Communications Intern — Entrepreneurship & Tech Coverage

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

This Communications Intern will own the Entrepreneurship & Tech coverage area: the startups, founders, and tech companies at Research Park and EnterpriseWorks.

Acting as the dedicated reporter for this space, the intern will build direct relationships with tenant companies and founders, source original stories, and write news pieces, profiles, and social content that put Research Park’s tech and startup community in front of campus and industry audiences.

Upon successful performance reviews, this internship can continue through multiple semesters.

Requirements

• Must be a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
• Graduation date of May 2028 or later.
• Paid training would begin as soon as possible after hire.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with writing and proofreading formal emails, news stories, social media, and copywriting.
• Comfortable initiating outreach, interviewing founders and staff, and following up independently.
• Genuine interest in startups, entrepreneurship, or technology.
• Ability to work in fast-paced environments and manage a coverage area with minimal day-to-day direction.

Interested in Learning

• Content Management Systems (CMS)
• Project Management Systems
• Sourcing and pitching original stories
• News writing for external audiences
• Reporting and source relationship-building

Responsibilities

• Own the Entrepreneurship & Tech coverage area: build and maintain relationships with startup founders, tenant companies, and EnterpriseWorks staff as ongoing sources.
• Source, identify, pitch, and write original stories on news, company milestones, and founder profiles within this space.
• Draft newsletter content, website updates, and social media posts (Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn) highlighting these companies and events.
• Take photos and short videos to support content.
• Route drafts through subject-matter staff for feedback and revise accordingly.
• Coordinate with other interns and team members covering different areas to avoid overlap and surface cross-team stories.
• Assist with proofreading and quality checks to ensure all content is accurate, on-brand, and error-free before publication.
• Maintain clear communication with the Marketing and Communications Specialist on coverage status, pitches in progress, and story pipeline before submitting for final editorial review.

Expectations:

• Deliver assignments on time and proactively communicate if timelines or priorities need to shift
• Be open to feedback from both subject-matter staff and the Marketing and Communications Specialist, apply edits thoughtfully, and show improvement in writing and reporting over time
• Show initiative by pitching original stories and proposing new coverage ideas, then following them through to publication
• Build increasing independence over the course of the internship, moving from assisted reporting to owning the full pitch-to-publish process for this area
• 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: Communications Intern – Research Park

Please reach out to bdgoode@illinois.edu with any questions.