POSITION TITLE: RAY Climate and Environmental Justice Fellow
DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM: Massachusetts Public Health Alliance Policy Team
REPORTS TO: Oami Amarasingham, Deputy Director
STATUS: Regular, Full-Time
LOCATION: Boston, MA
ABOUT THE DR. ROGER ARLINER YOUNG FELLOWSHIP
In an effort to make the conservation and clean energy fields more equitable and accessible, the Dr. Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Fellowship Program aims to increase and facilitate environmentally-related career pathways for emerging leaders. The RAY Fellowship Program is a paid fellowship designed to equip recent college graduates with the tools, experiences, support, and community they need to become leaders in the conservation and clean energy sectors—one that, in our visions of the future, fully represents, includes, and is led by the diverse communities, perspectives, and experiences of the United States.
ABOUT MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC HEALTH ALLIANCE
The Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA) is a champion for public health in the Commonwealth. We are a catalyst for community-driven policy change that fosters conditions for people to achieve their full health potential where they live, work, and play. As a statewide organization, MPHA engages local leaders, state organizations, public officials, and others to improve the health of all the Commonwealth’s residents. MPHA uses an effective combination of advocacy, education, community organizing, policy development, and coalition leadership to secure investments in public health, promote health equity, and bolster our public health infrastructure. In all our work, we seek to improve the social conditions in neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces that have an impact on health and to listen to the voices and priorities of communities most impacted by health inequities.
Promoting racial justice is a core component of MPHA’s work and identity. As MPHA pursues policy changes to promote health equity, we strive to confront the history of systemic racism and other forms of oppression that have been embedded in public policy. MPHA’s Health Equity Policy Framework guides our external work and internal practices in addressing all forms of health inequities. The framework places special emphasis on racial inequities because we believe that this injustice needs explicit attention.
MPHA’s success depends on a small but excellent staff and its ability to work as a team. We believe that our ongoing success depends on a diversity of lived experiences and talents as we strive for greater health equity in Massachusetts.
POSITION SUMMARY
The RAY Climate and Environmental Justice Fellow will be a core part of a five-person Policy & Campaign Team working to advance MPHA’s health equity policy agenda with a focus on climate and environmental justice policy. The selected candidate will have a fire in the belly for justice and liberation and be a bold advocate for fundamental systems change. They will value teamwork and strong connections with staff and allies.
The RAY Climate and Environmental Justice Fellow will support the MPHA Policy Team in all aspects of policy advocacy, including administrative support, research and writing, supporting the planning of advocacy events, representing MPHA in coalitions, monitoring and tracking government policies. During the first year of the fellowship, the fellow will develop basic policy tracking skills and knowledge of MPHA’s internal and external procedures for policy advocacy. In the second year of the fellowship, we anticipate the fellow will work in close partnership with the Director of Campaigns and lead on discrete projects within MPHA’s climate and environmental justice portfolio to advance policy and systems change. MPHA is a small team and all staff, including the fellow, are expected to support with administrative tasks.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Administrative support: attend internal and external meetings and take notes as needed; attend and monitor legislative hearings and other public meetings related to climate and environmental issues; assist team members in all aspects of preparing for convenings and events including tracking registration, printing nametags, securing space and food, preparing agendas and materials, and follow-up with attendees as needed.
Coalitions: support policy team in managing coalition membership and relationships, meeting agendas, logistics, facilitation, and coalition communications in order to drive coalition advocacy; over time, represent MPHA in key environmental coalitions including the Environmental Justice Table, the Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, the PFAS Coalition, and others as needed.
Advocacy coordination: support the policy team in coordinating advocacy activities, including State House and field outreach, advocacy events, panels for public hearings, conferences etc., as needed in support of coalition and/or MPHA priority campaigns related to climate and environmental justice.
Policy tracking: track and analyze policy developments related to MPHA environmental priorities, including monitoring the state budget, legislation, and regulations.
Research, writing, and data analysis: research and draft materials to support MPHA climate and environmental justice advocacy, including internal memos, fact sheets, action alerts, social media posts, newsletter blurbs, etc.
ADDITIONAL FELLOWSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
In addition to the responsibilities at the host institution outlined above, RAY Fellows will spend, on average, 2-4 hours per week (5-10% of work time) on the following:
- Actively communicating and building community with their RAY Fellow cohort and previous RAY Fellows.
- Meeting regularly with mentors both inside and outside the host institution.
- Attending monthly professional development webinars, trainings, and other opportunities to build knowledge and skills as scheduled.
- Developing a Personal Leadership Plan (PLP) in their 2nd year with the support of supervisor(s), mentors, RAY program staff, and their RAY Fellow cohort. The PLP will serve as a tool for self-reflection, planning, and assessing progress towards professional, personal, and leadership goals.
- Preparing and leading an hour-long end-of-fellowship webinar highlighting their Fellowship experience
RAY Fellows will also attend:
- A 3-day Orientation Retreat in late Summer/Fall 2026.
- A 3-day Mid-Fellowship Leadership Retreat in Fall 2027.
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Eligible RAY Fellow applicants will:
- Come from a background underrepresented in conservation and clean energy and demonstrate a commitment to the shared values of the importance of promoting fairness, acknowledging various perspectives, and fostering a welcoming environment.
- Be no more than 3 years out of college and have a Bachelor's Degree by July 2026 (we are not considering individuals with graduate degrees at this time).
- Have not had a full-time job in conservation or clean energy.
- Have the ability to work in the United States and commit to the entire fellowship.
SKILLS / QUALIFICATIONS / EXPERIENCE
- A college degree by the time of employment
- An interest in the field of clean energy and climate/environmental justice.
- Demonstrated capacity to work well and collaborate with others.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
- An eagerness to learn and receive feedback with the goal of developing new skills
- A team player who listens well, contributes ideas, considers their impact on colleagues, and participates in group problem-solving.
- Well-organized with strong attention to detail.
- Ability and desire to work in a fast-paced environment, and ability to prioritize and switch gears quickly between multiple projects.
- Fast and enthusiastic learner interested in growing knowledge in a wide variety of topic areas within the public health impacts of clean energy and climate justice.
TERM / LENGTH OF ASSIGNMENT
This is a two-year, full-time fellowship (one year with a one year renewal) starting on or after July 15, 2026.
COMPENSATION
The Fellowship is compensated and sponsored by Massachusetts Public Health Alliance, who offers a competitive benefits package as well as training and professional development opportunities. The salary for this fellowship will be $60K in the first year with an annual salary adjustment in year 2. MPHA’s salaries are set within a pre-determined salary band and the skills/experience required for this position have been evaluated as the midpoint in our entry level band. MPHA offers excellent health, dental, and paid time off benefits.
HOW TO APPLY/APPLICATION
To apply for the RAY Fellowship Program, applicants must:
- Complete the online application survey on the RAY Fellowship Program website: www.rayfellowship.org/apply
- Follow the instructions on the linked application webpage to submit a resume or curriculum vitae, one essay response, one visioning response, and one short answer response.
Applications must be submitted to the RAY Fellowship Program no later than March 27, 2026. Transcripts and additional writing samples are not required.
If you have questions please see our FAQ page and any further questions about the application process can be submitted to ray@elpnet.org.
MPHA is an equal opportunity employer committed to a workplace that reflects the diversity of the people of Massachusetts. We make a particular effort to recruit people of color to apply.