Intern — Business Operations and Proposal Support
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Position Title | Intern — Business Operations and Proposal Support |
Employer | EKASYS, Inc. — SBA-Certified 8(a) / WOSB / EDWOSB Small Business |
Reports To | Chief Operating Officer — Steve Estwick |
Work Location | Remote (CONUS) — home-based with company-provided collaboration tools |
Work Schedule | 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday — standard EKASYS business hours (Eastern Time) |
Compensation | $20.00 per hour (non-exempt; paid hourly for hours worked) |
Status | Temporary Internship — Part-time or Full-time as scheduled; non-exempt |
Eligibility | Current college student (undergraduate or graduate); U.S. work-authorization required |
Effective Date | Upon mutual agreement / offer acceptance |
1. Position Overview
EKASYS, Inc. is an SBA-certified 8(a), Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Economically Disadvantaged Woman-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. EKASYS delivers federal information technology services across Navy, Army, DoD and federal civilian customers under GSA Multiple Award Schedule (47QTCA20D006Z), 8(a) STARS III (47QTCB22D0524), and SeaPort-NxG contract vehicles.
The Intern position is designed to give a college student meaningful, hands-on exposure to the inner workings of a federal small-business government contractor. The intern will support a flexible mix of business activities — reviewing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), assisting with responses to Requests for Information (RFIs) and proposals, reviewing proposal materials, and rotating through other company activities as opportunities arise. The position is intentionally broad so the intern can be groomed across multiple functional areas, build a working understanding of how a federal contractor operates day-to-day, and discover where their own strengths and interests best align with EKASYS's mission.
2. Learning Objectives — Why This Internship Matters
EKASYS treats this internship as both a contribution role and a structured learning experience. Over the course of the internship, the intern will gain practical, resume-ready experience in:
- Federal contracting fundamentals — how a small business wins, manages, and delivers government work; the roles of GSA Schedules, GWACs (STARS III), and IDIQs (SeaPort-NxG) in federal acquisition.
- Proposal lifecycle — how Requests for Information (RFIs), Sources Sought notices, Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and Requests for Quote (RFQs) are read, decomposed, drafted, reviewed, and submitted.
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) — what an SOP is, why it matters for audit-readiness and DCAA-aligned operations, and how SOPs are kept current as the business evolves.
- Compliance and quality discipline — exposure to the kinds of internal review cycles, version control, and proprietary-marking practices that federal contractors are held to.
- Professional communications — how to write, format, and review business documents for a federal-customer audience; meeting etiquette; email discipline.
- Business operations breadth — rotational exposure to recruiting support, partner-relationship coordination, capture activities, and capability-statement maintenance.
At the end of the internship, the intern should be able to speak credibly in a future interview about how a federal small-business contractor actually operates and what role each function (BD, capture, proposals, contracts, operations, compliance) plays in winning and executing federal work.
3. Primary Duties and Responsibilities
3.1 SOP Review and Update Support
Read, review, and propose updates to existing EKASYS Standard Operating Procedures. Compare SOPs against current company practice, identify gaps or outdated language, and draft proposed revisions for review by the Chief Operating Officer. Recommend new SOPs where recurring activity exists but is not yet documented. Maintain a running log of SOP status (current, under-revision, retired) and version history.
3.2 RFI and Proposal Response Support
Assist EKASYS proposal teams across the full response lifecycle. Typical activities include: reading and summarizing solicitation documents (RFI / Sources Sought / RFP / RFQ / Task Order); building compliance matrices that map solicitation requirements to proposed response sections; drafting background research on the customer agency, mission, and incumbent contractor; assembling boilerplate sections (corporate identity, vehicle access, set-aside posture); proofreading and consistency-checking working drafts; and helping manage proposal version control through the iterative review cycle.
3.3 Proposal Review
Participate in internal proposal review (color-team) cycles as a junior reviewer. Read drafts against the solicitation requirements, flag missing or unclear content, check for typographical and formatting issues, and verify cross-document consistency (contract numbers, dates, contact information, dollar values). Document review findings in writing for the proposal lead.
3.4 Flexible Company Activity Support
Rotate through and assist with additional EKASYS company activities as workload and learning opportunities dictate. Examples include: keeping the capability statement current; maintaining the partner roster and teaming-agreement tracker; supporting recruiting administrative tasks; helping prepare materials for customer meetings and industry events; researching upcoming federal solicitations on SAM.gov, GovTribe, HigherGov, and similar platforms; and supporting other operational priorities the EKASYS leadership team identifies. This breadth is intentional — it is how the intern will be groomed to support EKASYS company activities over time.
4. Weekly Reporting Requirement
The intern is required to submit a Weekly Activity Report to the EKASYS staff lead by close-of-business each Friday (or the last working day of the week). The report is a short structured email or memo covering:
- Activities completed this week — what the intern worked on, in plain-English bullets, with hours allocated.
- Deliverables and outcomes — documents drafted, reviews completed, research compiled, meetings attended (with brief notes).
- Status of in-flight work — what is still in progress and the expected completion target.
