
Government Relations & Public Policy Internship
Seattle, WAInternship$23/hrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today
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Job overview
The Government Relations & Public Policy Internship offers students hands-on exposure to community health, advocacy, public policy, research, and analysis. Interns work on substantive projects with experienced mentors, connect with organizational leaders, and participate in career development activities. The internship focuses on policy affecting pediatric health and child well-being, with training and skill development for candidates exploring related careers.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
This is an exciting opportunity for students to engage in an inclusive, hands-on learning environment, grow their skills, and gain exposure to a diverse range of career areas at Seattle Children's. As part of this experience, interns will learn to work collaboratively as part of a team, take on substantive projects under the guidance of experienced mentors, cultivate professional networks with peers and leaders, and participate in a range of career development activities.
JOB SUMMARY
The internship was created to honor the legacy of U.S. Congressman Jim McDermott, M.D. He represented Washington’s 7th District 1989-2017. His government career spans 40 years including a decade in the State Senate and a year as a U.S. Foreign Service Medical Officer.
Interns will have the opportunity to gain skills and direct experience in community health, advocacy, public policy, research, and analysis. Interns will meet, network, and learn from leaders within and outside the organization, as well as engage with other summer interns across the organization.
An ideal candidate brings dedication, creativity, and curiosity to this work. Training will include an orientation to Seattle Children’s and will provide meaningful exposure and skill development for those interested in exploring a potential career in community health, government, political science, social services, or related fields.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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Able to effectively problem-solve and handle moderately to highly complex problems/issues in standard or emergent situations, and to be innovative and creative.
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Able to work with a diverse group of people in a fast-paced environment, often with frequent interruptions.
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Able to work independently and prioritize work from multiple sources; and effectively participate as a team member.
Additional Job Responsibilities and Accountabilities
-Conducts research and develops policy proposals, messaging, and advocacy strategies. Provides team and lobbyists with timely research, analysis, written materials, and briefings on relevant issues.
-Responsible for helping to track, monitor, and analyze proposed and existing policies related to pediatric health, health care, hospitals, and child well-being, assessing impact and making recommendations to government relations team on Children’s position and strategy.
-Tracks pending policy proposals through legislative, regulatory or any other policy-development process, including triaging new bills.
-Experience with event planning and organizing and preparing information
-Facilitates the advancement of government affairs advocacy efforts across the entire enterprise including the hospital, research institute, and foundation.
Required Education and Experience
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Must be at least 18 years of age.
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Senior year in college, recently graduated or enrolled in a graduate program
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Experience in tracking data & preparing reports using Word, Excel, and/or Access
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Experience providing administrative support and/or customer service
Preferred
- In progress Masters Degree or equivalent in political science, public health, communications, social work, or government
Compensation
$23/hr.
Salary Information
This compensation range was calculated based on full-time employment (2080 hours worked per calendar year). Offers are determined by multiple factors including equity, skills, experience, and expertise, and may vary within the range provided.
Disclaimer for Out of State Applicants
This compensation range is specific to Seattle, positions located outside of Seattle may be compensated differently depending on various factors .
Benefits Information
Seattle Children’s offers a generous benefit package, including medical, dental, and vision plans, 403(b), life insurance, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and more. Additional details on our benefits can be found on our website www.seattlechildrens.org/careers/benefits .
About Us
Hope. Care. Cure. These three simple words capture what we do at Seattle Children’s – to help every child live the healthiest and most fulfilling life possible. Are you ready to engage with a mission-driven organization that is life-changing to many, and touches the hearts of all? #HOPECARECURE
Our founding promise to the community is as valid today as it was over a century ago: we will care for all children in our region, regardless of the families’ ability to pay. Together, we deliver superior patient care, advance new discoveries and treatments through pediatric research, and serve as the pediatric and adolescent, academic medical center for Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho – the largest region of any children’s hospital in the country.
U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Seattle Children’s among the nation’s best children’s hospitals. For more than a decade, Seattle Children’s has been nationally recognized in key specialty areas. We are honored to be one of the nation’s very best places to care for children and the top-ranked pediatric hospital in Washington and the Pacific Northwest.
As a Magnet designated institution, we recognize the importance of hiring and developing great talent to provide best-in-class care to the patients and families we serve. Our organizational DNA takes form in our core values: Compassion, Excellence, Integrity, Collaboration, Equity and Innovation. Whether it’s delivering frontline care to our patients in a kind and caring manner, practicing the highest standards of quality and safety, or being relentlessly curious as we work towards eradicating childhood diseases, these values are the fabric of our culture and community. The future starts here.
Our Commitment
Seattle Children’s welcomes people of all experiences, backgrounds, and thoughts as this is what drives our spirit of inquiry and allows us to better connect with our patients and families. Our organization recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes based on merit without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
The people who work at Seattle Children’s are members of a community that seeks to respect and celebrate all the qualities that make each of us unique. Each of us is empowered to be ourselves.
Seattle Children’s is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Workplace and Affirmative Action Employer.
How this job compares
Set against the 279 open Public Policy jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 7, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$23/hr
- US median$22–38/hr22 hourly ranges
This rate, $23/hr, is 23% below the US median midpoint ($30/hr) — in the lowest quarter of Public Policy hourly ranges across the US.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 279 open Public Policy jobs across the US. 17% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Experience
- Public Policy postings that state a minimum ask for 8 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 5 to 10 years (230 postings).
- Education
- 142 of the 279 open Public Policy jobs (51%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 7, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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