Department:
Communications & CultureOur Company Promise
We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer.
Job Description:
Summer 2027 Culture & Engagement Internship
Notice: We ask that you apply with your personal email address rather than your school email (.edu) so we can stay connected about future roles at Southwest. Be sure to attach a resume to your application.
The Southwest Airlines’ Culture & Engagement Intern will work on projects across several Teams that support our Employees, Customers, communities, and business. If hired, Interns may be selected to support one of the following Teams:
- Culture & Employee Engagement: Culture & Employee Engagement Interns assist in creating an environment where Employees feel heard, recognized, celebrated, and supported throughout their experience. As an Intern in this department, you would promote, participate in, and help lead Companywide appreciation efforts and celebrations. Interns will also support projects and programs related to Companywide storytelling and the overall Employee Experience.
- Brand Partnerships & Community Engagement: Our Team brings the Southwest brand to life through authentic relationships and memorable experiences that create a sense of Community. Through our collective work, the Team helps drive revenue, Customer loyalty, and market expansion for the Company. The Brand Partnerships & Community Engagement Intern will assist in ensuring continuity within the go-to-market process by providing clear direction toward campaign milestones, maintaining timelines, and helping hold the project Team accountable for excellent execution. These efforts support strategy and creative Teams while keeping business needs at the forefront for multiple functional areas, such as Local Strategy, Customer Development, Traffic, Southwest Business, and Southwest Vacations.
- Employee & Corporate Giving: The Employee & Corporate Giving Intern will gain hands-on experience in corporate social responsibility and employee engagement while helping Southwest Airlines make a meaningful difference in the communities we serve. This role assists with coordinating employee giving and volunteerism initiatives, Coheart Relief Fund and Southwest Airlines Fund operations and giving, and national nonprofit partnership and travel grant program administration and activation. Through these efforts, we cultivate a Culture of caring, deepen Employee engagement, and enhance community well-being – connecting People to what's important in their lives.
- Sales Enablement: Support broad enablement and sales cycle initiatives that drive awareness, acquisition, and engagement with both Southwest Business Employees and B2B Customers through communications, events, customer data analysis, and development. Process ongoing fulfilment requests and collaborate with other sales engagement work streams on administrative functions and continuous process improvement.
Additional Details
- Join Southwest as a Summer 2027 Intern, with a 12-week internship lasting from May 18 – August 8, 2027.
- Pay of $21-$24 per hour, corresponding with progress toward degree.
- Stipends may be offered based on eligibility and program criteria.
- The culture of Southwest Airlines means we value the camaraderie, collaboration, and innovation that occurs when we come together and interact face-to-face at our vibrant Corporate Campus. Due to the nature of this role, you would be required to work from our Dallas, TX headquarters facility during business hours (2702 Love Field Drive).
- Dedicate 40 hours each week (maximum of 8 hours per day) to your internship responsibilities and tasks.
- Receive free, unlimited space available travel privileges for yourself (taxes and fees may apply on international travel).
- Interns will be provided any required equipment, such as a laptop, for the internship
- U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the U.S. required and no current or future work authorization sponsorship available.
We’re committed to fair hiring practices and to making employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics.
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities of the Culture & Engagement Interns may include, but are not limited to:
- Support the planning, coordination, and execution of programs, projects, campaigns, events, and experiences for Employees, Candidates, Customers, community organizations, and other internal or external audiences.
- Assist with project and program management activities, including developing project materials, coordinating milestones, maintaining timelines, tracking deliverables, documenting updates, and communicating project status.
- Support events, activations, recruiting activities, appreciation efforts, volunteer opportunities, community programs, and other Team initiatives, including coordinating logistics, materials, schedules, supplies, and follow-up activities.
- Draft, edit, and organize communications, presentations, reports, stories, and other content for internal and external audiences.
- Conduct research and gather, analyze, and summarize qualitative and quantitative information to support business decisions, program strategies, continuous improvement efforts, and stakeholder recommendations.
- Respond to questions and inquiries from Employees, Candidates, Customers, community partners, vendors, or other Stakeholders while providing friendly and professional service.
- Assist with administrative and operational activities, including scheduling meetings, preparing agendas and materials, documenting meeting notes, maintaining records, tracking inventory, and updating program information.
- Collaborate and coordinate with cross-functional Teams, Stakeholders, vendors, community partners, and other business partners to support program goals and project execution.
- Identify opportunities to improve processes, resources, communications, and program experiences; assist with developing and implementing appropriate solutions.
- Handle confidential or sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.
- Participate in occasional travel or onsite activities for projects, recruiting events, community initiatives, or Company events, as needed.
- Perform other job duties as directed by the Intern’s Leader.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly with internal and external audiences.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple assignments, priorities, and deadlines.
