Summer Internship – Public Affairs
About The Position
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is seeking an internship candidate to support Public Affairs Department initiatives, activities and priorities at our Washington, D.C. Headquarters office. The intern will broadly assist members of the Public Affairs Department and work with multiple teams. Department Description: PhRMA’s Public Affairs department is responsible for building, advancing and defending the public profile of the organization and supporting advocacy efforts on federal, state and international public policy issues. Activities include: Media relations and social media engagement. Reputation management. Message development and opinion research. Video and digital production. Support and message alignment for member companies. A successful candidate will gain experience across a wide range of skill sets. Examples include media relations; advocacy communications; paid, social & digital media; polling & research; and internal communications. The intern will have the opportunity to work on issues related to health care, prescription drug costs, the pharmaceutical supply chain, research and development and others. This is a paid position. This internship will start on May 26, 2026, through August 21, 2026, and the intern will work up to 37.5 hours per week for a 3-month term.
Requirements
- Current undergraduate or graduate student in Communications, Political Science, Government Affairs, Legislative Affairs, Public Policy, or Public Health with an interest in health/life sciences policy and politics.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
- Exceptional organizational and project management skills.
- Strong desire to build relationships/collaboration skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to strategically and creatively process information.
- Curiosity to stay abreast of media industry trends.
- Ability to manage and complete projects end to end in a timely manner.
Responsibilities
- Participating in writing and editing messaging and communications materials, including blog posts and other digital promotional pieces, op-eds, press releases, talking points, presentations and other materials.
- Supporting the ongoing development and execution of paid media campaigns.
- Researching legislation, policy issues, and track legislative and political activity.
- Drafting weekly updates, reports, correspondence and slide decks.
- Providing support for meetings, including gathering and assembling information.
- Attending internal meetings, coordinating with staff to develop agendas, and ensuring proper follow-up and output, including meeting summaries.
- Performing other duties as assigned.
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
251-500 employees
