Winter/Spring Research Intern (Revolving Door Project)

The Revolving Door Project scrutinizes current and potential executive branch personnel as well as congressional oversight of the executive branch. Our goal is to ensure political appointees serve the broad public interest, rather than corporations’ narrow political agenda or their own personal advancement.

The Revolving Door Project has an opening for a Research Intern. This is a paid, full-time remote position with a duration of three months with the possibility of extensions not to exceed one year, depending on the availability of the candidate and needs of the organization. Exact starting dates are flexible as hiring is on a rolling basis.

Applications submitted in between the following dates will be considered for this application cycle:

• Winter/Spring Internship Application Period: November 26, 2025 – January 9, 2026

Job Description: A Research Intern for the Revolving Door Project (RDP) is responsible for a variety of important duties. The position involves:

• Juggling both long and short term research assignments;
• Working with and helping to manage multiple proprietary databases;
• Contributing to blogs, reports and trackers; and
• Occasional proofreading, website, social media, and operations support.

The Research Intern will have the opportunity, and be encouraged, to propose and undertake independent research projects based on the applicant’s interests and experience, as well as the particular issues that Revolving Door Project is working on at the time. Those issues include work relating to monitoring corporate influence on and within the federal government, responding to the insurance crisis, oversight of state and federal disaster response infrastructure, corporate influence on economic policy discourse, and more. Previous research experience is highly preferred.

Qualifications:

• Successful candidates will have an interest in topics such as American politics, economic justice, racial justice, the politics of climate change, and law.
• Candidates should have some or all of the following: an interest in research; strong knowledge of the political landscape; experience at a nonprofit, union, or similar environment with a track record of successful work; and the ability to learn new software and skills quickly.
• Candidates should also be willing to criticize politicians of both parties if and when they behave as if captured by corporate interests; however, candidates do not need to believe each party is equally captured.
• A successful candidate will also have excellent attention to detail, ability to handle multiple projects and manage workflow effectively, good written and verbal communication skills, ability to work both independently and with a team, a sense of humor, and a shared commitment to RDP’s mission and values.

Pay: The Revolving Door Project will pay $20.55 an hour, with the workload not to exceed 40 hours per week. Interns do not work on days for which the RDP office is closed (for example, federal holidays). Hourly pay is subject to a cost of living adjustment once per year. Benefits available to interns include paid sick leave and a contribution to individual healthcare of up to $332.21 per month, subject to a yearly cost of living adjustment.

Closing Date of Position: January 9, 2026

In rare, extenuating circumstances, the application period may be shortened. In the event that the application period is shortened, RDP will update this posting to notify candidates that they have seven calendar days remaining to apply.

To Apply: Send the following, in a single PDF file, to jobs[at]therevolvingdoorproject.org (replace [at] with @) with the subject line “Research Intern, Revolving Door Project”:

In which ways have corporations successfully steered the Trump administration’s policy making? Select one industry and analyze its tactics and goals. Include your thoughts on how this influence may or may not benefit the public.

• Cover letters are accepted, but are not required for consideration. If you choose to submit one, you may address your cover letter to the Research Intern Search Committee.

Please do not submit additional information apart from the items listed.

Applications that do not include all of the requested materials and that do not follow the formatting guidance will not be considered.

The search committee usually makes a decision within three weeks of the deadline of the application. If you have any questions, you may email jobs[at]therevolvingdoorproject.org. Absolutely no calls.

Organization Description: The Revolving Door Project (RDP) was created to scrutinize executive branch appointees to ensure they use their office to serve the broad public interest, rather than to entrench corporate power or seek personal advancement. In recent years our work has expanded to include monitoring how corporate and billionaire influence distorts coverage of economic issues in the media, the interpretation of law in our courts, and policymaking by various state constitutional officers.

RDP pays particular attention to the more subtle forms of political influence beyond direct lobbying and spending. Corporate America distorts politics through money in ways both overt and covert. Our goal is to help fill the vacuum of knowledge about all the ways in which money corrupts politics that otherwise evade scrutiny, and counteract the advantage that corporations have in the political process.

Many of the deep rules that govern our rigged economy are written within the executive branch and out of sight of civil society. The quality of their enforcement is also dependent on the leadership agenda at federal agencies. From influential offices like the Office of Management and Budget, to agencies with important consumer protection mandates like the Federal Trade Commission; from the powerful litigators at the Justice Department to the inspectors and investigators responsible for ensuring the health and safety of our food, goods, transportation, and environment, executive branch personnel play a significant role in structuring our economic system.

We call for a corporate crackdown: a coordinated whole-of-government effort to crack down on corporate wrongdoing that exploits everyday Americans and makes it harder to afford the essentials of life. If we want the government to stand up against powerful interests in order to protect the public interest and structure the economy away from rent extraction towards greater economic equality, we need the right people to hold key executive branch positions. The federal government needs to empower dedicated civil servants rather than self-interested people rotating between relatively short stints in government and longer stints in the very industries they’re supposed to regulate. And when the executive branch fails to enforce the law against the powerful actors exacerbating economic inequality, Congress must provide prompt and certain oversight.

RDP’s watchdog role also extends to the federal judiciary, state constitutional officers, and the news media, all of which are afflicted by corporate capture via means both obvious and subtle. Wherever corruption is present, RDP’s core belief remains the same: it matters who holds power, and who understands how power is actually exercised. That’s why it is crucial to call out outlets and commentators who poison the information ecosystem with corporate-friendly neoliberal orthodoxy, judges who take cues from corporate America, and state constitutional officers who work outside the spotlight on behalf of the rich and against the broader public interest.

Only a public that has been educated about how power is truly wielded will be able to reclaim the power that it ought to possess in a democracy. It’s our job to make sure that the grassroots can get into the game.

RDP is fiscally sponsored by Goodnation Philanthropy Advisors, an equal opportunity employer that considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any legally protected status. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit-internship/b1a1c8bc10d74bd9b107e09f8083d815-winterspring-research-intern-revolving-door-project-revolving-door-project-washington?utm_source=symplicity&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=listings-api