OPT Public Policy Manager Jobs
Public Policy Manager roles qualify for F-1 OPT when the position requires a bachelor's degree or higher in public policy, political science, economics, or a related field. Most roles sit inside government affairs teams, nonprofits, or think tanks, and your 12-month OPT window (up to 36 months for STEM-adjacent programs) applies from your first day.
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Get Access To All JobsDepartment/Organization
225101 - School of Leadership & Policy
Rank
Assistant/Associate Professor
Position Summary
The University of Alabama School of Leadership and Policy (SLP) invites applications for multiple renewable contract faculty positions in Public Policy, at the rank of assistant or associate professor, beginning August 2027. We seek teachers and mentors who will prepare students to analyze, shape, and carry out public policy. The SLP will open its doors for classes in fall 2027 as the first new college-level unit established at The University of Alabama in 60 years; as a new school, the SLP offers faculty a rare opportunity to help build a curriculum and set of programs from the ground up.
Detailed Position Information
These are teaching- and student-focused appointments in the undergraduate and graduate public policy programs. Preparation for this role can come from academic training alone or from a combination of academic training and practical experience. We expect to hire multiple faculty into these positions and understand that an individual candidate may not meet all of the preferences below. We will build a faculty whose strengths are complementary.
Beyond classroom teaching, faculty in these positions will support students directly and will build the school's relationships with the organizations that host and hire them. This work may include career advising and mentoring, supervision of the public policy capstone and student internships, development of experiential learning programs and courses, identifying capstone clients and internship sites, and connecting students to employers. Assignments are made by the department chair or dean and will reflect the needs of the school and the strengths of each faculty member.
Research is not a condition of these appointments and carries no weight in evaluation, reappointment, or promotion.
Rank at appointment will reflect the candidate's qualifications and experience. Appointments are for a three-year term and are renewable. Reappointment depends on documented performance, continued departmental need, and continued availability of funding. Renewable contract faculty are eligible for promotion in rank.
We offer a competitive salary and relocation assistance.
Minimum Qualifications
Candidates must hold either a doctorate or other terminal degree in a relevant field, or a master's degree combined with a record of professional accomplishment in public policy. Relevant doctoral fields include public policy, public administration, economics, political science, and related disciplines in the social sciences. We also welcome candidates whose doctoral training lies elsewhere but whose research and teaching bear directly on public policy.
All candidates must demonstrate strong potential for undergraduate and graduate teaching and for mentoring students. Candidates applying at the associate professor rank should present a record of teaching and professional accomplishment appropriate to that rank.
Preferred Qualifications
Teaching. Applicants should demonstrate the potential to teach in the SLP's public policy curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Courses include Economics of Public Policy, Policy Analysis and Evaluation, Research Methods in Public Policy, Values in Public Policy, Communicating Public Policy, the Policymaking Process, and Leadership in Public Policy. Experience directing or teaching a capstone course in public policy, or demonstrated aptitude for doing so, is particularly valuable. Successful candidates will help build out the curriculum by developing additional courses that reflect their own expertise and areas of specialization.
Policy expertise. We welcome candidates whose expertise bears on the policy challenges facing Alabama and its communities. That expertise may have been developed through scholarship, professional practice, or both.
Analytic preparation. We are particularly interested in candidates prepared to teach the analytic core of the curriculum, including policy analysis and evaluation, economics for public policy, and the research methods sequence.
Professional experience. Candidates whose qualifications are based on practical experience should have led the design, adoption, implementation, or evaluation of public policy in government, the military, the nonprofit sector, or private industry.
Mentoring. We seek candidates who are committed to student development and who show evidence of it, whether through teaching, advising, supervising, coaching, or developing junior colleagues. Candidates coming from practice will often bring a network of contacts who can serve as employers, internship hosts, capstone clients, and guest speakers.
Program building. We value candidates who have created something and run it, whether a course sequence, an internship or fellowship program, a training curriculum, or an applied learning program.
Instructions and Required Materials for Application
Applicants should submit a cover letter explaining how their academic training, practical experience, or both prepare them to teach and mentor students in public policy. Applicants should also submit a curriculum vitae or resume, a teaching statement, contact information for three references, and graduate transcript (need not be official transcript at this time). The teaching statement should describe the applicant's approach to teaching, prior teaching experience, the courses they are prepared to teach, and what they aim to accomplish with students. Applicants should include any available evidence of teaching effectiveness. Review of applications will begin Nov. 15 and continue until the positions are filled. Questions may be directed to Dr. Joseph L. Smith at jos.smith@ua.edu.
About the Division/College/School
The School of Leadership and Policy (SLP) is the first new college-level unit established at The University of Alabama in 60 years, created to build on the University's history of educating effective leaders and policymakers. UA President Dr. Peter J. Mohler is committed to establishing a nationally recognized institution dedicated to advancing leadership and policy education for the next generation of changemakers. The SLP faculty will blend tenure-track and contract faculty with professors of pp (BA and MPP) and organizational leadership (BA), with plans to add an online BA and in-person and online master's degrees in organizational leadership.
