Fellowship Program

To support professional development in urban and regional planning for talented individuals from historically and currently underrepresented communities

What is DVRPC’s Fellowship Program?

The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) Fellowship Program provides an opportunity to learn about urban and regional planning by serving in various departments at the Commission over the course of a year. DVRPC is committed to supporting a pipeline of talented individuals from historically and currently underrepresented communities into urban and regional planning and related fields, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), project management, policy analysis, or capital programming. The selected fellow will participate in the daily activities of a Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), complete specialized projects, and experience firsthand how regional and local plans and investments are made in the Greater Philadelphia region. The fellow’s specific department and project assignments will be determined based on a combination of the selected candidate’s specific skills and interests, and DVRPC project needs.

DVRPC is a place to work, learn, and create a career in a professional and stimulating environment that values diversity, innovation, and bringing your best self to work. The DVRPC Fellowship is a paid, year-long, full-time, professional development program that begins July 2022 through June 2023. The Fellowship will aid in preparation for graduate school or a successful career in planning or a related discipline. There will be one fellow at a time. If there is mutual interest and applicable work assignments, the chosen Fellow may be extended for an additional year. No fellowship will continue for more than two years.

Fellowship Opportunities:

Mentorship from DVRPC staff and senior leadership, access to experts in the planning field, and guidance to help your own career development.
Gain real-world experience while learning DVRPC’s methods for effective research, analysis, and consensus building.
Work with government organizations, invested stakeholders, and community members to collaborate and build solutions on planning issues that affect the Greater Philadelphia region.
Gain a broad range of marketable professional skills and get hands-on project experience.
Contribute to the growth and development of an exciting and effective organization.
After successful completion of the program, DVRPC fellows may be considered for full-time positions at DVRPC (if positions are available).
Participate in the solicitation and selection of the next DVRPC Fellow.

Qualifications and Selection

The ideal candidate should meet the following minimum qualifications:

Member of a historically and currently underrepresented community in the planning and related fields;
U.S. citizen or authorized to work permanently in the United States contingent upon the ability to comply with Immigration and Naturalization Service regulations;
College graduate who is a current resident of or originally from the nine-county DVRPC region, or has received a bachelor’s degree from a program in the region (or within surrounding areas) by the program start date, or has 3 or more years of relevant experience.

In addition, the ideal candidate should:

Have a background or possess a record of academic achievement in the areas of public administration, public policy, urban studies, economics, finance, political science, engineering, environmental studies, geography, GIS, public health, or another liberal arts, social science or planning-related discipline.
Demonstrate excellent problem solving, analytical, quantitative, written and oral communication, and interpersonal skills with a strong collaborator orientation.
Have an interest or competency in managing, analyzing, and communicating data.
Be friendly, self-directed, detail-oriented, and able to work in a collaborative environment with a broad range of partners.
Be flexible and enthusiastic about experiencing all the facets that DVRPC has to offer, including areas that are not necessarily aligned with their professional backgrounds.
Demonstrate commitment to diversity and inclusion within their schools, local communities, and/or through their professional and volunteer work, hobbies, and leadership roles.
Demonstrate integrity and accountability in the workplace and community and/or other roles.
Exhibit enthusiasm, drive, and ambition toward DVRPC’s mission.
Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Suite.
Comprehend and have an interest in technical applications, such as databases, GIS, surveys, and/or programming languages is a plus.
Have experience and/or internships in public service, transportation, government, or related fields.

Complete applications will be reviewed by a selection committee, who will evaluate applicants based on the criteria above. The most qualified candidates will then be selected to interview with DVRPC’s committee.

After the interviews, the selection committee forwards its recommendations to the Executive Director based on the applicant’s academic achievement, analytical and communication skills, and work experience, recommendations, quality of writing sample or exercise materials, and overall interest in regional and urban planning. The Executive Director then makes the final selection. The recipient of the Fellowship will be notified as soon as possible following the Executive Director’s decision.

Salary and Benefits

DVRPC fellows receive a stipend of $45,000 (paid biweekly) plus full fringe benefits (including health, dental, life insurance, vacation, holidays, and retirement contributions) during the Fellowship year. The year of service corresponds with DVRPC’s fiscal year, July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. The full-time work week at DVRPC is 37.5 hours. Housing is the responsibility of the fellow.

Application Requirements

For consideration, the following items should be submitted in a single email to resumes@dvrpc.org

Personal statement that explains why you are interested in the Fellowship, what you hope to get out of it, and your goals for your career. (Two pages maximum)
College transcript (unofficial transcripts okay)
Current resume
Writing sample (preferably 3-5 pages) that reflects your writing style and incorporates some quantitative analysis and/or original charts, drawings, or other graphics
Three letters of recommendation or professional references, with contact information
Completed Affirmative Action Information Sheet (below)

Affirmative Action.pdf (61.11 KB)

Applications must be received by noon on April 15, 2022. Application materials must be submitted in a single email to avoid loss of documentation. Material sent separately will not be accepted. Please note that we will NOT review applications that do not provide all requested materials.

This solicitation does not guarantee employment.

About DVRPC

DVRPC’s vision for the Greater Philadelphia Region is a prosperous, innovative, equitable, resilient, and sustainable region that increases mobility choices by investing in a safe and modern transportation system; that protects and preserves our natural resources while creating healthy communities; and fosters greater opportunities for all.

DVRPC’s mission is to achieve this vision by convening the widest array of partners to inform and facilitate data-driven decision-making. We are engaged across the region, and strive to be leaders and innovators, exploring new ideas and creating best practices.

We provide services to member governments and others through planning analysis, data collection, and mapping services. Aerial photographs, maps, and a variety of publications are available to the public and private sector.

DVRPC serves a diverse nine-county region in two states: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer in New Jersey.

For more information, visit DVRPC at http://www.dvrpc.org/

DVRPC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Full consideration will be given to all eligible, qualified applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, domestic or sexual violence victim status, ethnicity, familial status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition (including pregnancy), national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation; or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.