Legislative Affairs and Policy Internship

State of Oregon • Salem, OR

9d • Hybrid

About The Position

Are you studying government, public policy, law, natural resources, environmental issues, or public administration and interested in learning more about the legislative process? Apply to be our next Legislative Affairs and Policy Intern by September 25th, 2026! This part-time internship is eligible for a hybrid remote schedule and is expected to be in our Salem office occasionally for scheduled meetings and events. The hours are flexible to accommodate school schedules and can range from 15 to 38 hours per week, to be discussed with the hiring manager. Candidates with academic backgrounds in political science, public policy, law, English, communications, environmental science, biology, natural resource management, engineering, planning, or related fields are encouraged to apply. Make a Difference for Oregon. The Department of State Lands manages the lands that help fund our public schools and protects the state’s waterways and wetlands for the many benefits they provide. Our stewardship ensures vital natural and financial resources contribute to a vibrant, healthy Oregon now and forever. The DSL team makes a difference for Oregonians every day. As our Legislative Affairs and Policy Intern, you will too. The primary purpose of this position is to provide research, tracking, and administrative support for the Department's policy and legislative activities. The successful candidate will assist with monitoring policy developments, organizing information, preparing materials, and supporting projects related to state and federal legislative and regulatory issues affecting DSL. This position provides support to the Government Relations managers on issues concerning the Department’s authorities, responsibilities, and resources as directed by the Director and the State Land Board. This position is not represented by a union and is expected to last through June 30th, 2027.

Requirements

• Must have a bachelor’s degree or be enrolled at least half-time in a graduate degree program.
• Candidates with academic backgrounds in political science, public policy, law, English, communications, environmental science, biology, natural resource management, engineering, planning, or related fields are encouraged to apply.

Nice To Haves

• Excellent written and oral communication skills to interact with a variety of internal and external partners
• Strong research, data entry, and organizational skills
• Ability and motivation to learn about legislative processes, public agencies and policy development
• Mastered knowledge of proper punctuation, spelling, and capitalization, with exceptional attention to detail and a demonstrated ability to consistently proofread and produce polished, error-free work
• Ability to perform assigned tasks quickly and accurately from oral and written instructions
• Ability to operate office equipment such as dictation equipment, computer terminal, word processor, calculator, and photocopier
• Microsoft 365 experience, including skills in Excel to create Gantt charts, pivot tables, and project management tools

Responsibilities

• Provide research, tracking, and administrative support for the Department's policy and legislative activities.
• Assist with monitoring policy developments, organizing information, preparing materials, and supporting projects related to state and federal legislative and regulatory issues affecting DSL.
• Support Government Relations managers on issues concerning the Department’s authorities, responsibilities, and resources as directed by the Director and the State Land Board.
• Gain exposure to state and federal legislative processes.
• Learn how public agencies monitor and respond to policy developments.
• Develop skills in policy research, legislative tracking, government relations, professional writing, and public-sector administration.
• Conduct background research on legislative, regulatory, and public policy topics relevant to the Department.
• Monitor and track state and federal legislation, agency actions, and policy developments.
• Review State legislative policy committee agendas, hearings, and meeting materials to identify topics of potential interest to the Department.
• Assist in maintaining calendars of legislative deadlines, hearings, and policy-related events.
• Gather publicly available information related to legislative and regulatory activities.
• Assist with preparing presentations, handouts, briefing packets, and meeting materials.

Benefits

• Learn about the legislative process and policy development in the state’s oldest natural resource agency!
• Receive 1-on-1 mentoring and support from natural resource experts.
• Join an organization with collaborative and engaged co-workers who care about Oregon’s economy, environment, and communities, and their co-workers.
• Gain full benefits with 95% to 99% of medical insurance premiums paid by the agency for full-time employees after 3 months of minimum hours worked.
• Automatically enroll into the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) after 6 months of full-time service or after working the equivalent number of hours.
• Accrue 8 hours of sick leave per month.
• Earn $20.26 per hour for employees new to public service; current PERS employees earn $21.57 per hour.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Intern