State Policy Intern
What We Can Achieve Together
Join TNC Virginia as a STEP Intern!
The goal of STEP is to create pathways for people seeking to gain experience with a conservation focused organization. We currently offer paid internships in a range of disciplines across our Virginia Teams. With a focus on recruiting and developing a diverse staff, we strive to create an environment where people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities feel welcomed to participate in conservation. Wherever you are in your educational journey; community college, technical school, four-year program, or graduate school, STEP may have an opportunity for you to consider!
All STEP interns will participate in an orientation, professional development webinars, and a group field trip. Along the way, interns will have the opportunity to broaden their experiences through interactions with Nature Conservancy staff and partners. At the end of their internship, STEP interns will give a short presentation about their time at TNC to the Virginia staff. This position will close on February 15, 2026 at midnight. Zoom interviews will occur in early March with final hiring decisions made by March 31.
Schedule: 35 hours/week for 10 weeks from May 30 – August 9, 2026
Orientation: All interns are required to attend a two-day orientation in Charlottesville on May 28-29, 2026
Pay: $18.25/hour
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Housing: A housing stipend is available as needed for this location
The Position
TNC’s Government Relations Team is looking for an intern to assist with state policy research and advocacy. This position will work closely with our Public Funding and Policy Manager to research and develop advocacy materials for statewide conservation policy and budgetary issues. Research sources could include news coverage, grant data, reports, legislative history, and academic articles. This position will also work with our Energy and Climate Policy Manager on 1-2 similar projects to gain exposure to additional environmental policy areas and partners.
The position will also involve working with TNC’s conservation and communications/marketing staff to learn more about our work and create internal and external policy related pieces like op-eds, social media and web content, and newsletters. This position is heavily focused on research, analysis, and writing. There will be opportunities to meet with state officials and work with other Virginia environmental non-profit organizations.
All interns will dedicate 5% of their time to professional development activities through STEP.
Main Responsibilities Include
Required Qualifications
Salary Information
The pay for a candidate selected for this position is $18.25/hour. This only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.
Who We Are
The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.
One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”
What We Bring
Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!
TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.
We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.
Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.
The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.
Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!
TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.
Join TNC Virginia as a STEP Intern!
The goal of STEP is to create pathways for people seeking to gain experience with a conservation focused organization. We currently offer paid internships in a range of disciplines across our Virginia Teams. With a focus on recruiting and developing a diverse staff, we strive to create an environment where people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities feel welcomed to participate in conservation. Wherever you are in your educational journey; community college, technical school, four-year program, or graduate school, STEP may have an opportunity for you to consider!
All STEP interns will participate in an orientation, professional development webinars, and a group field trip. Along the way, interns will have the opportunity to broaden their experiences through interactions with Nature Conservancy staff and partners. At the end of their internship, STEP interns will give a short presentation about their time at TNC to the Virginia staff. This position will close on February 15, 2026 at midnight. Zoom interviews will occur in early March with final hiring decisions made by March 31.
Schedule: 35 hours/week for 10 weeks from May 30 – August 9, 2026
Orientation: All interns are required to attend a two-day orientation in Charlottesville on May 28-29, 2026
Pay: $18.25/hour
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Housing: A housing stipend is available as needed for this location
The Position
TNC’s Government Relations Team is looking for an intern to assist with state policy research and advocacy. This position will work closely with our Public Funding and Policy Manager to research and develop advocacy materials for statewide conservation policy and budgetary issues. Research sources could include news coverage, grant data, reports, legislative history, and academic articles. This position will also work with our Energy and Climate Policy Manager on 1-2 similar projects to gain exposure to additional environmental policy areas and partners.
The position will also involve working with TNC’s conservation and communications/marketing staff to learn more about our work and create internal and external policy related pieces like op-eds, social media and web content, and newsletters. This position is heavily focused on research, analysis, and writing. There will be opportunities to meet with state officials and work with other Virginia environmental non-profit organizations.
All interns will dedicate 5% of their time to professional development activities through STEP.
Main Responsibilities Include
- Using various sources to conduct and summarize research into statewide conservation issues
- Conducting analysis on grant and budgetary data related to environmental issues
- Drafting and editing written materials including fact sheets, talking points, social media and web content, and other content
- Working with the members of the Our Virginia Outdoors Coalition to assist with efforts to pass Virginia’s Great Outdoors Act
Required Qualifications
- A current undergraduate rising junior or senior, recent graduate (within one year), or current graduate student.
- Interest in pursuing a career in environmental policy
- Experience with writing, editing, and proofreading written materials, particularly short form (less than 500 words)
- Experience with research and data management and analysis
- Strong experience with Microsoft products, especially Excel
- Experience or coursework with ArcGIS Software
- Experience or coursework with basic statistical analysis and principles
- Experience with Canva
Salary Information
The pay for a candidate selected for this position is $18.25/hour. This only applies to candidates whose country of employment is the USA. Where a successful candidate’s actual pay will fall will be based on a variety of factors, including, for example, the candidate's location, qualifications, specific skills, and experience. Please note countries outside the USA would have a different pay range in the local currency based on the local labor market, and not tied to USA pay or ranges. Your geographic location will be confirmed during the recruitment.
Who We Are
The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to protect the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that we can create a world in which people and nature thrive. We’re rooted in our mission and guided by our values, which include respect for all people, communities, and cultures. Whether it’s career development, flexible schedules, or a rewarding mission, there’s many reasons to love life inside TNC. Want a better insight to TNC? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube to hear stories from staff or visit Glassdoor.
One goal is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that all our colleagues around the globe feel a sense of belonging and that their unique contributions to our mission are valued. In addition to the requirements in our job postings, we recognize that people come with talent and experiences outside of a job and consider each applicant’s unique experience. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and stay for the people.”
What We Bring
Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!
TNC offers a competitive, comprehensive benefits package including health care benefits, flexible spending accounts, a 401(k) plan with an 8% employer match, parental leave, accrued paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, other life and work well-being benefits. Learn more about our Benefits and Perks here.
We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports of the health and well-being of the people we employ.
Our recruiting process includes a rolling interview process to ensure we engage applicants in a timely manner. This means we may review applications in the order in which they are received. Once a strong candidate pool is identified, the role will be unposted. The timeline may vary depending on the expressed interest in the role, so we highly encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.
The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.
The successful applicant must meet the requirements of The Nature Conservancy's background screening process.
Do you have military experience? Visit our U.S. Military Skills Translator to match your military experience with our current job openings!
TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.