Adaptation Fellowship, MobilizeGreen

Position/Title/Fund

Adaptation Fellowship

Intern, Full-Time, 6-month term (eligible for extension up to 3 years)

Washington, D.C.

In partnership with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Mobilize Green seeks conservation‑minded Adaptation Fellows who will support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service)’s goal of adapting to and mitigating rapid ecological change by working collaboratively with partners, integrating nature‑based solutions, and helping to infuse adaptation and resilience throughout management of Service trust resources.

As a Fellow, you will visit beautiful settings and apply understanding of nature’s processes and functions to tackle societal challenges like ecosystem change, increased environmental hazards, biodiversity declines, disasters, and water security by building resiliency for ecological and human communities. Through mentorship and training, fellows will gain the opportunity to launch their career.

• Positions for the 2026 Maintenance and Infrastructure Fellowship Program (MIFP) cohort will be located at FWS refuges and offices across the country. Locations are still being finalized but we recommend that candidates be prepared to relocate. If you are selected for an interview we will discuss locations.

• Assist Service staff with a broad portfolio of initiatives focused on adapting to and mitigating ecological change, including, but not limited to, applying tools to assess conservation and restoration opportunities.
• Assist with cross‑programmatic coordination to advance implementation of priority projects and strategies at local, regional, and national scales.
• Support the development of guidance and technical support tools for application by field practitioners.
• Develop case studies, communication materials, intranet content, and other shared learning materials to promote the operationalization of science‑based action.
• Facilitate adaptation and resiliency through innovative partnerships. Liaise with partners and institutions to help the Service access technical information related to environmental change.
• Provide regional learning opportunities on topics related to ecosystem adaptation and contemporary global change.
• Communicate information related to ecological shifts and how that information may be used across programs.
• Opportunities to prepare briefing materials, explore innovative approaches to communicating the Service’s success stories in adaptation and resilience, and engage with project teams to support feasibility, design, and delivery of priority projects across the Service.
• Opportunities to support work of multiple Service programs, such as Refuges, Ecological Services, Fisheries, Coastal Program, and Partners for Fish and Wildlife.

• Learn the structure of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and be introduced to all Service programs.
• Gain an understanding of how to incorporate innovative science and adaptation into planning, guidance, and policy for the National Wildlife Refuge System and other FWS programs.
• Understand a variety of methods to communicate science and engage audiences across all demographics.
• Connect and develop networking ties with managers, scientists, conservation professionals, resource specialists, and partners throughout FWS.
• Provide decision support for USFWS programs and partners.
• Provide partnership coordination and outreach to advance conservation collectively across natural resource agencies.
• Gain experience with cross‑programmatic portfolio and project management.
• Gain knowledge and experience working with the Department of the Interior and its bureaus.
• Gain experience collaborating and working in partnerships with States, Tribes, non‑governmental organizations (NGOs), local governments, natural and working land managers, private citizens, and others.

• Current working knowledge of nature‑based solutions and environmental science, policy, and/or implementation topics.
• Desire to help drive the Service’s adaptation and mitigation responses collaboratively and at all levels.
• Experience setting an agenda and goals for a portfolio of work, as well as guiding disparate interests to achieve specific objectives.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills and organizational skills.
• Ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources to identify core issues and translate them into action.
• U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
• Undergraduate or master’s degree in biology, ecology, forestry, wildlife ecology, natural resource management, behavioral or social science, environmental science/studies, adaptation science/planning, geology, hydrology, geomorphology, or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
• Ability to interpret oral and occasionally written instructions and specifications and follow safety practices.