MPC seeks Allard Fellowship candidates

The

Metropolitan Planning Council is now seeking applicants for their 6-month paid Allard Fellowship to support their water supply and municipal capacity building efforts. This paid fellowship is targeted for candidates who reflect the economic and racial diversity of the Chicago region.

The Allard Fellowship, named for a beloved former MPC President, the late Jean Allard and generously seeded by Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal (now SNR Denton), is designed to attract a talented emerging professional not currently in a position to volunteer at MPC. This paid fellowship is targeted to candidates who reflect the economic and racial diversity of the Chicago region. The Fellow works directly with staff at all levels of the organization, external partners, Board members and other volunteers at MPC. A fellow works approximately 20-30 hours a week, for a six month period.

For the 2018 Allard Fellowship, the ideal fellow will have the research skills, relevant topical knowledge and organizational acumen to support work in two core inter-related areas: Municipal Capacity Building, and Water Supply Management. This work will entail:

1. Researching and documenting best practices in municipal service sharing, joint procurement and other intergovernmental agreements;

2. Examining how other state and regional government entities, as well as private sector actors, bolster municipal capacity through their operations;

3. Researching best practices and case studies in drinking water utility governance and regionalization;

4. Developing curriculum and supporting materials for a municipal academy to complement Drinking Water 1-2-3;

5. Organizing and scheduling meetings for key staff with partner organizations and project stakeholders; and,

6. Writing case studies for MPC’s web site on best practices in local government effectiveness.

The appropriate candidate will have a Bachelor’s Degree in planning, policy, urban studies or another relevant field. A Master’s Degree and/or one to two years of work experience is preferred.

For the Allard Fellowship, the applicant must submit:

1. current CV;

2. writing sample (1-2 pages);

3. any other supporting evidence as the applicant sees fit (e.g. evidence of quantitative analysis, GIS work, renderings, articles, etc.);

4. cover letter that articulates specific interest in MPC and its governance and water supply programs, how this Fellowship opportunity will position the applicant for professional growth, and why, but for this Fellowship, the applicant would not be in a position to volunteer at MPC; and

5. nomination letter by a non-family member. The nomination letter should be included in the application materials, should articulate the nominee’s potential for a career in urban and regional policy, and should establish why the nominee deserves and needs a paid fellowship at MPC.

The Metropolitan Planning Council is accepting applications through February 19, 2018. The fellowship will take place from approximately March 1 – August 31, 2018. Please send application materials by e-mail to Skyler Larrimore, Operations Manager, at manager@metroplanning.org. No phone calls please. MPC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.