The SLP focuses on leadership across sectors, not partisan politics. Its interdisciplinary, practice-oriented curriculum emphasizes skills, not ideology: ethics, collaboration, data literacy, communication, economic analysis, systems thinking, public problem-solving, and evidence-based practice. The SLP will prepare students of all backgrounds to become effective leaders, policymakers, and public servants who contribute to the social, economic, and civic well-being of Alabama and the nation. Students will be exposed to multiple viewpoints and will engage directly with public institutions, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector through internships, policy labs, and community-based projects, developing the perspective and skills needed to address complex challenges with practical solutions.
As a new school, the SLP offers faculty a rare opportunity: the chance to help build a curriculum, a research culture, and a set of programs from the ground up. The SLP will bring together faculty across leadership and public policy, whose research and teaching will regularly reach practitioners: elected officials, civil servants, and business and nonprofit leaders working to solve real problems. The SLP will be housed in the historic Farrah Hall, now undergoing a $40M renovation to create modern classrooms, offices, and labs.
About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the-art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
Department/Organization
225101 - School of Leadership & Policy
Rank
Assistant/Associate Professor
Position Summary
The University of Alabama School of Leadership and Policy (SLP) invites applications for multiple renewable contract faculty positions in Public Policy, at the rank of assistant or associate professor, beginning August 2027. We seek teachers and mentors who will prepare students to analyze, shape, and carry out public policy. The SLP will open its doors for classes in fall 2027 as the first new college-level unit established at The University of Alabama in 60 years; as a new school, the SLP offers faculty a rare opportunity to help build a curriculum and set of programs from the ground up.
Detailed Position Information
These are teaching- and student-focused appointments in the undergraduate and graduate public policy programs. Preparation for this role can come from academic training alone or from a combination of academic training and practical experience. We expect to hire multiple faculty into these positions and understand that an individual candidate may not meet all of the preferences below. We will build a faculty whose strengths are complementary.
Beyond classroom teaching, faculty in these positions will support students directly and will build the school's relationships with the organizations that host and hire them. This work may include career advising and mentoring, supervision of the public policy capstone and student internships, development of experiential learning programs and courses, identifying capstone clients and internship sites, and connecting students to employers. Assignments are made by the department chair or dean and will reflect the needs of the school and the strengths of each faculty member.
Research is not a condition of these appointments and carries no weight in evaluation, reappointment, or promotion.
Rank at appointment will reflect the candidate's qualifications and experience. Appointments are for a three-year term and are renewable. Reappointment depends on documented performance, continued departmental need, and continued availability of funding. Renewable contract faculty are eligible for promotion in rank.
We offer a competitive salary and relocation assistance.
Minimum Qualifications
Candidates must hold either a doctorate or other terminal degree in a relevant field, or a master's degree combined with a record of professional accomplishment in public policy. Relevant doctoral fields include public policy, public administration, economics, political science, and related disciplines in the social sciences. We also welcome candidates whose doctoral training lies elsewhere but whose research and teaching bear directly on public policy.
All candidates must demonstrate strong potential for undergraduate and graduate teaching and for mentoring students. Candidates applying at the associate professor rank should present a record of teaching and professional accomplishment appropriate to that rank.
Preferred Qualifications
Teaching. Applicants should demonstrate the potential to teach in the SLP's public policy curriculum at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Courses include Economics of Public Policy, Policy Analysis and Evaluation, Research Methods in Public Policy, Values in Public Policy, Communicating Public Policy, the Policymaking Process, and Leadership in Public Policy. Experience directing or teaching a capstone course in public policy, or demonstrated aptitude for doing so, is particularly valuable. Successful candidates will help build out the curriculum by developing additional courses that reflect their own expertise and areas of specialization.
Policy expertise. We welcome candidates whose expertise bears on the policy challenges facing Alabama and its communities. That expertise may have been developed through scholarship, professional practice, or both.
Analytic preparation. We are particularly interested in candidates prepared to teach the analytic core of the curriculum, including policy analysis and evaluation, economics for public policy, and the research methods sequence.
Professional experience. Candidates whose qualifications are based on practical experience should have led the design, adoption, implementation, or evaluation of public policy in government, the military, the nonprofit sector, or private industry.
Mentoring. We seek candidates who are committed to student development and who show evidence of it, whether through teaching, advising, supervising, coaching, or developing junior colleagues. Candidates coming from practice will often bring a network of contacts who can serve as employers, internship hosts, capstone clients, and guest speakers.
Program building. We value candidates who have created something and run it, whether a course sequence, an internship or fellowship program, a training curriculum, or an applied learning program.
