Communications Intern
About Research Park The Research Park at the University of Illinois is a leading innovation hub for technology commercialization with a unique environment that cultivates startups and increases capabilities for established companies. The mixed-use composition promotes creative collisions and interdisciplinary collaborations, strengthening the bridge between campus and community. The University manages the Research Park with a team of professionals that includes interns. Manage communication, marketing, promotion, event planning, recruitment, and more for the Research Park as a University unit and as a whole. About the Role The Communications Intern will demonstrate their excellent written and verbal communication skills by writing news stories, updating the UIRP website, crafting social media posts, working with graphic designers on promotional materials, and more. They will collaborate and coordinate with Research Park leadership and the EnterpriseWorks intern team to ensure timely marketing/branding and promotions of jobs, events, and news through appropriate platforms. An intern will be able to propose new and innovative ways to increase Research Park’s brand awareness in the community and campus and manage ongoing communications projects such as weekly announcements and monthly student newsletters. In addition, the intern will ensure that information on the Research Park website, calendars, and all social media platforms are up to date and correct. Upon successful performance reviews, this internship can continue through multiple semesters. Requirements Must be a full-time enrolled student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign at the time of employment Graduation date of May 2027 or later This role has the potential to continue in Spring 2026 (10-15 hours per week) Must be available to begin training at the end of January, working 10-15 hours/week until May 8th, with the opportunity to extend into Summer 2026 based on performance. Qualifications Strong written and verbal communication skills, ability to articulate process and progress Experience with writing and proofreading formal emails, news stories, social media, and copywriting Demonstrate ability with social media photo/video capture and editing Comfortable with interviewing and follow-up Good project and time management skills Ability to work in fast-paced environments and balance multiple projects Interested in Learning Content Management Systems (CMS) Project Management Systems University of Illinois Brand Standards Sourcing Content News Writing for External Audiences Web Hosting Platforms Responsibilities • Write and edit newsletters, news stories, and update the website, highlighting the tenants and events at the Research Park and EnterpriseWorks • Create social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) content highlighting events, jobs, news, and companies at Research Park/EnterpriseWorks • Create content for ongoing communications projects • Support the internal team at events and on-campus engagement activities • Take photos and short videos at events and around Research Park to support social media and web content. • Monitor basic analytics (such as social media engagement or email performance) and share key takeaways with the team. • Coordinate with interns and other team members to collect stories, event information, and job postings to feature in communications. • Assist with proofreading and quality checks to ensure all content is accurate, on-brand, and free of errors before publication. Expectations (What Doing Well Looks Like): • Align communications strategies with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Research Park branding standards • Maintain best practices documentation to ensure continued high-quality marketing and communications • Maintain clear communications with management on project status • Deliver assignments on time and proactively communicate if timelines or priorities need to shift. • Be open to feedback, apply edits thoughtfully, and show improvement in writing, content creation, and attention to detail over time. • Show initiative by proposing new content ideas, campaigns, or process improvements and following them through to completion with support from the team. • Build increasing independence over the course of the internship, moving from assisting on tasks to owning recurring communications (such as weekly announcements or a social media series). • Consistently demonstrate reliability by attending scheduled shifts and events, being prepared, and following through on commitments. • Represent Research Park and the University of Illinois professionally in all written, verbal, and in-person interactions with tenants, partners, and campus stakeholders. To apply, please use this link: https://go.researchpark.illinois.edu/RPCommunicationsSocialMedia_Intern. Please reach out to bdgoode@illinois.edu with any questions.
Communications Intern Read Post »