Planning Intern 2026

About ECOnorthwest

ECOnorthwest is a public policy consulting firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in Seattle, Bend, Eugene, and Los Angeles. For 50 years, policymakers and business leaders have trusted ECOnorthwest to inform the complex issues that shape communities. ECOnorthwest has worked with a diverse range of over 2,000 public, private, non-profit, and foundation clients in the United States and around the world to craft effective and feasible solutions. To answer the complex questions of our time, we integrate economic analysis with complementary disciplines to provide a more complete understanding of how policy choices affect peoples' lives.

The intern will work collaboratively with project teams to conduct research, develop content, and contribute to client deliverables. Working from our office in the historic Power and Light Building in downtown Portland, the intern will have opportunities to connect with colleagues across practice areas, build their professional network, and gain firsthand experience in the consulting environment.

Essential functions of the position

Under the guidance of ECO's project teams:

• Conduct research in accordance with standard methods and research best practices.
• Identify and organize data and sources of information appropriately assigned.
• Summarize information into clear and understandable tables and charts.
• Discuss findings with project teams to evaluate validity, contribute equity-focused insights, and ensure alignment with ECOnorthwest's mission and research integrity standards.
• Manage their time based on the deadlines for each project they are working on, coordinating with project teams when deadlines conflict.
• Prepare sections of written deliverables under direction from the project team, including inserting tables and charts and writing narratives.
• Proactively report concerns and progress to the project team weekly unless more or less frequent reporting is requested.
• Complete work within the project timeline as provided by the project team.
• Assist in developing presentations, as needed.
• Related duties, as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Student currently enrolled in a master's-level planning, urban studies, or public policy degree program at an Oregon university and expected to graduate by July 2028
• Coursework in any of the following subjects: macro and microeconomic theory, land use planning, transportation planning, real estate development, or public policy.

Required Competencies

Project Coordination and Collaboration Competencies

• Ability to meet deadlines and produce quality analysis in the form of tables, charts, and narrative.
• Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully in a team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain professional standards of conduct and communication in a collaborative environment.
• Ability to clearly communicate with staff, both verbally and in writing.

Personal aptitudes/interpersonal skills

• Interest in developing a network within ECOnorthwest.
• Proactively contribute to a collegial and inclusive work environment.
• Ability to self-assess and course correct.
• Ability to clearly communicate with staff, both verbally and in writing.
• Intellectual curiosity and the desire to seek out new ideas and solutions.
• Open-minded approach, flexible when needed.
• Adjust effectively to new information, shifting timelines, or revised project scope.
• Reliability, timeliness, and efficient management of time and workload
• Motivated to produce high quality, relevant work.
• Take responsibility for assigned work, including follow-through and ownership of results.

Technical Competencies

• Knowledge of and ability to appropriately apply principles of research, documentation and analysis of data.
• Ability to write clearly about technical information.
• Ability to learn and adapt new principles.
• Ability to understand appropriate use of data sources and their limitations, including how they may over- or under-represent specific populations.
• Ability to understand and help with formulating a research question.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary environment.
• Ability to incorporate existing knowledge into projects.
• Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Google Workspace.

Physical Requirements : Ability to work for long periods at a computer.


Pay : $20/hour, non-exempt.

Location : This position does require in-person work at our downtown Portland office, ideally Tuesday through Thursday. We understand the scheduling demands of graduate students and will work with you to accommodate course schedules.

Time Commitment : This is a part-time internship from late August or early September until mid-December, with the possibility of extension to June 2027. Weekly hours will range from 15 to 20 hours. We are flexible on start dates between August 2026 and September 2026.


Application Materials: Required: resume, cover letter, and application question responses. Optional: letter of recommendation from a professor.

ECOnorthwest is committed to the work of improving its diversity and inclusiveness as a workplace. Our best work draws on teams within and beyond ECOnorthwest who have diverse backgrounds and experiences that reflect the multifaceted communities we work in. Thus, we encourage applications who would expand the diversity of lived experiences within our team and who share values and commitments to advancing equity through research and data justice.

Please direct any questions regarding this internship to View email address on click.appcast.io.