- Blockers, questions, or assistance needed — anything the intern needs from the Chief Operating Officer or other team members to move forward.
- Planned focus for next week — the intern's proposed priorities for the following week, subject to COO adjustment.
- Learning observation — one short paragraph reflecting on a concept, document, or interaction from the week that taught the intern something new about federal contracting or EKASYS operations. (This is for the intern's own development — not graded, just captured.)
The Weekly Activity Report is one of the most important deliverables of the internship. It serves three purposes: (a) it gives EKASYS leadership a clear running view of the intern's contribution; (b) it builds the intern's habit of professional self-reporting, a skill that is universally valued in the workforce; and (c) it creates a written record the intern can use at the end of the internship to discuss accomplishments in future job interviews and on a resume.
5. Schedule, Availability, and Communications
5.1 Work Hours
Standard expectation is eight (8) hours per day worked, Monday through Friday, during EKASYS business hours (Eastern Time). A typical day begins by 9:00 a.m. ET and ends by 6:00 p.m. ET, with a standard unpaid lunch break. Exact start and stop times are arranged with the Chief Operating Officer based on the intern's class schedule and the week's workload. The intern records actual hours worked for payroll.
5.2 Remote Work
This is a fully remote position. The intern is responsible for maintaining a suitable home work environment with reliable high-speed internet, a quiet space appropriate for video meetings, and the discipline to manage their own time and deliverables without in-person supervision. EKASYS provides access to the collaboration tools and document repositories needed to perform the work.
5.3 Email and Messaging Discipline
The intern is expected to monitor company email throughout the workday and to respond to incoming communications from the Chief Operating Officer, project leads, and teammates in a timely, professional manner — typically within thirty (30) to sixty (60) minutes during business hours. Quick acknowledgments ("received, will have a draft to you by 3 p.m.") are encouraged so the sender knows the message was seen. Email is the default channel for assignment delivery, deliverable submission, and routine status updates.
5.4 Meetings — Scheduled and Ad-Hoc
The intern will participate in two categories of meetings: (a) scheduled recurring meetings such as weekly staff check-ins, proposal-team standups, and review cycles; and (b) ad-hoc meetings called as needed for specific topics, kickoffs, or quick decisions. The intern is expected to:
- Maintain an up-to-date calendar that the EKASYS team can see for availability.
- Accept or propose alternatives to meeting invites within four (4) business hours of receipt.
- Join scheduled meetings on time (camera-on default unless otherwise indicated), prepared with materials and notes.
- Be reachable for ad-hoc meetings during business hours; respond promptly to short-notice meeting requests so the team can coordinate.
- Take and circulate brief notes / action items after meetings the intern attends.
6. Qualifications
6.1 Required
- Currently enrolled as a college student (undergraduate or graduate), or recent graduate within the last six months.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook (or equivalent Google Workspace experience).
- Comfortable working independently in a remote setting with regular check-ins.
- Ability to handle confidential business information with professional discretion.
- U.S. work authorization.
6.2 Preferred (not required)
- Academic coursework or interest in business, government, public policy, technology, communications, English, or a related field.
- Prior experience editing or formatting professional documents.
- Exposure to project tracking tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Trello, Asana).
- Curiosity about how federal contracting works — no prior knowledge required, but interest is helpful.
7. Professional Behaviors and Expectations
EKASYS expects the intern to bring the same professionalism to this role that a full-time employee brings. Specifically:
- Confidentiality — treat all company, customer, partner, and proposal information as confidential by default. Do not share, post, or discuss internal information outside EKASYS.
- Initiative — ask questions when unclear; propose improvements when you spot them; do not wait passively to be told what to do.
- Reliability — honor your committed hours and deliverable dates. If something will be late, say so early.
- Coachability — expect feedback on your work and use it; the goal of the internship is growth.
- Professional presence — in writing, in meetings, and in email, conduct yourself the way you would in front of a federal customer.
8. Compensation and Logistics
Compensation is $20.00 per hour, paid on EKASYS's standard payroll cycle. The intern is classified as non-exempt and is paid only for hours actually worked. The intern is responsible for accurately recording time per EKASYS's timekeeping process. Overtime hours (over 40 in a workweek) require advance approval from the Chief Operating Officer. The internship does not include health benefits, paid time off, or holiday pay unless specifically stated in an offer letter.
EKASYS provides the collaboration tools, document repositories, and any company-issued accounts needed to perform the work. The intern provides their own computer and home internet connection unless otherwise agreed in writing.
9. Performance Review and Growth Path
The Chief Operating Officer will provide informal feedback continuously through the weekly check-in cadence and a structured mid-internship review (at approximately the halfway point of the engagement) and an end-of-internship review covering performance, learning, and recommended next steps. Strong-performing interns may be considered for extended engagements, part-time work during the school year, or full-time conversion upon graduation, subject to business need and mutual fit.
Application Process: Qualified candidates are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter detailing their relevant experience and qualifications. Please include any certifications and references that support your application.
Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
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