Resilience Corps Fellow

Do you want to springboard your career in beautiful and exciting Portland, Maine? The Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) Resilience Corps Fellowship is a unique opportunity to launch your career in public service while helping Maine communities tackle complex local challenges. Fellows serve with municipalities, regional planning organizations, nonprofits, and other community partners. Projects may focus on community and economic resilience, planning, infrastructure, sustainability, emergency preparedness, natural resources, and public engagement.

The work is varied, complex, interesting, and deeply important to the state of Maine. We are recruiting Fellows for our 2027 Service Term – beginning on January 18th, 2027!

Resilience Corps Fellows provide added capacity for important community projects that local organizations may not otherwise have the staff time or resources to advance. Through a full-time year of Ameri Corps service, Fellows gain substantial hands‑on experience, build personal and professional networks, and receive training, mentorship, and professional development to support their future careers.

While Fellows are placed in different roles at GPCOG and with external host sites, they serve as part of a cohort that learns from and with one another. Fellows participate in regular cohort meetings, professional development and training, community service days, and opportunities to connect with other Ameri Corps members across Maine.

Fellows gain high-level ‘on the job’ experience, build their personal and professional networks, and receive training, mentorship, and professional development in their desired field of future work. Fellows begin the service term with a comprehensive orientation and training period. Throughout the year, the cohort comes together regularly for professional development, peer learning, statewide conferences, and hands‑on community service. Fellowship training is designed to build practical workplace skills and exposure to careers in local government, regional planning, nonprofits, and related fields.

The 2027 Resilience Corps Fellowship is full-time, 40 hours per week. The upcoming Fellowship term begins on January 18, 2027 and ends December 17, 2027, with approximately two weeks of expected time off built in.

Resilience Corps can be a strong fit for recent college graduates, career changers, people with community-based or volunteer experience, and those interested in building a career in public service, planning, community development, sustainability, communications, data and GIS, economic development, or related fields.

Fellows do not need to begin service as subject‑matter experts, though some prior experience or academic knowledge is preferred. Strong candidates are curious, dependable, collaborative, willing to learn, comfortable taking initiative, and motivated to serve Maine communities. Because projects and community needs can evolve over the service term, Fellows should also be flexible and ready to take on new challenges.

Please note, our positions and host sites change each year. Candidates apply to be considered for the program, and not to specific host sites, but will learn about the available individual positions during the interview process and will ultimately be offered a specific role if selected. All Fellows are asked to be flexible, team‑players - as needs and projects may evolve over the service term.

Past and potential projects illustrate the range of work Fellows may support:

Community Science Fellow, supporting the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, building public understanding about the direct and…