County Landscape Fellow

2026-2027 County Landscape Project Fellowship Program 

September 2026 – May 2027 

The National Association of Counties (NACo) in Washington, D.C., announces an opening for a fellowship under its County Landscape Project. 

The National Association of Counties (NACo) unites America’s 3,069 county governments. Founded in 1935, NACo brings county officials together to advocate with a collective voice on national policy, exchange ideas and build new leadership skills, pursue transformational county solutions, enrich the public’s understanding of county government and exercise exemplary leadership in public service. 
 

NACo’s County Landscape Project is a unified, accessible and authoritative resource that provides a comprehensive guide to how counties function, govern and serve our residents. By developing key insights, data and best practices under a single, cohesive project, we aim to enhance the way policymakers, federal and philanthropic partners and the public engage with county officials, and to encourage county-level partnerships across state lines. Whether examining the organizational structures, financial frameworks, essential services or intergovernmental roles of counties, the project serves as a critical reference for understanding our nation’s county government system at its core. 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities 
 

The fellow will work with the Research, Policy and Governance Studies (RPGS) team to augment and expand the County Landscape Project with a new line of research over the course of an academic year. In consultation with the RPGS team, the fellow will choose a previously unexplored topic which can help to clarify the role, function and/or structure of county governments across all states. Salient topics within the County Landscape Project are determined by NACo’s evolving priorities. These topics may include, but are not limited to: 

• Requirements and processes for local ballot measures; 
• Inventory and condition of county infrastructure; 
• Impact of municipal bonds on local infrastructure; 
• County role in Medicaid, SNAP, CCDF and other federal social service programs; 
• Roles of row officers across states (clerk, treasurer, assessor, sheriff, etc.) 
• Role of counties in developing and maintaining utility infrastructure; 
• Permitting and siting; 
• Analysis of Home Rule charters and general county government authority; 
• Analysis of city-county consolidations; and 
• Disaster management and response within our federalist system. 

The timing and duration of the fellowship should align with the academic year of the candidate. Fellowships typically begin in September and terminate in May, with a possible one-month extension after the Spring semester. A sample timeline is presented below. As part of his or her research, the fellow will:  

Fall Semester: 

• Conduct a brief, preliminary literature review of pertinent articles or reports (3 weeks); 
• Read and analyze relevant state statutes for all 48 states with county governments (5 weeks); 
• Develop a state-level dataset based on state statutes, to be added to NACo’s national database (3 weeks); and 
• Research and clean any applicable county-level datasets, to be added to NACo’s County Explorer (2 weeks). 

Spring Semester: 

• Analyze applicable county-level data and create visualizations (2 weeks); 
• Write a topical brief, published by NACo (5 weeks); 
• Write a short article to be published in NACo’s County News (1 week); 
• Update and expand NACo’s state-level governance profiles with the new research (3 weeks); and 
• Develop PowerPoint slides to present the research to NACo staff and/or members (2 weeks). 

Qualifications and skills needed for the position are presented below: 

• Strong interest in local government and the U.S. intergovernmental system 
• Excellent writing and qualitative research skills 
• Strong data and analytical skills 
• Strong customer service and communication skills 
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple tasks under short deadlines 
• Experience with Microsoft Office products. Excel and Word skills should be at intermediate level or higher 
• Eye for detail; strong organizational skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment 
• Comfort in handling large databases of county-level data 
• Proficiency with a statistical software package, such as STATA, R, or Python, is preferred, but not required 
• Background in Public Policy, Economics, Political Science or related field, with a completed Bachelor’s degree 

Graduate students, especially Ph.D. students, as well as recent graduates with a higher degree focused on public policy, economics, economic development, political science, public administration, political philosophy, other social sciences or related fields of interest to NACo are encouraged to apply. 

Preference will be given to candidates with an interest in local/state government careers. 

Hours/Salary 

Fellows typically work at least 3 full days, up to 24-29 hours per week, depending on the Department’s needs and the fellow’s availability. This fellowship is paid ($20-30/hr). 

Application Procedures 

To apply for a fellowship, please send a resume and cover letter to research@naco.org or apply through Handshake.  

In your email and/or cover letter (if applying on Handshake), indicate your availability (approximate number of hours per week available to work and approximate start and end dates). Applications are processed on a rolling basis until all available positions are filled, so applying early is encouraged. 

Additional Note: 

The fellow may have the opportunity to telework at the discretion of the Director of Research, though fellows should primarily reside in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region for the duration of their fellowship and plan to spend the majority of their time in the office.