Resilience Planner Intern

Job Description

Dewberry is currently seeking a Resilience Planner Intern for Summer 2026 to join our multi-disciplinary and action-oriented team in Fairfax, VA.

The internship is aimed at training exceptional students to become leaders in the field of resilience planning. This position will support the Resilience Solutions Group at the intersection of planning, policy, and technical analysis in hazard mitigation, emergency management, and climate change adaptation. Related areas of technical focus for this position include but are not limited to hazard and risk mitigation, climate change science, community planning, natural resource management, and policy and planning related to Federal agencies, state agencies, and local communities.

Dewberry is a leading, market-facing professional services firm with more than 60 locations and 2,000+ professionals nationwide. What sets us apart from our competitors are our people. At Dewberry, we seek out exceptional talent and strive to deliver the highest quality of services to our clients. Whether you’re an experienced professional or a new graduate, you’ll have the chance to collaborate with the best and brightest and work on innovative and complex projects at the forefront of the industry. Our commitment to excellence stems from our personal integrity and from other defining attributes, which we call “Dewberry at Work,” that have inspired our employees to be successful for more than a half-century.

Responsibilities

The internship will be tailored to suit the candidate’s specific skillsets and interests, but responsibilities may include the following:

• Support efforts to increase climate resilience and hazard mitigation within federal, state, and local government agencies.
• Research, analyze, and support the execution of technical studies relating to resilience strategy and plan development.
• Support public outreach for community resilience projects, both virtual and in-person.
• Employ a mix of written, visual, and verbal communication techniques to craft compelling narratives and explain complex technical topics to various audiences.
• Prepare plans, studies, reports, guides, and other technical deliverables.

Required Skills & Required Experience

• Pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Planning, Policy Analysis, Environmental Science, Sustainability, or another related field.
• Ability to effectively communicate technical information related to natural hazards and resilience in projects, presentations, and papers.
• Ability to perform an expanded array of tasks assigned by senior-level staff, designed to broaden experience and familiarization with methods, practices, and programs applicable to the department.
• Ability to be self-motivated and function both independently and in a collaborative team environment, demonstrating effective time-management and communication skills.
• Ability to exercise initiative, resourcefulness, and tact in obtaining and analyzing information related to resilience planning.
• Ability to communicate professionally and get along with coworkers and superiors.

Desired Skills: 

• Previous professional or internship experience.
• Experience researching, planning, and developing operational and tactical plans, policies, procedures, and guidance to promote resilience and mitigation.
• Familiarity applying principles of social equity and environmental justice to technical and strategic work.
• Knowledge and ability to use the following computer applications: Tableau, Power BI, ArcMap/ArcPro, ArcGIS Online, Adobe InDesign, and other data processing, visualization, and design tools.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Dewberry we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace for our employee’s. So if you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the position description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may just be the right candidate for this or other opportunities.

*At this time, Dewberry will not sponsor a new applicant for work authorization.

*Dewberry is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation.

*Only recipients of an offer of employment from Dewberry, will be required to submit to a background screening which may include, but is not limited to, employment verification, educational and other credential verification, driving record check, criminal background check, and an investigative consumer report. These screenings will be conducted by Dewberry’s background vendor of choice and will be conducted in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local law.

Notice to Third Party Recruiters: Dewberry only compensates job placement recruiters that have a valid Dewberry-approved written agreement in place for recruiting services. Dewberry does not compensate third party recruiters for unsolicited job placement candidate information.

Program Information

Summer Intern Program During the summer intern program, interns gain hands-on project experience, develop technical skills, and put their classroom knowledge into action. Our interns are assigned meaningful work and are given the opportunity to work on projects similar to what they would be engaging with as a full-time employee.

Our interns get the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops and events, including:- Networking opportunities to meet other interns, staff, and senior leaders across the business. - Learning about our services, projects, and clients.- Professional development workshops, including a career planning workshop and a DiSC assessment to learn more about themselves and how to work effectively with others.

- Summer-long group project where interns work alongside firm leaders to address issues that will impact our future strategy.