- Ability to build positive working relationships and collaborate with diverse Stakeholders, Teams, Customers, and community partners.
- Strong attention to detail, including the ability to review work for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and appropriate grammar.
- Ability to gather, organize, analyze, and synthesize information from multiple sources.
- Ability to interpret data, feedback, or research and communicate key findings through reports, presentations, or recommendations.
- Ability to think critically, solve problems, and identify opportunities for process or program improvement.
- Ability to adapt to changing priorities, learn new concepts and systems, and contribute in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to maintain confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and discretion.
- Ability to contribute ideas and actively participate in projects from planning through execution.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
- Interest in one or more of the following areas: Employee engagement, organizational Culture, communications, community impact, corporate social responsibility, Brand partnerships, project management, recruiting, Talent Acquisition, or early-career programs.
Education
- High School Diploma, GED or equivalent education required
- Progress toward a degree, major, or minor in Business, Communications, Marketing, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Hospitality, Event Planning, Psychology, Nonprofit Management, Social Impact, or a related field; or a similar degree
- Progress towards a 4-year undergraduate degree preferred
- To be eligible, you must be currently enrolled as a full-time student (as defined by your university) at the time of application and during the internship
- At least 3 semesters remaining at the time the internship ends is preferred
- Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA at the time of application
Experience
- Preferred: Previous internship, work, volunteer, campus organization, or Leadership experience.
- Preferred: Experience supporting projects, programs, events, campaigns, recruiting activities, volunteer efforts, or community initiatives.
- Preferred: Experience developing written, visual, presentation, or social content for a defined audience.
- Preferred: Experience working with qualitative or quantitative data, surveys, reports, or program feedback.
- Preferred: Experience using project management, reporting, customer relationship management, content development, or collaboration tools.
- Preferred: Experience providing Customer Service or supporting internal or external Stakeholders.
- Preferred: Experience coordinating logistics, materials, communications, schedules, or follow-up activities for an event or program.
- Preferred: Familiarity with Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Power BI, Tableau, Salesforce, or comparable tools is a plus.
Southwest Airlines is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Skills Required
- High school diploma, GED, or equivalent education
- Currently enrolled as a full-time student at the time of application and during the internship
- Progress toward a degree, major, or minor in Business, Communications, Marketing, Human Resources, Organizational Development, Hospitality, Event Planning, Psychology, Nonprofit Management, Social Impact, or a related field
- Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA at the time of application
- U.S. citizenship or current authorization to work in the United States
- No current or future work authorization sponsorship available
- Availability to work 40 hours per week for the 12-week internship from May 18 through August 8, 2027
- Ability to work on-site at the Southwest Airlines headquarters in Dallas, Texas, during business hours
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organizational and time-management skills
- Ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and business partners
- Strong attention to detail and ability to review work for accuracy, completeness, consistency, and grammar
- Ability to gather, organize, analyze, and synthesize information
- Ability to think critically, solve problems, and identify process or program improvements
- Ability to maintain confidential and sensitive information professionally and discreetly
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
- At least three semesters remaining at the end of the internship
- Previous internship, work, volunteer, campus organization, or leadership experience
- Experience supporting projects, programs, events, campaigns, recruiting activities, volunteer efforts, or community initiatives
- Experience developing written, visual, presentation, or social content for a defined audience
- Experience working with qualitative or quantitative data, surveys, reports, or program feedback
- Experience using project management, reporting, customer relationship management, content development, or collaboration tools
- Experience providing customer service or supporting internal or external stakeholders
- Experience coordinating logistics, materials, communications, schedules, or follow-up activities for an event or program
- Familiarity with Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Power BI, Tableau, Salesforce, or comparable tools
Southwest Airlines Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Southwest Airlines and has not been reviewed or approved by Southwest Airlines.
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Pay Growth & Progression — Pay progression is described as materially improving after major 2024 union agreements, especially for pilots and flight attendants. Compensation satisfaction is framed as stronger over time as step scales and seniority accumulate.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support stands out through a dollar-for-dollar 401(k) match and the presence of profit-sharing contributions that can add to retirement savings. Stock purchase access is also positioned as an additional ownership-oriented component of total rewards.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle value is elevated by extensive space-available travel privileges and broad travel-related discounts that can materially offset personal travel costs. Recognition mechanisms like points-based rewards are also positioned as an added lifestyle-oriented perk.
Southwest Airlines Insights
What We Do
At Southwest Airlines we connect People to what’s important in their lives—that also means connecting our Employees to what’s important in their lives! Our Employees value the opportunity to work hard, be creative, and have fun on the job. Southwest Airlines recognizes, respects, and values differences. By fostering a culture that embraces and utilizes our diversity, we create competitive advantages in teamwork and innovation that contribute to our overall success.







