Public Policy Fellow

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

DONOR FUNDED  - 1 Year appointment

OCCUPATIONAL SUMMARY

The inaugural Public Policy Fellow will help operationalize and launch enhanced undergraduate engagement at Sanford School of Public Policy. Reporting to the Sanford Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Fellow will work closely with Undergraduate Office staff to deliver enhancements to the academic program – special events, speakers, trips, assessment of undergraduate preferences, and evaluation of the impact of these programs on the undergraduates served by Sanford.  

The Fellow will work with and, at times, supervise, public policy students in leadership roles in the Public Policy Student Union and the Public Policy Ambassadors to deliver effective programs and conduct outreach to the Duke community.

The Fellow will work across campus units as needed to design and deliver programming meeting the career and social needs of undergraduate Public Policy Majors. The Fellow will also engage with prospective undergraduates interested in the Public Policy Major.

DUTIES

Programming: 50% 

• Collaborate with Sanford Undergraduate office, faculty, and students (including Public Policy Student Union and Ambassadors) as needed to deliver programming. 
• Develop and implement new experiential learning opportunities such as: roundtable discussions, alumni engagement events, wellness events, field trips, policy-focused discussions, etc.
• Provide logistical support for existing programming as needed, such as immersion trips to Washington, D.C. and programming in collaboration with other Sanford offices.
• Assist faculty members in scheduling alumni and special speakers for undergraduate courses.
• Assist in the planning and logistics for student-friendly activities that raise awareness for the program.  Examples include more back-to-school events, weekly movie and pizza on a lawn series with food and guest speakers, field trips with alumni, and fireside chats developed and led by students about policy issues.
• Assist the Sanford Undergraduate office with managing the Public Policy Ambassador program.
• Design, implement and amplify programs as needed.

• Network frequently with student groups to assess preferences and identify best paths to implementation. Work directly with students to identify current programming and initiatives that can be tagged as Sanford and Public Policy programming.  
• Use best available research and emerging trends to design appropriate programs. Assess program metrics and track outcomes.  

Engagement and Marketing: 20% 

• Assist with the development and execution of marketing and outreach including using social media in the most effective ways to engage students.
• Provide Sanford undergraduate social media activity in collaboration with the Sanford Communications team.
• Assist in putting together promotional materials for new undergraduate course electives.
• Help ensure that material speaks to current events, intellectual curiosity, decision making and exploring purpose driven experiences and emerging trends.  

Assessment: 10% 

• •  
• Conduct basic qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, with guidance, on career and leadership development topics and track the success of some new initiatives.   
• Write and prepare presentations of the results of this research both for internal use and for external constituencies.
• Prepare reports, Power Point presentations, Excel spreadsheets, and proposals requiring the identification of sources, compilation, analysis, and evaluation of data.
• Conduct online research, interviews, and listening sessions to gather data for projects.

Teaching & Training: 10% 

• Become familiar with current Duke student culture surrounding the developing needs of Public Policy Majors and those interested in Public Policy.
• Become familiar with public policy and how it intersects with other areas of study.
• Train students and Ambassadors, as needed, for brief events or social media engagement.  
• Understand and adapt to student interest regarding events and new learning initiatives.

Other: 10% 

• Other duties as assigned by Undergraduate Office Team. This is an evolving role and must be flexible enough to adapt to new ideas and initiatives.

General Qualifications: 

• A successful candidate will have expertise/experience in managing others and organizing logistics.
• Candidate must have leadership experience including internships, extracurricular, and/or volunteer experience at Duke or a similarly intellectually challenging, residential institution. 
• Candidate must have experience working with people of different race/ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, socioeconomic status, and ability.
• Work requires communications, analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree. Sanford Public Policy graduates are preferred as familiarity with Sanford programming is a key attribute of the role.
• Experience organizing and planning events.  
• Ability to excel as an independent and flexible worker who easily adapts to evolving university needs.  
• Strong interpersonal, communication and organization skills. 
• Proven ability to work as part of a team in a collaborate work environment. 
• Understanding and experience with social media platforms (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) 
• The initial appointment is for twelve months; however, the position may be renewed for an additional year by mutual agreement. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Work requires communications, analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.

Experience

None required beyond education.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.