Civil Service Defense and Innovation Fellow

The civil service is where policy meets the public and where we uphold the values of our democracy. It’s the people behind clean water, safe food, public health, environmental protection, worker safety, and countless other services Americans rely on every day.

Yet the civil service has been systematically undermined:

• Expertise hollowed out or politicized
• Thousands of skilled professionals pushed out
• Essential public functions delayed, degraded, or dismantled

This is not just a government problem — it’s a people problem. When civil servants are under attack, the American people pay the price.

 

About the Fellowship:

The Civil Service Defense and Innovation Fellowship Program is a flagship initiative of Civil Service Strong (CSS) at Democracy Forward. Designed in response to escalating threats to the professional, nonpartisan civil service, the fellowship activates former federal employees and political appointees as researchers, storytellers, and strategic organizers.

Each of the Civil Service Defense and Innovation Fellows will focus on a specific issue vertical (e.g. Energy and Environment, Science and Technology, Justice and Public Safety), aligned with their expertise and agency experience. Over the course of the one-year fellowship, Fellows will organize key actors in their issue vertical and produce critical reports, convenings, and materials that will tell the story of what has happened to the civil service in their issue vertical over the past year, the impacts on American people, and begin to chart a path forward to rebuild government capacity to deliver effectively for the American people in the future. 

The Civil Service Defense and Innovation Fellowship is not just about research — it’s about shaping the future of public service. As a Fellow, you will play a critical role in surfacing the evidence needed for reform and helping set the national agenda for rebuilding effective, democratic government.

• Location: Remote (with occasional travel to Washington, DC for convenings)
• Timeframe: September 2025 – September 2026
• Compensation: $100,000 stipend

 

What You'll Do:

Fellows will conduct original and secondary research, produce issue-area briefing papers, lead coalition organizing efforts, and contribute to a landmark report to inform advocacy, media, and policymaker engagement. Over the one-year fellowship, Fellows will:

• Conduct original research, including first hand interviews with agency alumni, civil servants, experts, and affected communities, as well as secondary research drawing on existing studies, reports, and public data on agency-level impacts in their area of expertise 
• Build issue verticals — organize or identify small coalitions of experts, advocates, stakeholders and pre-existing networks — to enlist new allies in efforts to defend the workforce and begin to map out a strategy to rebuild
• Produce briefing papers and other outputs that tell the story of how the attacks on the workforce have harmed key services and produce insights on the capacity needed to rebuild and modernize the government and effectively deliver for the American people
• Lead public activation campaigns amplifying the stakes and human costs of civil service dismantling
• Contribute to a CSS report that will inform advocacy, media, and policymaking efforts nationwide

The work of the Fellows is deliverable-focused. While we expect that carrying out the responsibilities of the position and meeting deliverable requirements will require commitment of a substantial portion of the work week, Fellows may also work on other projects with other people or organizations, subject to the terms of their consulting agreement.

 

Issue Verticals:

We are seeking fellows to drive efforts in the following issue verticals. The list below is not comprehensive, if there is another agency/program that is not mentioned below, please list it in your application. 

Issue Vertical	Potential Agencies in Scope (not comprehensive)
Agriculture and Food Safety	Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Education	Department of Education (Ed)
Labor and Workers	Department of Labor(DOL),  National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA)
Energy and Environment	Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Interior (DOI), USDA, Department Energy (DOE)
Government Management	Office of Management and Budget (OMB), General Services Administration (GSA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
Health Care and Public Health	Health and Human Services (HHS),  Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institute of Health (NIH)
Veterans	Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Defense, DOL
Science and Technology	National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA), NIH, National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST)
Justice and Public Safety	Department of Justice (DOJ); Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Emergency Management and Disaster Response	Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA); NOAA
Economic Development, Community Development, and Infrastructure	Department of Commerce (DOC), USDA, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Department of the Treasury (Treasury), Department of Transportation, (DOT), Small Business Administration (SBA)
National Security and International Affairs	Department of Defense (DOD), Department of State (DOS) , USAID, US Trade Rep (USTR), Intelligence Community
Housing and Homelessness	HUD, Treasury
Economic Security and Benefits	Social Security Administration (SSA), USDA Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
Civil Rights	DOJ,  ED, HHS,  OPM, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Tax Administration and Consumer Protection	Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)

Note: Applicants do not need experience in every agency with a mission relevant to the issue area, but competitive applicants will have experience and expertise with at least one key agency or issue area, a commitment to partnering to extend the reach of their expertise, and a strategic ability to identify and prioritize the most resonant topics. We may not select a fellow for each issue area. 

 

What We’re Building:

The Civil Service Defense and Innovation Fellowship is not just a research program — it’s a catalytic force. Through this initiative, we are:

• Organizing and strengthening coalitions across sectors to defend and reform civil service systems
• Identifying new voices who can speak about the impacts and needs of the workforce in that area
• Documenting the harm done to the federal workforce and public institutions, using both original and secondary research
• Synthesizing insights and evidence to illuminate the impacts on American communities and governance
• Setting the stage for future reform conversations, providing policymakers, advocates, and the public with the tools, narratives, and recommendations needed to chart a path forward

 

Who You Are:

We’re seeking a diverse cohort of former or departing federal civil servants or political appointees who:

• Are passionate about defending effective, democratic government and public service
• Have at least one year of direct experience working inside a federal agency working on topics related to the Issue pod you are applying for
• Have experience and expertise on topics relevant to issue you seek to focus on 
• Have strong qualitative research & writing skills
• Have strong organizing or executive leadership skills
• Are comfortable working independently while contributing to a shared strategy
• Bring curiosity, humility, and a collaborative spirit to movement-building work

Prior experience with coalition organizing or reform design is a plus—but not required.

 

Why This Fellowship Matters:

This is a chance to defend what’s under attack and lay the groundwork to build what comes next.

You will join a national campaign to:

• Make visible the harms of civil service dismantling
• Elevate the stories and expertise of federal civil servants
• Lay the foundation for the next phase of government reform by identifying the capacity needed to rebuild and modernize the government to deliver for the American people

By the end of this fellowship, you will have contributed to shaping a national conversation, connected communities of impact, and helped center the conversation for civil service defense and reform.

 

Application Process:

Please include:

• Your resume
• A cover letter which includes:
  • A brief overview of your government experience–including which agencies you have worked with, which programs you have deep experience with, and what additional skills and experience you bring to the program
  • The agencies and programs you think are most important to focus on 
  • The biggest risks to federal programs or services caused by attacks on the workforce in your issue area you think are most important to focus on 
  • Your initial hypothesis on specific opportunities to rebuild government capacity that excite you the most.
• Applications are due by July 25, 2025.

Democracy Forward is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals. We strongly encourage people of color; lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people; women; people with disabilities; and veterans to apply. Please note that all lawyer positions require a law degree and active membership in the bar of a state or the District of Columbia. 

Not sure you meet all of our qualifications? Research shows that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria. Yet women and other people who are systematically marginalized tend to only apply if they meet every requirement.  If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you are new to mission-based legal and policy work, returning to work after a gap in employment, or simply looking to transition or take the next step in your career path, we welcome the opportunity to have you on our radar.  Please include in your cover letter the nature of your interest in legal and policy work promoting democracy and progress and what you hope to bring to our team and the role for which you are applying.