Instructions and Required Materials for Application
Applicants should submit a cover letter explaining how their academic training, practical experience, or both prepare them to teach and mentor students in public policy. Applicants should also submit a curriculum vitae or resume, a teaching statement, contact information for three references, and graduate transcript (need not be official transcript at this time). The teaching statement should describe the applicant's approach to teaching, prior teaching experience, the courses they are prepared to teach, and what they aim to accomplish with students. Applicants should include any available evidence of teaching effectiveness. Review of applications will begin Nov. 15 and continue until the positions are filled. Questions may be directed to Dr. Joseph L. Smith at jos.smith@ua.edu.
About the Division/College/School
The School of Leadership and Policy (SLP) is the first new college-level unit established at The University of Alabama in 60 years, created to build on the University's history of educating effective leaders and policymakers. UA President Dr. Peter J. Mohler is committed to establishing a nationally recognized institution dedicated to advancing leadership and policy education for the next generation of changemakers. The SLP faculty will blend tenure-track and contract faculty with professors of pp (BA and MPP) and organizational leadership (BA), with plans to add an online BA and in-person and online master's degrees in organizational leadership.
The SLP focuses on leadership across sectors, not partisan politics. Its interdisciplinary, practice-oriented curriculum emphasizes skills, not ideology: ethics, collaboration, data literacy, communication, economic analysis, systems thinking, public problem-solving, and evidence-based practice. The SLP will prepare students of all backgrounds to become effective leaders, policymakers, and public servants who contribute to the social, economic, and civic well-being of Alabama and the nation. Students will be exposed to multiple viewpoints and will engage directly with public institutions, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector through internships, policy labs, and community-based projects, developing the perspective and skills needed to address complex challenges with practical solutions.
As a new school, the SLP offers faculty a rare opportunity: the chance to help build a curriculum, a research culture, and a set of programs from the ground up. The SLP will bring together faculty across leadership and public policy, whose research and teaching will regularly reach practitioners: elected officials, civil servants, and business and nonprofit leaders working to solve real problems. The SLP will be housed in the historic Farrah Hall, now undergoing a $40M renovation to create modern classrooms, offices, and labs.
About the University
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the-art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
Background Investigation and EEO Statement
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
See all OPT Public Policy Manager Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Public Policy Manager Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Public Policy Manager
Target mission-driven organizations with established HR infrastructure
Large nonprofits, think tanks, and advocacy organizations are more likely to have HR teams familiar with OPT work authorization. Smaller policy shops may be willing but lack the internal capacity to navigate the process confidently.
Lead with your policy expertise, not your visa status
Frame your OPT authorization as a straightforward hiring step, not a complication. Emphasize your policy research, stakeholder engagement, or legislative analysis skills first. Most Public Policy Manager roles compete on expertise, not work authorization complexity.
Align your degree field directly to the role description
OPT authorization is tied to your field of study. Public Policy Manager roles must connect to your degree in public policy, economics, international relations, or political science. A clear degree-to-role match strengthens your candidacy and satisfies DSO reporting requirements.
Apply before your OPT authorization is issued, not after
The USCIS OPT processing window is three to five months. Start your job search while your application is pending. Most employers will accept a conditional start date once your EAD card arrival date is confirmed by your DSO.
Prepare a one-paragraph OPT explainer for hiring managers
Write a clear, jargon-free summary of your work authorization: what OPT is, how long it lasts, what the employer is not required to do, and when you can start. Sharing this proactively builds trust and shortens the decision-making timeline.
Public Policy Manager OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Public Policy Manager role qualify for F-1 OPT?
Yes, as long as the position requires a degree in a field directly related to public policy work, such as public policy, political science, economics, international relations, or public administration. The role must be a professional-level position that genuinely requires that academic background. Entry-level or administrative policy support roles may not satisfy the direct relationship requirement your DSO must certify.
Can I work as a Public Policy Manager for a government agency on OPT?
Yes, federal, state, and local government agencies can hire F-1 OPT students. OPT is employer-agnostic. The agency does not need to sponsor you or file any USCIS petition. You are authorized to work by your EAD card, and the agency simply verifies your Form I-9 documentation like any other employer. Some agencies have internal security clearance requirements that may affect eligibility separately.
How do I find Public Policy Manager jobs that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT and visa-sponsored job searches, so every Public Policy Manager listing on the platform is vetted for sponsorship openness. Filtering by role type and OPT eligibility saves significant time compared to applying broadly and encountering authorization objections late in the hiring process.
Does a Public Policy Manager role qualify for STEM OPT extension?
Most Public Policy Manager roles do not qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension because public policy, political science, and international relations degrees are not on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. However, if your underlying degree is in economics, statistics, or a qualifying STEM field and you can connect it to the role, you may be eligible. Confirm with your DSO before relying on this pathway.
What happens to my OPT status if my Public Policy Manager role ends before my EAD expires?
F-1 OPT students are allowed up to 90 days of cumulative unemployment during the post-completion OPT period. If your position ends, that 90-day clock starts immediately. You can begin searching for a new qualifying Public Policy Manager role within that window without losing your status. Exceeding 90 days of unemployment terminates your OPT authorization, so tracking that timeline closely with your DSO is critical.