Communications and Public Engagement Intern

Office of Communications and Public Engagement

Position Type:Temporary Internship (40 hours per week for the summer)

There is one open position for this internship opportunity.

Overview

The Communications and Public Engagement (CAPE) Office is seeking a full-time summer intern to support Albemarle Countys public engagement and communications efforts. This role provides hands-on experience in communications outreach and campaign development within a local government environment.

This position will contribute to both engagement activities and communications development and distribution helping to connect community members with County initiatives services and processes. This position will experience the real-world application of public messaging including direct community interaction content development and campaign design.

Key Responsibilities

Community Engagement & Outreach

Plan attend and promote weekly community engagement pop-ups including staffing the Countys Lets Talk Albemarle van with guidance and support from staff

Prepare materials for public-facing events (displays handouts signage)

Communications & Content Development and Distribution

Design edit and schedule content for newsletters social media flyers and other public-facing materials that encourage community awareness participation and engagement

Translate complex or technical information into clear accessible plain-language content

Create basic graphic designs using County templates and brand standards

Assist in tracking communications and engagement metrics

Conduct interviews with County departments to gather information on key projects services and initiatives

Synthesize information into messaging that can be used for ongoing communications and outreach

Develop a New Resident Guide including content development coordination with departments and formatting

Intern Cohort Participation

Participate in the Countys summer intern cohort program collaborating with interns from across the organization (approximately 20% of time)

Qualifications

Currently pursuing or recently completed an undergraduate or graduate degree ideally in communications marketing or similar field

Strong writing and communication skills with the ability to convey information clearly to a public audience

Familiarity with basic graphic design tools (e.g. Canva)

Organized detail-oriented and able to manage multiple tasks and deadlines

Interest in public service communications or community engagement

Ability to work both independently and collaboratively

Valid drivers license and willingness to drive engagement van to local events

Preferred:

Experience with social media platforms and content creation

Interest in storytelling interviewing or content development

Interest in data analysis or communications metrics

Work Schedule and Pay:

• Interns are expected to work approximately 40 hours per week
• Pay rate is $20/hour.
• Internship placement is projected for June-August 2026.

Location:On-site (in-person)

Application Process: Please apply through the Career Center on the Albemarle website. Application deadline May 12th 2026

Virginia Values Veterans:

Albemarle County is a certified V3 organization.

EOE/EEO:

Albemarle County is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any group or individual on the basis of race color religion sex sexual orientation national origin age or disability in regards to any aspect of employment policy and practice: recruitment testing selection assignment pay conditions of work training leave overtime promotion discipline demotion and separation.