Operations, Policy, and Campaign Intern

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, we are at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally, and internationally.

PHI was distinguished as one of the top 50 "Best Non-Profit Organizations to Work For" by the Non-Profit Times in a national search.

SUMMARY:

Roots of Change (ROC), a program of the Public Health Institute, is a think and do tank working to ensure the emergence of a resilient, healthy and equitable food system in California and the nation. ROC provides road maps to food movement power, and environmental and policy change. ROC has a clear change strategy, an extensive statewide and national network of change agents and a track record of spawning and leading projects that are transformative because they unify stakeholders to make progress using multiple intervention points simultaneously. ROC is focused primarily on California because it is a bellwether that can positively influence the nation. ROC believes that the root cause of the degradation of ecological, human and rural economic health is the industrialization of the food system. The industrial mindset has led to the destruction of essential relationships that have developed through eons of biological and social evolution. Some of these lost relationships were on farms or ranches and among humans and diverse plant, animal, and insect species. Others were in our homes, businesses, and institutions among the people who process, deliver, and prepare our food.

The Operations, Policy, and Campaign Intern will primarily focus on aiding the development and design of the Vote for Your Food National Campaign. Under the direction of the Project Manager, the Intern must be skilled in light data organization, collaboration with diverse stakeholders, and comfortable with outreach. The Intern may also assist with projects related to food system infrastructure planning when needed. This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of public policy, community engagement, and regenerative food systems design.

This is a remote, time-limited position that is based in California. This position is expected to start in January, 2026 and last five months, with a possibility of extension depending on funding availability. At PHI, a time-limited position is defined as regular employment with an expected end date of no more than one year from the beginning of the position. In rare circumstances, time-limited positions may be extended to a maximum total length of up to eighteen (18) months from the start of the employee's original time-limited position, or be converted to a regular position that is no longer time-limited.

Due to the nature of the work, the intern is required to be familiar with environmental justice and sustainability in California. Candidates who are based in California and able to work during core business hours for the Pacific Time zone are strongly preferred.

This is a part-time position that is expected to work for up to 10 hours per week (up to 25% FTE). The starting FTE will be determined upon hire.

Full pay range for this position: $18.42 to $24.92 per hour. The typical hiring range for this position is from $18.42 (minimum) to $21.67 (midpoint) per hour. The starting wage is determined using a variety of factors, such as the candidate's knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as internal equity consideration and budget availability.

Employment Type: Part Time

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

Vote for Your Food Campaign Design & Outreach (Primary, ~70%)

• Brainstorm creative strategies to engage younger voters (ages 18-30) through food-centered messaging.
• Research and identify events, communities, and networks ideal for campaign outreach.
• Develop and organize bios and contact lists for campaign allies and endorsers.
• Support the creation and design of outreach materials (flyers, social media posts and graphics, talking points).
• Assist with planning and coordination of ally meetings and campaign events.
• Provide logistical and communication support to campaign partners.

Policy & Research Support (Secondary, ~30%)

• Conduct basic research on food system policies, programs, and infrastructure.
• Support data organization and mapping related to the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure project.
• Contribute to the development of ROC's priority bill tracker, including monitoring relevant state and national legislation.
• Compile and organize datasets on processing facilities, distribution hubs, and local food infrastructure.
• Summarize findings and create clear visuals or tables for reports and presentations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in the 3rd year of an environmental justice and sustainability-related bachelor's degree program.

Other Qualifications

• Strong interest in food systems, sustainability, public policy, or civic engagement.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Comfortable working with spreadsheets, online research, and collaborative tools (Google Workspace).
• Creative thinker who enjoys storytelling and visual communication.
• Basic design or social media experience a plus (Canva, Instagram, etc.).
• Self-motivated and reliable; able to manage multiple projects independently.

The Public Health Institute is committed to a policy that provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and to make all employment decisions so as to further this principle of equal employment opportunity. To this end, the PHI will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are offered employment and employees are treated during employment without regard to these characteristics.

For further information regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

To apply for any position, you must create an account on the Public Health Institute's job application site. After creating your account, you may search the open positions and apply for the specific position that interests you. Please note, mailed and emailed applications will not be accepted.

We're so pleased the Public Health Institute is an organization you would like to work with. Do you have questions about this opportunity? If so, email our recruitment team at Recruitment@phi.org.

Additional information about PHI's benefits and compensation offerings can be found here.

The Public Health Institute is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Recruitment Team at least 48 hours in advance at Recruitment@phi.org.