responsible for researching a range of topics focused on specific hard-to-recycle plastic products within business and households, and engaging businesses and household in education and waste reduction activities.
Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information visit the employee referral program .
Find us here at upcoming career fairs!
Location and hours:
This position is hybrid and will be performed both on-site at various locations within Hennepin County and at Hennepin County Environment and Energy Department’s main office at 625 South 4th Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55415, and remote as job duties require . This internship is anticipated to start August 2026 with flexibility on start date and last one year in duration. Work hours are primarily Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Some weekend or evening events will be required. The fellow will work 40 hours/week during the summer and 19 hours/week during the academic school year. While this position is designated as hybrid, based on current requirements hires must reside in or be willing to relocate to Minnesota or Wisconsin.
About This Position Type
This position is internally classified as a Graduate Fellow.
Click here to view the job classification specification.
This is a limited duration internship.
Graduate Fellow Benefits
- Up to $5,250 tuition reimbursement for one semester.
- Approximately 12 days paid time off.
- Professional development provided over summer.
- Fellows who successfully complete the program will be given hiring preference for approved positions.
- Document the availability, pricing, customer sentiment, and typical uses of polystyrene products sold in household-facing formats, helping the county understand the market and potential leverage points for reduction.
- Conduct literature reviews and analyze county data to document the current information on flexible film and other plastic waste streams, identify knowledge gaps, and summarize findings in a way that supports internal teams working on waste preventions initiatives.
- Design and implement outreach and engagement with businesses to increase awareness of flexible film reduction strategies, available plastic reduction resources, and county waste-prevention programs.
- Challenge and identify opportunities to strengthen community involvement in plastic waste reduction.
- Participate in community events to engage residents in conversations about plastic waste prevention, gather data and insights about behaviors, motivators, and challenges.
- Support other projects related to zero waste.
- Enrollment for the entire 2026-2027 academic school year in a master's or PhD degree program in environmental science, behavioral science, adult education, sustainability studies, marketing, or another related field.
- Note* If you are currently completing a bachelor’s degree in spring or summer 2026 and will be enrolled in a master’s degree program for the entire 2026-2027 academic school year you will be eligible.
- Experience with:
- Conducting community and business outreach, including engaging diverse audiences and documenting questions, themes, and feedback.
- Applying strong analytical and research skills, such as synthesizing literature, reviewing data, and developing clear summaries or reports.
- Working in small business settings or supporting small business operations.
- Communicating effectively and organizing complex or ongoing work.
- Working independently while managing multiple tasks or projects simultaneously.
- Education or training others in a community, business, or academic setting.
- Applying a racial equity lens to research, program work or project design.
- Knowledge of:
- Principles and practices of community outreach, behavior-change programs, or waste-reduction initiatives.
- Federal, state, or municipal regulations relevant to waste prevention, recycling, or business compliance.
- Ability to:
- Collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders, including business, community groups, and residents.
- Work both independently and as a part of a team to advance programs goals.
- Communicate effectively across cultures and languages, including verbal communication in Spanish, Hmong or Somali.
About The Department
The Environment and Energy department protects and preserves the environment to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. We engage communities to develop and enact sustainable solutions. We focus on reducing and responsibly managing waste, protecting and preserving ecosystems, delivering clean energy and promoting environmental stewardship.
About Hennepin County
Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work every day to improve the health, safety and quality of life for our residents and communities. All of our jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that eliminate disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all and our vision of a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive.
Our employees receive a combination of competitive benefits and positive workplace culture not found at other organizations. This includes meaningful work that impacts our community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits and opportunities to grow. Learn more at The Bridge (login as Guest).
Hennepin County envisions an organization where our commitment to diversity and the elimination of disparities is fundamental in providing excellent service to our community.
Your future. Made here.
Watch this video for application best practices and tips.
This posting may be used to fill current and future vacancies.
Invitations to interview will be based upon an assessment of education and experience.
Hennepin County values employee retention and engagement through a culture of individual development. If you are a current employee looking for an internship you are responsible for communicating and seeking approval from your supervisor/manager on an arrangement on schedule and workload prior to accepting the paid internship position. The compensation for the internship will be paid at the amount advertised in this posting.
If You Have Any Questions, Please Contact
Talent Acquisition division
Hennepin County Human Resources department
Submit a request at hennepin.us/ask-hr or 612-348-7855
internship2000