WWF Overview

For 60 years, WWF has worked to help people and nature thrive. As one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, WWF works in nearly 100 countries, connecting cutting-edge conservation science with the collective power of our partners in the field –nearly one million supporters in the United States and five million globally, as well as partnerships with communities, companies, and governments.

At WWF, we are working to create an organization where the richness of all our unique views, experiences, and backgrounds combine to create the most sustainable and inclusive conservation outcomes possible, bringing the greatest benefit to the planet and every person who lives on it.

Across the many cultures and individuals that represent WWF, we are unified by one mission, one brand, and one common set of values: Courage, Respect, Integrity and Collaboration.

BRIDGE is WWF’s summer internship program. Launched in 2021, it is a paid internship opportunity aimed at a pool of talented undergraduate and graduate students who could bring fresh thinking and innovation to the environmental sector. In particular, WWF aims to employ interns who have not previously had a breadth of professional experience and have not previously considered conservation as a career pathway.

Position Summary

WWF seeks a BRIDGE Corporate Circularity Strategy Research Graduate Intern.

The intern will support WWF’s Private Sector Engagement department and will work closely with members of the Plastic & Material Science team. This internship provides an opportunity to engage with industry and NGO experts, conduct research and analysis in a professional setting, gain knowledge about corporate circular economy strategies, and contribute to WWF’s mission. In this role, the intern will conduct desktop research to complete a landscape analysis of the corporate circularity landscape for three industries (textiles, consumer electronics, and clean energy infrastructure). The intern will also work to articulate and test the business case for circularity by integrating their findings into WWF’s existing efforts to develop a circularity offering for its corporate partners that ties to WWF’s priorities. This work will ultimately help WWF integrate research findings into its corporate engagement strategy for corporate ambition on circularity.

Internship Description:

Through the course of this internship, the intern will conduct a landscape analysis using desktop research to understand how WWF’s corporate partners and leading industry brands develop, set, track, and communicate progress on their ambitions for circularity. As part of the analysis, the intern will assess how circularity connects to other goals and reporting areas like nature and climate and articulate when and how businesses employ circular interventions to meet their corporate sustainability goals. Ultimately, this research should complement existing work by WWF teams with external professional services to understand circularity as a lever for delivering impact at scale in line with WWF’s mission. The intern will work with the Private Sector Engagement and Climate teams to develop recommendations for WWF’s corporate engagement strategy around circularity.

Minimum Requirements:

• Pursuing a graduate program in Sustainability Management, Corporate Sustainability Strategy, Circular Economy Systems, or Materials Science. Those studying outside these areas are still highly encouraged to apply. Must be an actively enrolled student and not received degree at time of internship start date (June 1, 2026).

• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration.

• Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.

• Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.

• Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.

• Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.

• Excellent research, analytical, communications and project management skills required

• Scientifically minded, analytical thinker, effective communicator, attention to detail required.

• Ability to meet deadlines and work independently and as part of a team on multiple projects in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

• Skills in Excel, Power Point, Microsoft Word required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Subject expertise in one or more of the following areas is preferred, but not required:

• Demonstrated familiarity with the environmental impacts of supply chains and corporate sustainability strategy.

Learning Outcomes

• Develop an understanding related to circularity for the textile, consumer electronic, and clean energy infrastructure industries.

• Build skills in creating deliverables in the form of landscape analysis and developing recommendations based on findings.

• Gain experience in corporate engagement on circular economy issues.

• Gain understanding of WWF’s corporate engagement strategy and the Private Sector Engagement department’s role in advancing WWF’s mission.

WWF interns will be offered a set of professional development opportunities, aimed at increasing their exposure to conservation and sustainability careers. This includes:

• Development discussions with their manager;

• Up to two online courses through Cornell University’s eCornell program;

• Speed mentoring with different WWF teams;

• Opportunity to present their work to intern peers and WWF staff;

• Session on resume and interviewing best practices.

Interns will also have access to an array of networking opportunities. This includes meetings with WWF’s staff and leadership team.

Location:

This position is flexible on location. The intern may complete the internship either in Washington DC or other states, with the exception of: Hawaii, Kentucky, Nevada, Oklahoma, Wyoming.

Compensation:

Paid - $23 per hour (full-time, 35 hours per week)

Internship Dates:

Internship will run from June 1 to August 7, 2026

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume & cover letter through our Careers page. In your cover letter, please describe:

• Your relevant skills and interest for this position

• Your connection to nature and the environment

• How you could contribute to the field of conservation.

If selected for the role, you will need to provide 1 letter of recommendation as part of the WWF application process.

This job will be posted and open for applications until Monday, March 16 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.