Citizen Engagement Fellow

Overview

ORGANIZATION

Issue One is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization that unites Republicans, Democrats, and independents to win game-changing federal reforms to fix our broken political system and create an inclusive democracy that works for everyone. Issue One educates the public and Congress to pass legislation to increase transparency, strengthen government ethics and accountability, reduce the influence of big money in politics, protect the freedom to vote, and strengthen U.S. elections.

POSITION

The Citizen Engagement Fellowship is a six-month long, part-time fellowship designed for accomplished professionals in the global democracy and governance community who seek to bring their international experience to bear on strengthening democracy here in the United States. Created at a moment of significant transition in the international democracy space—with an abundance of practitioners seeking domestic opportunities—the program provides a structured pathway for experienced leaders to pivot into the U.S. democracy reform ecosystem.

This six-month fellowship invites 2–3 seasoned democracy practitioners
, each with at least 10 years of experience in international democratic development, civil society strengthening, election integrity, governance, or related fields. Fellows will dedicate up to 20 hours per month to independent and collaborative work with Issue One, serving as thought partners, strategic advisors, and contributors across the organization’s programmatic and operational priorities.

Situated within Issue One’s network of bipartisan reform advocates, policy strategists, and democracy experts, the Democracy Fellows Program provides a collegial environment and an intellectually rich setting for cross-national learning, professional development, and democratic innovation. Fellows engage deeply with Issue One’s mission, contribute specialized expertise, and translate lessons learned abroad into insights that strengthen democratic practice in the American context.

• Producing research, analysis, or strategic memos that frame U.S. democracy reform within a global comparative context.
• Advising Issue One teams on best practices drawn from international democracy development.
• Supporting targeted projects, convenings, or initiatives related to elections, civic engagement, accountability, or public trust.
• Participating in knowledge-sharing sessions, internal briefings, or cross-team discussions.
• Developing a written or conceptual product that aligns with the fellow’s area of focus.

• Minimum of approximately 10 years of experience in the international democracy, governance, or civil society sector.
• Demonstrated expertise relevant to democracy strengthening.
• Strong writing, analysis, and conceptual framing abilities.
• Ability to translate international experience for domestic audiences.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work independently.
• Strong judgment and an eagerness to contribute strategic insights.

Fellows will work remotely and may have periodic meetings in our Washington, DC office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If fully remote, they must reside in a state where Issue One is formally established. These states include California, Colorado, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Remote opportunities outside of these states will not be available.

We anticipate this being a roughly 6 month fellowship, starting in January 2026.

This fellow will be expected to work 40 hours per month and be compensated at $500 per month.

While Issue One will do its best to follow the above timeline, there are instances where the selection process is shortened or delayed due to circumstances beyond our control. The organization will do its best to update all selected candidates on any changes to the timeline. In addition, while resumes may be submitted after Jan. 20, there’s no…