Health Engagement & Operations Excellence Intern (Summer 2026)

WHO WE ARE:

With the Health Division, you’ll be joining a passionate team of self-motivated change agents united by our mission: driving to design the delivery of high-quality healthcare for nearly three-quarters of a million active and retired Texas public educators.

The healthcare industry is complex and we’re a team of problem-solvers who are up for the challenge. With a focus on innovation and collaboration to catalyze the market, we spend nearly $4 billion annually on healthcare to make a difference in our members’ lives. With a career at TRS, you’ll be empowered through a culture of continuous learning, front-line decision-making, coaching and mentorship to shape the future of our work, while transforming healthcare delivery for 1 in 41 Texans.

Internship: This position is a paid, full-time, limited term assignment that offers interns the opportunity to gain substantive hands on experience. Interns enjoy the opportunity to get training and mentoring from experienced professionals in one or more areas. Interns may also be eligible to continue working part-time through the fall and spring semesters, depending on department and agency needs.


The Health Engagement & Operations Excellence Intern presents an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in developing a comprehensive communication strategy and action plan. The Health division at TRS manages three health plans: TRS-ActiveCare (active employees), TRS-Care Standard (under 65 retirees) and TRS-Care Medicare (over 65 retirees). Interns will learn about managing these health plans, particularly engaging and communicating with stakeholders. Key stakeholders include district leaders, benefit administrators, active employees as well as retired educators and their families. The Health Engagement & Operations Excellence Intern performs entry-level work related to their field of study and health care. Work involves supporting agency operations with a primary focus on gaining practical work experience and business skills for personal development or to satisfy educational requirements. 

This position will start on June 4th 2026 and will end on August 7th 2026.
Salary will be dependent upon education level:
Graduate Student - $21.00/hour

WHAT YOU WILL DO:
Health Communication Strategy
• Assists in creating a comprehensive communication strategy aligned with departmental goals and member needs.
• Drafts and maintain a communications calendar, ensuring timely delivery of messages across multiple channels.
• Researches best practices in health benefit communications.
• Analyzes feedback and engagement metrics to refine messaging and delivery methods.
• Presents findings and recommendations to department leadership.
• Assists in researching, compiling, and analyzing data.
• Supports TRS Health Engagement team in creating content for TRS-ActiveCare projects for the current school year, as well as TRS-Care projects for the plan year.
• Assists with developing, reviewing, and updating health plan materials such as participant letters, agency newsletters, website content, social media, and presentations.
• Collaborates with TRS and its health partners to organize engagement and outreach events.
General Functions
• May assist in editing articles, web content, forms, reports, and other documents for ease of understanding.
• May assist in reviewing and analyzing agency policies, procedures, and forms and recommending changes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Assists in completing special projects and performs other work as assigned.

• Performs related work as assigned

WHAT YOU WILL BRING:
Required Education
• Currently enrolled as a graduate student (Master or Doctoral) in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Public Affairs, Public Heath, English, Healthcare Administrations, or a related field.
• Applicant will be required to submit a copy of official college transcripts.
Required Experience
• None.
Required Registration, Certification, or Licensure
• None.
Preferred Qualifications
• Areas of study in health care communications, with emphasis on health care literacy or clinical communications
• Experience measuring message effectiveness.
• Experience in related fields.
• Experience using Microsoft Office.
• Strong writing skills.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of:
• General office practices and procedures.
• Concepts and practices of proofing, editing, and preparing informational materials.
• General health insurance terminology and definitions.
• Research and data analysis techniques.
Skills in:
• Organizing and prioritizing work to manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced environment and completing work accurately while meeting deadlines.
• Conducting data searches and evaluations of large amounts of information, performing complex analysis of the data, and preparing concise and accurate reports and written/oral recommendations.
• Verbal and written communication of complex information that is accurate, timely, and based on sound judgment.
• Simplifying complex topics into easy-to-understand language.
• Providing quality customer service.
• Reviewing documentation; properly applying complex laws, regulations, rules, and policies; and making decisions based on sound judgment.
• Using a personal computer in a Windows and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) environment, and accurately performing data entry.
Ability to:
•Establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with co-workers, agency staff, and other external contacts.
• Work effectively in a professional team environment.

Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) Codes:
Veterans, Reservists or Guardsmen with experience in the Military Occupational Specialty ( https://www.trs.texas.gov/files/trs-military-crosswalk.xlsx ) along with the minimum qualifications listed above may meet the minimum requirements and are highly encouraged to apply. Please contact Talent Acquisition at  careers@trs.texas.gov  with questions or for additional information.

To view all job vacancies, visit www.trs.texas.gov/careers  or www.trs.csod.com/careersite.

For more information, visit www.trs.texas.gov.