Position Summary

The Policy Department at Forterra is looking for a graduate-level intern for winter 2016.  We are currently working on projects at the regional and local levels to design and implement innovative market-based programs to:

• Incentivize growth within the existing urban footprint while permanently protecting farms and forests,
• Expand restoration of urban forests to reduce stormwater impacts, and
• Pioneer new markets in Washington for engineered timber products.

The department is also pursuing a regional initiative to combine economic development with conservation along the Highway 2 corridor.  The majority of the intern’s work will focus on general assistance with our projects including background research to support design and implementation of market-based real estate and conservation programs; evaluating opportunities for pursuing growth and conservation incentives in cities around the region; exploring the future transportation needs of specific communities; assisting the design of green stormwater infrastructure programs; and supporting our emerging work in using new timber products to construct more sustainable buildings.  Additional short-term research tasks may also be assigned as needed.  Depending on the amount of time the top candidates have available this position may be split into two separate internships with the responsibilities divided accordingly.

Qualifications

• Research Skills – intern must be proficient and comfortable utilizing various research skills for a variety of topics, including using academic journal research databases, making phone calls, conducting interviews, and compiling large amounts of information into useful, concise summaries.  The intern should be familiar with generally accepted practices for citing references.
• Writing Skills – intern must be able to communicate complex ideas/concepts through written reports/memos/presentations.
• Organizational Skills – intern should be able to work independently with a broad scope of work and be responsible for managing workload to meet deadlines.
• Planning/Policy Background: general experience with planning and land use policies.
• Creative Thinking and Comfort with Uncertainty –research into new and innovative areas can be inherently nebulous.  We need someone who can work in the fluid context of evolving needs.  Initiative and the ability to take an idea and run with it are essential to this role.

Benefits

The intern will help shape the design of new approaches to growth management and conservation in the central Puget Sound region; learn about current land use issues and the various approaches and solutions in Washington; learn the planning processes and how land conservation policies are advanced; gain an understanding of how land use policies can help achieve growth and conservation goals across the region; have the opportunity to attend public meetings; and meet with practitioners to learn about this field.