CBI Internship

Interning at CBI

CBI, since its inception, has been committed to advancing the next generation of public sector
mediators and facilitators. We provide interns with the opportunity to learn about our field,
engage in meaningful work with convenors and stakeholders, and gain valuable experience in a
fast-paced, high-quality, collegial work environment.

We provide one internship per semester and in the summer for highly qualified candidates.
The internship is geared especially toward graduate students, although exceptional
undergraduates may also apply. Graduate students in the past have come from public policy,
public health, law, natural resources, planning, conflict resolution, and other graduate
programs.

CBI interns’ experiences vary depending on projects and staff needs during their time, but this
role includes background research for projects, assistance with meeting summaries, logistics
support for in-person and virtual meetings, and a range of other work with junior and senior
staff. CBI interns do not facilitate meetings, they provide support, and this work introduces
them to the field of consensus building and collaboration with seasoned staff and stakeholders.
This is a paid internship, and for the fall and spring semesters, interns will work fifteen hours
(15) per week for fifteen (15) weeks. For the summer term, interns will work half time or full
time, up to twelve (12) weeks. CBI also encourages cost-sharing with academic institutions and
programs.

CBI is committed to growing the field of consensus building. As part of this commitment, we
seek to expand the field in terms of diversity. We thus strongly encourage applications from
candidates with diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender,
religion, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

From a Previous Intern at CBI:

“Interning at CBI was a great opportunity to work with and learn from multiple talented
practitioners; go deep into content relevant to specific projects (e.g., offshore wind, affordable
housing, land use planning, and coalition building); and get to know the organization and staff.
It was the perfect hands-on and applied supplement to my graduate studies.”

-Abby Fullem, CBI Associate

Requirements

Successful applicants will be those who:

• Have an interest in the field of public policy, planning, and conflict resolution
• Have a substantive interest in at least one of the areas in which CBI works (please see
  our Practice Areas)
• Thrive in an environment of multiple fast-paced projects with multiple staff leads
• Demonstrate strong communication skills—in writing and in person
  

CBI prefers interns work out of our office in Cambridge, MA, but other locations may be
possible if an applicant is close to other CBI practitioners—this would include New York,
Washington, D.C., the Denver metro area, and the Bay Area, California.

Deadlines

• For summer, applications are due by March 15, and you will receive our response by April 15.
• For fall, applications are due by September 10, and you will receive our response by September 30 (unless negotiated otherwise).
• For spring, applications are due by December 1, and you will receive our response by
  December 31.

Application Requirements

• A cover letter explaining the applicant’s interest in CBI and the applicant’s areas of
  interest
• A 1-page CV