As a Community Relations Intern, you will have the opportunity to work with various Town departments and gain valuable skills in the areas of community relations, customer service, staff training and development, and employee engagement; as well as the opportunity to develop skills relevant to the field of public service. Your most important qualifications are curiosity, creativity, and the ability to organize information for easy understanding. The preferred candidate demonstrates a strong interest in public service and a desire to learn about customer service and community relations. The intern reports to the Community Relations Manager and is a member of the Manager’s Office.
Background
Thorpe Undergraduate Internships
This internship program is named for former Chapel Hill Council Member Bill Thorpe, who served the Chapel Hill community for nearly 40 years. Mr. Thorpe was first elected to the Town Council from 1977 to 1981. He was elected to serve another term from 1983 to 1987 and again in 2005. He served as Mayor Pro-Tem from 1985 to 1987. Thorpe passed away on September 27, 2008.
In 2006, Council Member Thorpe initiated the Town’s first paid undergraduate internship program to encourage student participation in the Town and community. In 2009, the Town of Chapel Hill officially named the program the “Bill Thorpe Undergraduate Internship Program” to honor him. The Thorpe Internship program is funded annually through the Town of Chapel Hill’s budget process and offers undergraduate internship opportunities during the spring and fall semesters. Thorpe interns earn an hourly wage over one or two semesters; maximum compensation equals $2,500.00. Each department sets hours and other requirements and will be included in the job posting.
To be considered for an undergraduate internship position with the Town of Chapel Hill, candidates must:
- Be enrolled in an undergraduate program from an accredited college or university.
- Possess good oral and written communication skills.
- Be proficient with computers and software applications including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Canva.
- Be eager to learn and able to work independently.
This position is classified as temporary and does not qualify for benefits. Temporary employees are limited to working 950 hours in a 12-month period. All Town employees must pass a pre-employment background check and drug screen. Each intern will be paid an hourly rate of $20.00 per hour up to $1,250.00 total per semester.
Students may work on average 10 to 15 hours per week depending on schedules and the needs of the department. Each department can be flexible depending on the schedule availability of the student, but hours will generally fall between 8:30am and 5:00pm Monday through Friday.
Typical duties include but are not limited to:
- Research customer service best practices
- Design and distribute necessary staff training materials for customer service trainings
- Create engaging presentations tailored to specific Town departments
- Plan and execute internal employee engagement and staff training events
- Support the creation and management of a customer service training “playbook”
- Analyze customer feedback data and explore options for performance improvement
- Support the delivery and evaluation of training sessions
Your work will be at Town Hall and, some remote work is possible. A valid driver’s license is helpful but not required. Candidates should have availability to work about 10-15 hours a week, from Monday through Friday, between 8:00am and 5:00pm. The intern will have opportunities for professional growth.
