Summer 2026 - Intern, People, Place and Culture

Vera Institute of Justice • Brooklyn, NY

7d • $17 - $25 • Hybrid

About The Position

About the team: The People, Place and Culture (PPC) team at Vera oversees all employee-related operations, including employee engagement, talent acquisition, learning & development, and benefits. Grounded in Vera’s mission to advance justice and end mass incarceration, the PPC team approaches this work through and equity-centered lens, recognizing that how we support our people directly shapes our ability to drive systemic change. The PPC team is focused on delivering a memorable, positive, and seamless employee experience at Vera Institute of Justice that supports staff in doing impactful, mission-driven work. Reporting to the Associate Director, Talent Development, the PPC Intern will have the opportunity to support, learn, and partner with all disciplines of the team to execute daily administrative functions and project work, while contributing to improvements and efficiencies in day-to-day operations that help the PPC team deliver operational excellence in an equitable and inclusive way. This internship is a great opportunity for anyone looking to gain hands-on experience in people operations and talent development within a mission-driven organization, while learning how equity-centered people practices support staff, strengthen organizational culture, and advance social justice work. The intern will gain a broad, hands-on introduction to core People, Place, and Culture (PPC) functions, with a focus on equity-centered HR practices. By the end of the internship, the intern will be able to: Understand the full HR lifecycle by observing and supporting work in talent acquisition, learning and development, employee wellness, and engagement. Strengthen skills in process improvement and documentation , including how HR teams streamline templates, create resources, and maintain clear, equitable systems. Build competence in internal communication , learning how HR information is communicated across an organization to promote clarity and accessibility. Develop project management and organizational skills through ownership of a small but meaningful initiative, defined collaboratively based on summer priorities. Apply an equity lens to HR work , learning how inclusive hiring, onboarding, and employee support practices are designed and implemented in a mission-driven nonprofit. About the role: 1. Talent Acquisition & Onboarding Support the preparation and launch of Vera’s Summer Internship Program s Provide administrative support, such as: scheduling, Applicant Tracking System (ATS ) management, sourcing, communicating with hiring teams, etc. Support the streamlining of GHR and general HR templates while learning how HR documentation and the creation of standard processes shapes recruitment and organizational clarity. Contribute to building structured interview question banks, gaining exposure to equitable hiring practices and competency-based interviewing. 2. Learning & Development Support Learning & Development Programs (learning cafés, career progression series, leadership trainings, etc.) in data collection, Teams moderating, updating attendance reports, etc. Contribute to the Learning Management System administration 3. HR Administration Draft and format content for internal communications including: monthly newsletters, Vera Café slideshow, and internal updates, building skills in clear, inclusive HR communication. Assist in creating and updating organizational charts, gaining insight into how team structures, reporting lines, and staffing decisions support organizational strategy and workforce planning. Help audit, clean up, and reorganize job description folders; support archiving Personnel Action forms and documentation to understand how effective knowledge management supports HR operations. 4. Employee Engagement & Wellness Support planning and execution of Vera’s on-site and virtual Wellness events Support Employee Engagement events, both in-person and virtual Contribute to the planning of annual events, such as Vera Day Away

Requirements

• While this internship is open to current students, we are also interested in candidates looking to pursue a career in any facet of Human Resources, particularly in a nonprofit setting.
• Previous experience or exposure to business or people operations, through education or profession, is preferred
• Demonstrated ability to work with sensitive and confidential information
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Slack

Nice To Haves

• Lived experience as a person directly impacted by the criminal legal/immigration system
• Experience administering data modification and manipulation, such as running reports and analyzing their outcome
• Experience with HRIS systems, such as ADP
• Experience with ATS systems, such as Greenhouse
• Experience with Learning Management Systems
• Previous exposure to HR-related software (preferred, but not required)

Responsibilities

• Support the preparation and launch of Vera’s Summer Internship Program s
• Provide administrative support, such as: scheduling, Applicant Tracking System (ATS ) management, sourcing, communicating with hiring teams, etc.
• Support the streamlining of GHR and general HR templates while learning how HR documentation and the creation of standard processes shapes recruitment and organizational clarity.
• Contribute to building structured interview question banks, gaining exposure to equitable hiring practices and competency-based interviewing.
• Support Learning & Development Programs (learning cafés, career progression series, leadership trainings, etc.) in data collection, Teams moderating, updating attendance reports, etc.
• Contribute to the Learning Management System administration
• Draft and format content for internal communications including: monthly newsletters, Vera Café slideshow, and internal updates, building skills in clear, inclusive HR communication.
• Assist in creating and updating organizational charts, gaining insight into how team structures, reporting lines, and staffing decisions support organizational strategy and workforce planning.
• Help audit, clean up, and reorganize job description folders; support archiving Personnel Action forms and documentation to understand how effective knowledge management supports HR operations.
• Support planning and execution of Vera’s on-site and virtual Wellness events
• Support Employee Engagement events, both in-person and virtual
• Contribute to the planning of annual events, such as Vera Day Away

Benefits

• merit pay
• generous paid time off
• a comprehensive health insurance plan
• student loan repayment benefits
• professional development training opportunities and up to $2,000 annual for education costs and fees relevant to Vera work
• employer-funded retirement plan
• flexible time

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees