Climate Program Implementation Fellow

About the Opportunity

Start Date: September 1st, 2026
Length of Fellowship: 10 months
Location Type: Hybrid

About Our Partner: Bay Area Air District

The Bay Area Air District (Air District) is a regional air pollution control agency that improves air quality to protect public health, reduce historical and current environmental inequities, and mitigate climate change and its impacts for the nine Bay Area counties. The Planning and Climate Protection (PCP) Division works to accomplish this mission through equitable, transparent, and innovative policies, plans, and programs in partnership with local governments, regional agencies, and community organizations. PCP recently led the development of the region’s landmark Bay Area Regional Climate Action Plan (BARCAP) and is now focused on its implementation along with more than 30 other implementing entities.

What You’ll Do

• Contributing to the development of a report to the USEPA on implementation progress, including research, data compilation, and drafting key sections.
• Aiding in planning and executing an inaugural Annual Implementers Workshop.
• Developing compelling data visualizations and narrative materials to communicate climate action progress across the region.
• Providing targeted support for sector-specific projects focused on Urban Greening and Data Centers (see below)
• Urban greening: Participating in an internal team to identify and implement practical actions for the Air District to support equitable implementation of urban greening projects in the region.
• Large commercial facilities/data centers: Supporting work to identify and evaluate non-regulatory approaches to addressing emissions from backup power at data centers, including research and writing.

What We Provide

• A fixed, monthly stipend of $3928.
• $1000 end-of-program financial award.
• Health care coverage with 100% of health care insurance premiums covered by SEI.
• 10 Personal Days (for a standard 10-month Fellowship), in addition to all holidays off that are observed as closure days by the partner placement site.
• Comprehensive career-readiness training, including interview prep, salary negotiation, and resume building.
• Panels, workshops, and networking with climate resilience industry professionals.
• Professional networking and learning opportunities, including a statewide climate policy conference and local government events.
• The University of California Climate Stewards Certification equips you to lead community and ecosystem resilience initiatives.

What We’re Looking For

• Background or coursework in environmental policy, urban planning, climate science, public health, or a related field.
• Strong research and data analysis skills, with the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources.
• Proficiency with data visualization tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team, adaptable and capable of working in a variety of professional settings.
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills, with a positive, solutions-focused attitude.
• The ability to work onsite on a hybrid basis (2 days per week on-site).
• Commitment to a fair workplace that honors the experiences, voices, viewpoints, and values of all individuals.
• Authorization to work in the United States for the duration of the fellowship (SEI is unable to sponsor visas).
• May require occasional moving about to accomplish tasks, moving from one worksite to another, or adjusting or moving objects under 25-50 pounds in all directions.
• Must be 18 years or older to apply.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with stakeholder engagement.
• Proficiency in Tableau, ArcGIS, Excel, Python/R, or equivalent.
• Experience with public speaking, presenting, and meeting facilitation.