Communications & Marketing Intern

Arlington County VA•Arlington, WA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a one-year, full-time, paid Internship Program. Arlington County's Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking a creative and organized Communications & Marketing Intern to join the Director's Office Communications Team. This position supports enterprise-wide communications, marketing, outreach, and engagement initiatives by developing content, coordinating communications projects, improving internal processes, and assisting with executive and cross-divisional communications. The selected candidate will gain hands-on experience supporting high-impact communications that enhance collaboration, strengthen community engagement, and improve how DHS communicates with employees, partners, and residents.

Requirements

Recent, 2025 and/or 2026 college graduates earning either a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree in the area of consideration prior to the start date of the Cohort Program (Sept. 2026).
No professional-level work experience (less than one year) in the internship field.
Currently enrolled student in a Master’s degree program related to the internship, but must not have significant professional-level work experience in the internship area and must be available to work during designated hours.
Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Public Health, Business/Public Administration, or related discipline.

Nice To Haves

G.P.A. of 3.0 or above is preferred and applicants may be asked to provide certified official transcripts.
Advanced degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Public Health, Business/Public Administration or a related field.
Experience and proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite including Excel and PowerPoint.
Experience researching, understanding, and interpreting technical and policy-related documentation.
Experience interacting with multiple levels of staff and to express ideas clearly, verbally and in writing, to a variety of audiences.
Experience working in a public health agency or another human services environment.
Bilingual, fluent and literate, in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

Supporting enterprise-wide communications by coordinating project intake, assisting with communications planning, and ensuring messaging aligns with Director's Office priorities.
Developing content for digital, print, web, email, social media, presentations, and other communications platforms to support departmental initiatives.
Designing visual communications materials, templates, and marketing assets using Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, and other design tools.
Supporting the development and continuous improvement of communications systems, workflows, templates, and resource libraries to improve efficiency, consistency, and scalability.
Drafting, editing, and coordinating executive communications, reports, presentations, announcements, and other internal and external communications materials.
Conducting research, gathering and analyzing communications data, and tracking performance metrics to support communications planning and continuous improvement.
Assisting with planning, promoting, and supporting community outreach events, public engagement activities, and departmental initiatives.
Collaborating with staff across DHS divisions to support coordinated messaging, stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional communications projects.
Maintaining communications assets, project documentation, and shared resources to support department-wide communications efforts.
Performing other job-related duties as assigned.