Spring Intern, Congressional & Government Affairs

Center for Strategic and International Studies, Inc.; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 25,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC invites applications for a Spring Intern in Congressional & Government Affairs. This paid, full-time internship runs January–May 2026 and offers exposure to policy analysis, briefings, and Capitol Hill engagement.

The intern will assist with official correspondence, event support, and research tasks, contributing to CSIS’s policy impact while gaining hands-on experience in a bipartisan public policy environment.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree or recent graduate in a relevant field.
• Excellent research, writing, and copy-editing skills with clear and concise communication.
• Strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail; ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to work in a team environment and demonstrate professional judgment.
• Strong knowledge/interest in the Hill and international affairs.
• Previous Hill experience is required.
• Excel, database management, and/or email marketing platform experience desirable.

Responsibilities

• Drafting and copyediting official correspondence.
• Assist with event preparation and staffing for public and private events.
• Support program research and analysis of congressional activities.
• Track relevant congressional actions and legislation.
• Support long-term projects for the Congressional and Government Affairs team.

Skills

Research skills

Writing skills

Copy-editing

Interpersonal skills

Hill knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

Excel

Database management

Email marketing platform

Job description

Spring Intern, Congressional & Government Affairs

Washington, D.C.

JOB SUMMARY

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a non-profit, bipartisan public policy organization established in 1962 to provide strategic insights and practical policy solutions to decision makers concerned with global security and prosperity. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the largest organizations of its kind, with a staff of some 275 employees, including more than 120 analysts working to address the changing dynamics of international security across the globe.

CSIS Congressional and Government Affairs seeks highly motivated candidates for a full-time, paid internship to join our dynamic and fast-paced team from January - May 2026. The Congressional Affairs and Government Affairs Intern will serve as an integral part of the team, helping to strengthen CSIS’s relationships with Congress, support briefings, and promote CSIS research to Capitol Hill. They will advance CSIS’s mission of providing targeted, useful, and timely support to help inform the decision-making of key policymakers. This is a fast-paced work environment, so interns should be self-starters with strong attention to detail who enjoy a wide variety of analytic and logistical tasks.

The hired candidate will be paid hourly, commensurate with experience ($18.40/hour for current undergraduate hires, $19.40/hour for hires with a bachelor’s degree, and $20.40/hour for hires with a master’s degree).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Essential functions include but are not limited to the following:

• Drafting and copyediting official correspondence;
• Assist with event preparation and staffing for both public and private events;
• Support program research and analysis of congressional activities;
• Tracking relevant congressional actions and legislation;
• Support various long term projects (background research, proposal writing, data gathering); for the Congressional and Government Affairs team;
• Draft and format program mailings, and support accuracy of mailing lists;
• Provide general administrative support to the full Congressional Affairs and Government Affairs team.

KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION, AND EXPERIENCE:

• Pursuing a Bachelors’ degree or recent graduate in a relevant field;
• Excellent research, writing, and copy-editing skills with the ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both in written and verbal communication.
• Strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail and the ability to prioritize, track, and accomplish multiple tasks simultaneously in a dynamic and fast-paced environment;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability and willingness to work in a team environment
• General knowledge and interest in the Hill and international affairs
• Able to exercise effective professional judgment, sensitivity, and creativity to changing needs and situations
• Previous Hill experience is required
• Strong background in Excel, database management, and/or email marketing platform desirable.

Salary Range

$18.40 - $20.40 USD

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORK CONDITIONS

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee working in an office environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.

Equal Opportunity Employer.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Center for Strategic and International Studies, Inc.’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.