Urban provides a dynamic learning environment with a long tradition of independence, autonomy, and innovation. We offer ample paid time off, a generous employer contribution to your retirement plan, options for remote work, professional development in an array of topics, and other benefits.
Why Urban?
Because you believe facts matter.
All of us at the Urban Institute are committed to doing work that creates a more fair and just society. Whether you’re a researcher or events coordinator, fundraiser or project manager, your efforts will help improve lives and strengthen communities through policies and practices that work.
What We Value
At Urban, you’ll be encouraged to reach your potential in our entrepreneurial, flexible, and innovative community. Our team strives to create a working environment defined by collaboration, equity, inclusivity, independence, and integrity. Underpinning these values is a passion to contribute to meaningful change through facts and evidence.
Bringing Your Whole Self to Work
We are committed to being a workplace where every Urban employee feels respected, heard, engaged, and valued. We embrace a wide range of perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, and talents, which we believe bolster the authenticity and relevance of our work. At Urban, you’ll have various opportunities to find support and camaraderie.
Our Commitment to Our Staff
We believe having a balanced work and personal life is critical to our employees’ well-being. As part of the Urban team, you’ll have access to a competitive benefits package that supports your physical, emotional, and financial health; continuing education opportunities that advance your professional development; and a transparent pathway for professional growth.
Urban provides a dynamic learning environment with a long tradition of independence, autonomy, and innovation. We offer ample paid time off, a generous employer contribution to your retirement plan, options for remote work, professional development in an array of topics, and other benefits.
The Urban Institute Internship Program
At the Urban Institute, your work will have an impact.
For everyone from policymakers to community advocates to corporate leaders, the Urban Institute is a trusted source for facts and evidence that have the power to ignite change. Every day, our staff of economists, policy experts, sociologists, strategic communicators, and data scientists work together to deliver timely data and analysis in accessible and engaging ways. Our goal? To equip changemakers with evidence and solutions to improve lives and strengthen communities.
“The great thing about Urban is that everyone on my team and that I’ve gotten the chance to meet has just gone completely out of their way to make me feel welcome and coach me through everything I’m learning to make sure I get the most out of my experience.”
Isabelle Robles, 2020 Communications Intern
"[Urban is] the type of organization where you can reach out to an individual who's doing incredible research and say, 'Hi, can I intern with you?' And they take the time to really work with you and help you learn."
Margaret Todd, 2019 Research Intern
Intern Program Highlights
As an Urban intern, you’ll collaborate with experts across the organization to develop and deliver work that can make a real difference for families and communities throughout the US. Here are some highlights of what you can expect in Urban’s 10-week summer internship program:
- A welcome orientation
- Networking opportunities with operations staff, senior professionals, and others who will support your professional growth and career interests
- Workshops and networking events designed to advance your professional development and build your soft skills
- Team-building activities that forge new friendships with other Urban interns
- Informal feedback and mentoring from your intern manager
- An opportunity to present the value of your contribution and what you learned during our end-of-summer “lightning talks”
Interns in Action
What are you waiting for?
For current openings, please visit our career site at https://www.urban.org/about/careers.
If you have questions or need additional information, feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].
Supporting Work-Life Balance
Urban is committed to supporting the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of our staff through a robust benefits package that includes the following:
- generous paid time off, including nine federal holidays
- medical (including prescription), dental, and vision insurance and access to a health advocate
- health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts
- employer-paid group life and disability insurance
- 403(b) retirement plan participation immediately upon hire, and generous employer contribution after six months of service and 500 hours, with immediate vesting
- one-on-one retirement planning advice
- wellness programs, including personal finance coaching and an Employee Assistance Program
- twelve weeks paid parental leave benefit
- educational assistance for undergraduate and graduate degree programs
- pretax transportation and parking options
- options for remote work
- free on-site gym
- bicycle parking
Delivering Continuing Learning and Development
We provide numerous learning programs, resources, and professional development opportunities to our staff throughout the year, including in the following topics:
- research methods and tools, including ArcGIS, Stata, R, SAS, community engaged methods, and statistical methodologies
- communications strategies, including data visualization, media relations, and storytelling
- proposal development, fundraising, and building bodies of work
- supervision, management, and leadership
- budgeting for projects and proposals
- leveraging internal systems, including JAMIS Prime, Salesforce, and Workday
Providing Pathways for Growth and Advancement
Urban’s compensation philosophy reflects a total rewards approach grounded in competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, meaningful work, workplace flexibility, and staff advancement and recognition. Our well-defined career ladder demonstrates job titles, different positions, and how employees can move up and/or across the organization—as well as what skills and knowledge are required to do so. This structure provides a clear and transparent foundation for all Urban employees to grow, advance, and be rewarded for their contributions.
Advancing a Positive Workplace Culture
We foster a culture of dignity and respect through support, camaraderie, and mentorship, providing opportunities for colleagues to seek guidance on workplace concerns.
