APCO—a leading global advocacy and advisory firm—is hiring a Graduate Fellow for its Public Affairs practice. We are looking for individuals with strong expertise and interest in public affairs, policy and regulation, global business and finance issues, geopolitical developments, stakeholder positions, project management and client service.
You will participate in high-stakes client projects, supporting key business relationships, developing and supporting client and internal deliverables, and participate in a diverse, multinational team.
You will be based in New York or Washington D.C. and bring a global perspective to your work. You are self-directed, proactive and motivated to create value for APCO, your colleagues, and your clients every day.
APCO’s Public Affairs team guides clients whose interests intersect politics and commerce and typically involve complex challenges across multiple jurisdictions. Areas of focus include policy developments, coalition building, supporting investments, mergers and acquisitions, responding to investigations, litigation and crises, and building commercial resilience within a disruptive and increasingly fragmented geopolitical marketplace.
Our team includes smart, fun and collaborative colleagues who come from diverse backgrounds and who share our values of curiosity, empathy, boldness and inclusivity. Our team members thrive on opportunities to work with people around the country and across the globe. They also frequently leverage our world-class in-house opinion research, creative resources, and digital capabilities. More than anything, we are united by embracing the chance to work on some of the most interesting and challenging issues of the day for clients from the corporate, nonprofit and government sectors.
Our full-time, paid graduate Fellowship is a 3-month program for recent graduates from a Master's program. Fellows are treated as professional staff, participate in team meetings and actively contribute ideas, and support the overall management and growth of client work and the firm.
Responsibilities:
- Monitor and research policies and news related to public affairs and geo-commerce topics, including policy developments, regulations, trade and supply chain, investment restrictions, economic sanctions, data and cybersecurity, national security and other diplomatic actions
- Assist in drafting analytical pieces on issues, policies, current events and business trends, congressional developments, and geopolitical events.
- Assist in identifying stakeholders, media and influencers on topics and issues mentioned above
- Actively participate in brainstorming and team discussions
- Support media and stakeholder engagement
- Support new business and market-level research
- Other similar duties as assigned
Qualifications:
- A demonstrated interest in communications, writing, political science, international affairs, and/or business
- Comfort in a fast-paced environment collaborating with a distributed team
- Excellent written and oral communication and research skills
- Entrepreneurial with strong critical thinking abilities
- Organized and attentive to detail
- Able to multi-task and approach assignments independently
- Strong working knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite
- Available to work 40 hours per week
- Requires US Work Authorization, unable to consider candidates with OPT/Post-OPT status
What are the core working hours and will I need to be in an office?
Our fellows work between 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday. We are committed to a hybrid and flexible working environment, and there may be days that you wish to work from home and days that we come together so that you get to explore more of our culture and meet other colleagues. You will be provided with a company laptop so that you are able to work from home and in the office easily. When is the closing date for applications?
Applications will close on Wednesday, March 19th. When does the internship commence?
Our Fellowship program begins on Monday, June 9th and ends on Friday, August 22nd 2025. With our commitment to recruit, hire, promote and retain people who reflect the diverse communities in which we operate, APCO Worldwide ensures our teams bring the best possible expertise and diverse perspectives to our clients. We embrace diversity of identity, experience and thought, starting with our values and extending to our behaviors, policies and practices. We aim to create a positive work experience and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and can thrive. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, national origin, citizenship, native language, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, religion, age, veteran status, neurodivergence, mental or physical disability, medical history, pregnancy, political belief or affiliation or any other characteristic protected by law. EOE M/F/V/D
Compensation:
This is a paid fellowship at a fixed hourly rate of $24.04.
