Internship Coordinator

Starting Rate: $23.00-$24.00/hour

Schedule: Monday through Friday, 30 hours per week. Some evening and weekend hours may be required for events. 

The Internship Coordinator serves as the primary point of contact for students and educational partners seeking internship opportunities at Advocates. This role coordinates the internship experience from initial inquiry through placement and onboarding, connecting students with meaningful opportunities that align with their academic programs, career interests, and the needs of the organization.

Working closely with Career Development, Talent Acquisition, hiring managers, and program leaders, the Internship Coordinator builds strong relationships with colleges and universities, expands Advocates' internship pipeline, and helps create opportunities for students to gain meaningful experience while contributing to our mission.

Who We Are

At Advocates, we provide comprehensive services for people facing developmental, mental health, or other life challenges.

We're a nonprofit, mission-driven organization with a person-centered approach, empowering the individuals we support to make choices, build independence, and live full, meaningful lives. Our work is rooted in respect, compassion, and inclusion, and we envision a world where individual differences are appreciated and celebrated.

At Advocates, we value the ideas, experiences, and contributions of employees and are committed to fostering a supportive, welcoming culture where everyone can grow and thrive.

Internship Coordination & Candidate Support

• Serve as the primary point of contact for internship inquiries from students, colleges, universities, and other educational partners.
• Respond to internship inquiries and engage with prospective interns to understand their academic requirements, interests, skills, availability, and career goals.
• Assess internship requests and identify appropriate placement opportunities across Advocates based on the student's background and organizational needs.
• Partner with program leaders and potential supervisors to identify appropriate internship opportunities and facilitate successful placements.
• Provide guidance and support to prospective interns throughout the application and placement process.
• Maintain timely and professional communication with candidates, supervisors, and educational partners.

Internship Recruitment & Placement

• Coordinate internship opportunities across the organization and ensure available opportunities are appropriately advertised and promoted.
• Screen internship candidates and submit qualified candidates to potential supervisors for consideration.
• Track internship openings, candidates, placements, and status updates.
• Help identify opportunities to expand and strengthen Advocates' internship program and student talent pipeline.

Application & Onboarding

• Manage the internship application and onboarding process from initial application through placement.
• Collect and maintain required internship documentation, including school requirements, agreements, and other applicable materials.
• Coordinate onboarding activities and ensure interns complete required steps prior to their start date.
• Schedule onboarding activities and coordinate with appropriate internal teams.
• Submit and track IT access requests and coordinate other onboarding needs.
• Ensure internship placements are appropriately documented and that required information is maintained throughout the internship.

College & University Partnerships

• Assist in developing and sustaining strategic relationships with colleges and universities, including career services professionals, internship coordinators, faculty members, academic departments, and other campus partners.
• Maintain regular communication with existing college and university contacts and identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Promote Advocates as an employer of choice for students seeking internships and experiential learning opportunities.
• Participate in career fairs, networking events, campus recruiting activities, and other outreach opportunities as appropriate.

Internship Program Administration

• Coordinate and support internship programs across Advocates, ensuring a consistent and positive experience for interns and supervisors.
• Manage internship contracts and related information in Gatekeeper, ensuring records are accurate and up to date.
• Maintain accurate tracking of internship inquiries, applications, placements, onboarding, and program participation.
• Monitor internship placements and maintain communication with interns and supervisors as needed.
• Identify trends, opportunities, and challenges within the internship program and make recommendations for improvement.
• Partner with Career Development and Talent Acquisition on initiatives designed to strengthen student and early-career talent pipelines.

• High school diploma or equivalent and 1-2 years’ experience in an administrative role required. Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, education, career development, communications, or a related field preferred.
• One year experience in recruitment, talent acquisition, career services, internship coordination, higher education, or a related field preferred.
• Experience developing and maintaining relationships with colleges, universities, or other external partners preferred.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, candidates, and internship placements simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective relationships with students, hiring managers, educational partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment when assessing internship opportunities and determining appropriate placement options.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Comfortable working independently while collaborating across departments and organizational levels.
• Experience with applicant tracking systems, relationship management systems, contract management systems or other HR technology preferred.

Advocates is committed to cultivating a diverse and welcoming community where everyone feels respected and valued. Advocates fosters a culture of inclusion that celebrates and promotes diversity along multiple dimensions, including race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, partnered status, age, national origin, socioeconomic status, religion, ability, culture, and experience.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application, interview or hiring process, please contact Human Resources.