2026 Mayoral Fellowship Program

Full Job Description

The Mayoral Fellowship Program is a premier opportunity for engaged, motivated, and civic-minded graduate/undergraduate students from all disciplines to apply their coursework to one of the greatest municipalities in the world: the City of Detroit.

Interns will serve the people of Detroit by supporting policy, communications, and public engagement initiatives within the city government. By working hand-in-hand with senior staff across many different City of Detroit departments and sister agencies throughout the city, interns will offer recommendations and possibly implement programs that improve the lives of Detroit's 673,000 residents. This unique opportunity to work with current decision makers and assist in the implementation of strategy will distinguish you and your skillset to any future employer.

Requirements

• Interns are placed in a City department based on their stated experience, background and suitability for a specific project or office.
• Interns work under the direct supervision of a department mentor on high-impact projects designed to improve the quality of life for Detroit residents.
• Interns will have the opportunity to participate in our lunch and learn speaker series, which will give them an opportunity to be exposed to both private and public sector leaders.
• Daily responsibilities will vary by position. Regardless of placement, interns are guaranteed to be exposed to varied responsibilities within their role.

Department Descriptions

• The Department of Public Works (DPW) is committed to enhancing our city's well-being by providing essential environmental and infrastructure services, such as overseeing solid waste collection, promoting citywide recycling, addressing illegal dumping, and maintaining streets and alleys, snow and ice removal, sidewalk maintenance, and the establishment of traffic control systems.
• The Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is the largest public transit provider in Michigan that serves the city of Detroit, surrounding suburbs, and neighboring cities, including Highland Park and Hamtramck.
• The Office of the Chief Financial Officer is a centralized financial management operation which consolidates all budget and finance related functions within the City.

The Fire Department goes beyond just firefighting and has seven (7) divisions, which operate under the purview of the Office of the Executive Fire Commissioner: Communications, Community Relations, Emergency Medical Services, Fire Fighting Operations, Fire Marshal Investigation, Arson, and Training.

The Department maintains and operates 39 facilities throughout the City of Detroit.

• The Detroit Health Department assumes responsibility for ensuring that essential local public health services are provided in the city; that the State of Michigan Maintenance of Effort (MOE) funding requirement for local government funding contributions is met, and that the public health of our community is improved.
• The Human Resources Department ensures that the 9,000 employees and job applicants of the City of Detroit are treated fairly on the basis of race, religion, color, age, gender, national origin, disability or other criteria prohibited by City, State or Federal Law.

The Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity Department, by City Charter, serves as an alternative dispute resolution agency.

The department is responsible for addressing barriers and/or discrimination issues that adversely affect the well-being and image of the city of Detroit, its residents, visitors and employees.

The Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) is a central staff agency responsible for developing and providing information technology and consulting services to City agencies that will innovate on how they deliver services and interact with citizens.

The responsibilities of DoIT include: strategic technology planning, business needs solutions, information management, Cyber Security, special project management, application development and implementation, system/application maintenance and support, telecommunications, data center operations, technology acquisition, data security and other services to empower agencies to use technology to improve operations and the quality of services provided to their customers.

The Mayor’s Office mission is growing Detroit’s population and improving the quality of life for its residents.

The initiatives and strategies focus on improving internal and external operations to achieve that mission.

The Executive Office is the administrative component of the executive branch of City government.

Under the Mayor’s direction, the Executive Team is responsible for developing and directing the execution of the Mayor’s vision and key initiatives.

• The Housing & Revitalization Department finance, underwrite, and administer housing and community investments that enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Detroit.
• The Planning & Development Department aims to build a city secure in its future, grounded in its roots and hopeful in its present. A world Class and inclusive planning & development department that sets the standard for equitable and innovative large city planning.

The Project Clean Slate Department, is a free expungement program launched by Mayor Duggan back in 2016 to help Detroiters clear their criminal records to create better opportunities for employment, education, and housing.

Attorneys and support staff handle all aspects of the expungement process for eligible Detroiters.

• The General Services Department helps to make the City of Detroit a clean, safe and vibrant place. We manage the City’s vehicle fleet, forestry services, vacant lot maintenance, city-owned building maintenance, and park and recreation center planning, design, improvements, and programming
• The Water & Sewerage Department delivers clean water and collects sanitary sewage and stormwater from more than 230,000 accounts, representing a residential population of nearly 700,000.

Qualifications

Be a currently enrolled undergraduate/graduate student or recent gradate at the time of employmentDemonstrate a strong commitment to excellence as evidenced by professional success, academic honors, leadership ability, extracurricular activities, and involvement in community or public serviceBe enthusiastic about public service and city governmentEmbody strong personal character and conviction Additional Information Application ProcessSubmit a resume, cover letter, and unofficial transcript.

Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until filled.