DOW SkillBridge International Affairs and Trade Policy Internship

About the role

• Westwin Elements participates in the Department of War SkillBridge program, which enables transitioning service members to gain civilian work experience during their final months of service. SkillBridge interns at Westwin apply military skills to real policy work, receive mentorship from experienced policy and industry professionals, and gain exposure to the national security innovation ecosystem. Applicants must meet federal eligibility requirements for SkillBridge participation.

What you'll do

• Supporting live federal and international engagements

• Preparing leadership briefing materials

• Drafting external-facing documents (letters, memos, talking points)

• Tracking policy movement and translating impact to Westwin

Output Requirements:

• Weekly intelligence brief

• Pre-read materials for executive engagements

• At least one full policy product (memo, strategy doc, or briefing deck)

Core Responsibilities:

• Track international trade and policy developments impacting nickel and critical minerals

• Produce decision-ready analysis (not summaries)

• Support USTR, State, and Commerce engagement preparation

• Build stakeholder maps across foreign governments and trade bodies

• Identify risks and opportunities in global supply chains

• Assist in drafting:

• • Policy memos

• • Congressional materials

• • International engagement briefs

Qualifications

• Active-duty service member approved for SkillBridge

• Strong writing ability with emphasis on clarity and brevity

• Ability to translate complex issues into actionable recommendations

• Background or interest in:

• • International affairs

• • Political science

• • Economics

• • Intelligence, logistics, or strategic planning (military experience counts heavily)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with:
• • Trade policy or economic analysis

• • Indo-Pacific, Latin America, or Africa regional exposure

• • Federal agency coordination

• • Familiarity with tariffs, supply chains, or international relations

Performance Expectations

• Delivers concise, decision-focused work

• Meets deadlines without follow-up

• Operates with minimal supervision by midpoint of internship

• Demonstrates ability to connect policy to business impact