Application & Deadlines

Opens
01/05/2026 at 12:00am EST
Closes
02/01/2026 at 11:59pm EST
Apply Here

Overview

About Mayor Wu
The City of Boston is governed by Mayor Michelle Wu and the City Council with the assistance of various departments, agencies, and commissions.

Michelle Wu is the Mayor of Boston. She is a daughter of immigrants, Boston Public Schools mom to two boys (with her daughter joining BPS in a few years!), MBTA commuter, and a fierce believer that we can solve our deepest challenges through building community. As Mayor, Michelle is working in coalition to deliver bold, systemic change, and make Boston a city for everyone.

Mayor Wu has been a voice for accessibility, transparency, and community engagement in city leadership. First elected to the Boston City Council in November 2013 at the age of 28, Wu is the first Asian-American woman to serve on the Council. In January 2016, she was elected President of the City Council by her colleagues in a unanimous vote, becoming the first woman of color to serve as Council President. She was elected Mayor of Boston in November 2021.

About the Partnerships Team
The Partnerships team in the Mayor’s Office is responsible for managing and advancing relationships between the City and its robust set of anchor institutions (philanthropy, private-sector, cultural institutions, hospitals, and universities). The team works with external and internal stakeholders to align strategic efforts and generate resources to support public-private partnerships across the city. The Partnerships team has recently supported the launch of initiatives such as Boston Family Days, which opens cultural institutions to school-aged students and families two Sundays every month, and the Boston Acquisition Fund to support preservation of affordable housing.

Location & Format

Boston, MA / Cambridge, MA
Industries
Federal / State / Local Government
Time Zone
Eastern Time (ET) – America/New York
Format
In-Person

Eligibility

If selected as a finalist, applicants may be asked to submit the following directly to the Host Organization:

  • Cover Letter
  • Two References

Program Details

  • Conduct research on institutions, policies, regulations, and initiatives relevant to the Partnerships team’s goals and vision.
  • Coordinate with Finance and Law on ethics, gift receipts, grantmaking, partnership design and structure.
  • Generate spreadsheets, presentations, memoranda, and other documents and deliverables as needed to advance the goals of the Partnerships team.
  • Partner with internal teams to advance partnership design, communications, and resource development for Mayoral signature projects

Moderate Supervision: Intern will meet with their supervisor regularly, but will be given the opportunity to work on independent projects.

The fellow position will report to the Senior Advisor and Deputy Director for Partnerships within the Mayor’s Office. It's a fast-paced environment with opportunities to collaborate across city departments and external stakeholders.

This Director's Internship Host will host additional undergraduate interns outside of the Director's Internship Program.

  • Demonstrated commitment to public service, civic innovation, community engagement, local government, and people.
  • Passionate about cities and inherently curious about the possibility of local government.
  • Candidates should be strong relationship builders, comfortable with risk, and passionate about solving hard civic challenges with creative, original solutions.
  • Access to high-speed Wi-Fi
  • Personal laptop
  • Laptop on loan from host organization
  • Web Camera
  • Google Suite

If you have any questions about this opportunity or the Director's Internship Program in General, please reach out to IOP_ICS@hks.harvard.edu