NRDC is a non-profit environmental advocacy organization. We use law, science, and the support of 3.1 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our people helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act and many of the implementing regulations. Today, our team of more than 700 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy advocates, communications experts, and others work across the United States and the globe from our offices in Beijing; Chicago; New Delhi; New York; San Francisco; Santa Monica; and Washington, D.C. 

NRDC is seeking a Transportation Affordability and Equity Fellow (“Transportation Fellow”) to work with the Transportation Division in one of our US offices.  The application deadline for this position is Friday January 30.

Position Summary 

NRDC is seeking a Transportation Fellow to work with the Transportation Division within the Climate & Energy team in one of our US offices. This is a one-year Fellowship Position expected to commence in the Summer of 2026 through the Summer of 2027.  

Eligibility: This position is open exclusively to University of California graduating seniors, current graduate students, and recent alumni (within the past year) from UC Merced, Riverside, Santa Cruz, and Davis.  

The Transportation Division within the Climate and Energy Department focuses on fighting climate change and improving health and air quality by cutting carbon and other toxic pollution from the transportation sector—the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States—by advocating for policies, programs, and incentives at the state and federal level that accelerate the transition to clean, zero-emission cars and trucks on our roads and shift transportation investments away from highway expansion, with a focus on access, affordability, and action.  

The position you are applying for is part of the bargaining unit represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (WBNG / The Newsguild-CWA Local 32035). 

The Transportation Fellow will help support our team’s expanding portfolio focused on supporting and exploring new policy opportunities for states to accelerate the transition to a zero-emission vehicle future. The Fellow will be a key member of the broader Transportation Division, which works holistically to decarbonize the transportation sector through clean vehicle standards and incentives and by shifting transportation investments away from highway expansion money towards transit, active transportation, micromobility, EV charging infrastructure, and other climate-friendly use cases. This fellowship will specifically support the development and implementation of new strategies to accelerate the transition to clean vehicles at the state level, with a focus on access, affordability, and action. Additionally, the Fellow will help analyze and conduct research on new policy proposals, as well as the impacts of federal laws and regulation (or deregulation) on the transition to a zero-emission vehicle future.  

• Commitment to NRDC’s mission and values. 
• A bachelor’s degree in a related discipline.  
• The ability to pivot between and navigate a range of different topic areas, forums, stakeholder groups, and states on short notice; 
• Strong written and oral advocacy skills, especially communicating technical and analytical information in a clear and persuasive manner. 
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently as well as collaboratively in a team setting;   
• Ability to represent NRDC with maturity, judgment and professionalism;  

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.  

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary is $68,000-75,000.

NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come to the office 8 days per month. 

As a science-based organization, NRDC aims to do our part to help contain the COVID-19 public health crisis. For the sake of health, safety, and equity, we ask that people be vaccinated unless they have an approved medical or religious accommodation or other exemption in accordance with state and local law. We consider a person to be vaccinated two weeks after receiving one full course of a CDC-approved vaccine. In accordance with state or local law, new hires will be asked to attest to vaccination, those wishing to do so may request medical or religious accommodations or other exemptions via NRDC Employee Relations. NRDC treats all vaccine-related data confidentially, in keeping with local, state, and federal laws. 

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs. 

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422. 

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.