Program Associate
Apply here. (Do not apply to CCSI directly.)
Position Summary
The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI) is hiring a Program Associate to provide operational and research support with respect to our broad portfolios of work concerning sustainable investment in land, agriculture, mineral value chains and food systems; climate finance; and transition planning, among others. Ideal candidates will have recently received their undergraduate degree, or will be graduating in Spring 2025, and will envision staying in the position for one to two years.
CCSI is an applied research center at the Columbia Law and Climate Schools. We seek to develop policies and practices that shape public and private investments to advance, rather than undermine, sustainable development and human rights.
- Hours Per Week: 35
- Salary Range: $62,400 - $66,524
- The position is not remote and applicants must be in commuting distance to the office
Responsibilities
- Conduct background research in preparation for projects, meetings, and events. This includes staying abreast of global current events related to sustainable investment.
- Compose, organize, and edit text on behalf of CCSI’s Director and staff as needed.
- Plan and oversee the logistics for high-level meetings and events.
- Manage the communications process for select projects and initiatives, coordinating across communications personnel and researchers.
- Serve as primary liaison with collaborators on CCSI projects.
- Provide administrative support for research and project management.
- Additional assignments as deemed appropriate by CCSI’s Director or staff.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Ability to work under pressure on competing responsibilities with resilience, discretion, and diplomacy.
- Capable of working on projects independently as well as working well as part of a team.
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and writing skills.
- Ability to exercise discretion and handle confidential information.
- Accuracy, strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Preferred Qualifications
- Related experience through internships and coursework.
- Strong preference given to those in their final academic semester of a bachelor's degree program or those who have graduated in the past year.
We offer a limited number of unpaid and paid research and administrative internships for undergraduate and graduate students (including graduate students in law, business, international affairs, and environmental studies) during the fall, spring and summer. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, CV, and writing sample ALL TOGETHER IN A SINGLE FILE, in that order. The cover letter should include a distinct list of which internships you are applying for (you may include as many as you’d like). Please submit materials to Nancy Siporin ([email protected]), unless otherwise specified.
Application deadlines are as follows unless otherwise noted in the descriptions below (although applications will be considered on a rolling basis):
- Fall semester: September 15
- Spring semester: January 15
- Summer: March 15
Candidates must currently be enrolled in a degree program, have astute research, analytical and writing skills, and enjoy working on a team. Students enrolled at other academic institutions may apply for all positions, but only students currently enrolled at Columbia University are eligible to receive payment if selected for a paid position. Candidates must commit to at least 10-15 hours per week for Spring or Fall internships unless otherwise indicated, but more hours are possible. Summer internships are full-time (35-40 hours per week) unless otherwise noted. Continuation into subsequent semesters is possible, and course or academic internship credit can be granted in limited cases.
If you are applying for a paid internship, please indicate if you are work-study eligible (preferred but not required).
Internship opportunities available for Spring 2025 (remote possible):
New positon just added!:
Paid internship: Metal as a Service
CCSI is seeking a committed graduate student with knowledge and experience in metals value chains, circularity and “as a service” business models. Students with this knowledge and experience from the law school, business school, climate school, engineering school are welcome to apply. The work will entail the economic, technical and policy examination of the feasibility to introduce the “as a service” model in metal value chains to ensure a combination of goals such as economic efficiency and equity, full circularity and scaling up of material production for the green transition. The need for research assistance is for more than a year so students appreciating long-term commitment will be valued. Deadline is March 15.
Please check back for Summer 2025 internship offerings. We do not have any at this time, but may add soon. (If/when we have any, the usual March 15 application deadline for Summer will be adjusted).
What CCSI offers: Through the internship experience, interns can expect to make substantive contributions to research and/or administrative activities at CCSI. The internship experience is a mutually beneficial one, and provides interns with opportunities for professional growth and learning. CCSI develops specific terms of reference for every intern each semester, with clear tasks and timelines.
What CCSI looks for: Ideal candidates should be detailed-oriented, well-organized and responsive, and prioritize and carry out tasks with minimal supervision. Candidates should also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Our interns have included both undergraduate and graduate students from Columbia College, Columbia Law School, the School of International and Public Affairs, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Columbia Business School. We also occasionally accept Interns from outside the university.
Visiting Scholars can include international scholars, professors, judges, practitioners, and government officials, as well as doctoral students at the start of their scholarly careers. Visiting Scholars must apply through Columbia Law School’s Visiting Scholars Program. Applications for Visiting Scholars are reviewed three times during the year, corresponding with three program intakes, as follows:
- Fall semester: applications due no later than April 1.
- Spring semester: applications due no later than September 1.
- Summer semester: applications due no later than March 1.