Meridian Institute Project Associate & Ruckelshaus Fellowship

Participation in the Meridian Institute Ruckelshaus Fellowship provides an opportunity for early-career professionals to contribute to Meridian’s mission to help people collaborate to solve complex problems, make informed decisions, and implement solutions that improve lives, the environment, and the economy. The Fellowship is a two-year, full-time position working in either a hybrid or remote arrangement. Hybrid employees are based in one of Meridian’s two offices – in Dillon, CO or Washington, DC. We strongly encourage hybrid work for Fellows as it provides more opportunities to build relationships within the cohort and leverage the networking benefits of the program. Project Associate and Ruckelshaus Fellows who are selected will begin work in June 2024 or earlier.  

About the Position  

Project Associate and Ruckelshaus Fellows typically work on several project teams focused on various topics over the course of their time at Meridian Institute. Projects range from one-month efforts to support a single meeting to multi-year projects where Meridian oversees the development, design, and implementation of an ongoing collaborative initiative. Project Associate and Ruckelshaus Fellows contribute research, writing, project management, and other types of support to teams. They can be responsible for a wide range of duties, which differ depending on the project team assignments as well as the individual’s skillsets and interests. Typical areas of responsibility include:   

• Take detailed notes for internal and external virtual and in-person meetings in order to document the range of perspectives, capture key points and next steps, and draft meeting summaries.   
• Draft various types of documents including meeting summaries, research reports, surveys, interview synthesis and takeaways, press releases, letters, slide decks, and more.   
• Conduct research, including tracking public policy developments, preparing literature reviews, identifying stakeholders, and gathering background information to support project teams in a variety of ways.    
• Participate in and document interviews or otherwise engage participants in Meridian processes, including leaders of the business, civil society, and government sectors.   
• Assist in planning and executing local, regional, national, and international scale meetings.    
• Support the preparation of proposals and reports, helping project teams effectively liaise with funders.    
• Support the scheduling of meetings for project teams and team members.  
• Provide administrative support for client funded and intra-organizational project teams, including but not limited to attending and supporting domestic and/or international meetings and maintaining timelines and spreadsheets such as grant tracking spreadsheets, databases, and website maintenance.  

For more information, the full Application Guide for the Project Associate & Ruckelshaus Fellowship is available here.

At Meridian Institute, we believe that we must do all that we can to protect the safety, health, and wellbeing of employees, clients, guests, our communities, and others with whom we interact. Therefore, all offers of employment in the U.S., where legally permitted, are contingent on the candidate showing proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to pass the pre-employment requirements. In circumstances where an applicant communicates that they are not able to be vaccinated for COVID19 due to a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance or due to a disability or medical reason, then Meridian, in accordance with applicable law, will engage in the interactive process to determine if a reasonable accommodation is feasible that will not pose an undue hardship or create a direct threat to safety.   

How to Apply 

Completed applications are due by 10:00pm EST on Monday, January 29, 2024.   

Apply using the Meridian Institute applicant portal.  You will be directed to provide additional information related to your application and upload the following materials: 

1. Cover Letter – 1 page: Drawing from your personal, professional, and academic experiences, please explain how you hope to contribute to Meridian as a Fellow and what you hope to gain from this opportunity.  
2. Essay – 1 page : Meridian works on a variety of social and environmental policy issues including climate change, food and agriculture, health and nutrition, resilience, and natural resource management. Briefly describe a critical public policy issue facing society today and suggest how a collaborative process could be effective in helping address that issue. If applicable, include details about which parties should be engaged and what challenges might be faced in trying to bring them together.  
3. Resume – 1 page : Detail relevant education, training, experiences, and accomplishments. 

Although we appreciate the interest, no informational interviews will be offered. Meridian Institute will be holding an online informational session on the Fellowship program on January 17th at 2pm EST. Click the link here to register.  

Please direct any additional questions about the Fellowship to Meridian’s human resources department (hr@merid.org).  

Accommodation  

Meridian Institute complies fully with the relevant Disability Acts and Laws in local countries. If you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Meridian Institute, please contact Jennifer Brassanini at jbrassanini@merid.org.  

COVID-19 Consideration  

At this time, Meridian Institute requires that all employees be fully vaccinated, including booster shots. In circumstances where an applicant communicates that he or she is not able to be vaccinated for COVID-19 because of a sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance or because of a disability, then Meridian, in accordance with applicable law, will engage in the interactive process to determine if a reasonable accommodation is feasible that will not pose an undue hardship or create a direct threat to safety.  

Equal Opportunity Employment   

Meridian’s work is made stronger and more impactful by the contributions of diverse groups from around the world. At Meridian, we welcome people from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, national origin, creed, class, ancestry, or other grounds.  

Meridian Institute is a participating employer in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security program, E-Verify.