Graduate Intern, Internships & Career Success

Position: Graduate Intern, Internships & Career Success

Reports to: Assistant Director, Internships and Career Success

Status: Part-Time (temporary)

Dates: January 5 – August 31, 2027

The Organization

Since 2003, The Opportunity Network (OppNet) has been committed to providing students, regardless of background, with the resources and connections necessary to achieve their college and career goals.

Our founding Fellows program supports 1,000 New York City students each year, from the summer after tenth grade to college graduation, boasting a 98% graduation rate within six years. About 93% of Fellows are first-generation college students, and 91% secure meaningful employment or graduate school admission within six months of graduating.

Our Career Fluency® Partnerships program enhances workforce and college readiness for 100,000 students across 20 cities. Our Opportunity Ignited program helps employers with intern matching and training, improving talent pipelines and workplace environments, training over 350 staff in 22 partner firms in its first five years.

The Job

We are looking to hire an exceptional Graduate Intern to assist the OppNet Fellows Program in the preparation and coordination of our summer of in-house programming. This is an exciting opportunity for someone interested in engaging in an innovative, six-year early college readiness and career development program supporting students in New York City. The position will require a commitment of 10-15 hours per week to start and build to 20-29 hours per week by June. The 10-20 hours/week for January-May is flexible based on the candidate’s scheduling needs. The position will be hybrid, with 1 day/week in-person at our Manhattan office required during January-May, and 3-4 days/week in-person June-August. 

The Graduate Intern will support the Internships & Career Success team with best-fit placement of high school Fellows into summer opportunities, communicating with colleagues and Fellows regularly. This role will support overall high school programming throughout the spring semester, in preparation for leading operations for in-house programs come summer. Each summer we offer learning experiences in a variety of career fields to cohorts of 10-25 students. The Graduate Intern will help to coordinate the logistics of the in-house programs, including our Finance Career Accelerator, Summer Science Research Program (SSRP), United Planet Virtual Internships, and NFTE Entrepreneurship Bootcamp,. Each program has a facilitator or program host, and the Graduate Intern will support the program leads to ensure the successful implementation of each program. Some of the in-house programs will be conducted virtually while others will take on a hybrid format with some in-person days. 
 

About You

The ideal candidate will personally connect to the important work we do and align with OppNet’s core values. The candidate should possess outstanding professionalism and discretion, organization and attention to detail, energy and initiative, the ability to prioritize and complete a variety of tasks on time, and a willingness to work on a wide range of assignments. The candidate should be comfortable working 1:1 with students across various communication platforms and able to work on multiple workstreams simultaneously. 

What You Will Be Doing

The primary responsibilities of the Graduate Intern will be:

Fellow Engagement & Support - 35%

• Support OppNet Fellows (11th grade through college seniors) with in-house summer program applications and general summer opportunity/internship readiness
• Manage participant email communications, sharing program information, reminders, and upcoming deadlines clearly and on time
• Produce and distribute the monthly e-newsletter with key announcements, reminders, and highlighted internship opportunities
• Design engaging Canva graphics to promote summer programs across email communications, Opportunity Board postings, and the e-newsletter
• Conduct targeted outreach to individual candidates by email and text to encourage applications, keep Fellows on track with program benchmarks and timelines, and identify where more support is needed
• Manage additional individual outreach to participants as needed to ensure benchmarks are being met based on each program timeline and to assess any additional support needed
• Propose creative ways to engage students with virtual and in-person learning, supporting with special initiatives as needed
• Monitor and support student learning and take any necessary action to ensure standards of high-engagement

Program Management - 40%

• Plan and facilitate virtual and in-person programming alongside Internships & Career Success team members including student workshops, volunteer events, field trips, community building days, etc.
• Provide logistics lead support in collaboration with Operations team during summer programming
• Coordinate catering for programming events, including placing orders with vendors, planning for headcounts and dietary needs, and tracking spending to stay within the allocated budget
• Liaise with host partners to oversee day-to-day operations and logistics of in-house summer programs; 
• Support the in-house program instructors and undergraduate interns to ensure the successful preparation and operation of the program
• Maintain effective and efficient record keeping on student attendance, assignments, and participation
• Coordinate the distribution of additional tech support needed for participants, including the delivery of loaner laptops and WiFi hotspots
• Review student responses on the program intake form to identify technology needs, OMNY card requests, dietary restrictions, and other support needs as students enroll, and maintain organized records to guide future orders and planning
   

Overall Program Assistance - 10%

• Become proficient in existing outcomes measurement tools, including surveys, rubrics, and OppNet’s proprietary Career Fluency® Competency Model
• Assist OppNet staff members with other duties/special projects as needed related to effective program implementation, including data tracking, student communications, or other admin responsibilities
• Support other teams in programming as needed
   

Organizational Learning, Development, and Program Reflection - 15%

• Participate in organization-wide learning sessions, working groups, and optional affinity groups
• Attend bi-weekly team meetings, All Staff meetings, and team retreats

Who we are looking for

The position requires an average of 10-20 hours per week from January 5 – May 31, 2027, and then 20-29 hours per week from June 1 – August 31, 2027. The Graduate Intern will report directly to the Senior Manager of Internships and Career Success.

• Bachelor’s degree from a competitive college or university, current graduate students are encouraged to apply; 
• Experience working with young adults, preferably at a youth non-profit or school; 
• Must be able to work independently and collaboratively, as well as able to manage multiple projects;
• Superb written communication skills and an ability to interact effectively with various constituents;
• Able to be both nurturing and hold students to high expectations; 
• Resourceful and able to solve problems;
• Responsive to program correspondence in preparation for workshops;
• Strong organizational talents and the ability to meet deadlines;
• Understands the importance of program evaluation and will comply with policies to measure the effectiveness of the programs;
• Detail-oriented; can be counted on to produce high-quality work; 
• Demonstrated belief in The Opportunity Network’s mission; and
• High degree of effectiveness and efficiency - gets things done!
   

Requirements to Work for OppNet

• Hybrid In-Person: Candidates for this position must be available for regularly scheduled and ad hoc meetings that require a physical presence with NYC-based OppNet stakeholders regularly (periodic in-person workshops/team meetings)
• OppNet requires that all employees, including new hires, be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless an exemption has been approved.

Salary and Benefits
 This is an hourly-paid, part-time contractual position; benefits are not included. The hourly rate is $21/hour.

Application Instructions

To apply, please use the link provided in the job post. Submit your resume along with a cover letter that details how your professional background and experience align with this role, as well as how it fits into your future career goals. Applications will be accepted until December 1, 2026.

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Do you meet some but not all of our qualifications?  OppNet is an equal-opportunity employer.  Even if you may not meet every qualification listed, we strongly encourage you to apply without hesitation. If you believe in our organization's mission and feel confident in your potential to excel at OppNet, we warmly welcome your application. Our commitment lies in considering a wide range of candidates, and valuing diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds.  Whether you are new to the non-profit sector, returning to work after a break, considering a career change, or taking the next step in your professional journey, we are excited to hear from you! We recognize that diverse teams make the strongest teams, and we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.