WS - Spring Term - INTERNSHIP – SUDS (Mojo Family Brands) – Management Assistant – IWS

University of Pikeville•Pikeville, KY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Suds Express Car Wash, a member of the Mojo Family of Brands, seeks a Management Intern for its Pikeville, Kentucky location. The internship provides hands-on experience in daily site leadership, team communication, customer experience, mechanical system checks, and sales performance tracking within a high-volume express car wash operation. The intern works alongside site leadership to learn and practice end-to-end site management, developing career readiness skills transferable to multi-unit retail, operations, and enterprise leadership. The position is grant-funded, averages 11–15 hours per week, and requires 80 hours during the semester. The student must be enrolled full-time and in good standing at the University of Pikeville, concurrently enroll in CVL 401: Integrated Internship Experience, and successfully complete the course. The position is for the two-credit-hour option. Pay is $10.50 per hour. The work schedule is determined in communication between the intern and supervisor and is based on the intern’s class schedule.

Requirements

Must be enrolled full-time and in good standing at the University of Pikeville.
Must enroll concurrently in CVL 401: Integrated Internship Experience and successfully complete the course.
Must complete a minimum of 80 hours during the semester.
Interest in business management.
Coursework, experience, or academic interest in management.
Attention to detail, active listening, written and verbal communication, customer focus, and willingness to learn.
Ability to meet the physical demands listed, including lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling up to 50 pounds.
Ability to work in conditions including heat, cold, odors or smoke, toxic agents, dust, machinery, varying light, noise, vibrations, wetness, and humidity.

Nice To Haves

Interest in and knowledge of fast-paced work in an outdoor environment.
Computer skills in Word, Excel, social media, and new technology.

Responsibilities

Shadow and assist site leadership with opening, midday changeover, and/or closing procedures, following standardized operating checklists and safety protocols.
Monitor wash tunnel performance, chemical inventory levels, and mechanical conveyance systems during peak traffic to prevent downtime.
Follow company environmental, OSHA, and chemical handling standards in the wash tunnel, reclaim systems, and customer vacuum areas.
Conduct facility audits of lot cleanliness, equipment functionality, and signage presentation.
Partner with the site manager on daily pre-shift huddles covering car counts, member conversion targets, and safety reminders.
Manage lines and queue positioning during high-volume periods to optimize throughput and vehicle spacing.
Model operational best practices and provide peer feedback to customer service attendants on loading procedures, prep techniques, and member lane assistance.
Participate in supervisor scheduling reviews and labor allocation assessments to learn workforce planning against hourly volume trends.
Respond to and resolve customer inquiries, wash quality feedback, and equipment concerns with empathy and procedural fairness.
Train alongside leadership at point-of-sale terminals on unlimited membership plans, retail packages, and fleet account management.
Analyze membership sign-ups against vehicle volume to identify service bottlenecks and upsell opportunities.
Help foster a welcoming, community-first service atmosphere at entrance terminals and vacuum plazas.
Review point-of-sale shift summaries, labor-to-revenue ratios, and inventory replenishment sheets alongside the General Manager.
Propose an operational improvement project during the term, such as refining vacuum area workflow, optimizing chemical usage, or improving lane-speed protocols.
Maintain punctuality, branded uniform standards, and reliable attendance across scheduled shifts and supervisory mentorship sessions.
Participate in structured mid-term and final performance evaluations to review competency development, operational milestones, and career goals.