Human Resources Intern

About NORD

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is the leading independent nonprofit organization representing all patients and families affected by rare diseases. As a Human Resources intern, you will gain hands-on experience across the full range of human resources while supporting a mission that improves the lives of people living with rare diseases.

The Opportunity

NORD is seeking a Human Resources Intern to help shape and enhance our internship program while gaining broad exposure to Human Resources in a mission-driven nonprofit organization. Working closely with the HR team, the Intern will help create a meaningful experience for interns across the organization by coordinating programming, gathering feedback, and recommending improvements that strengthen the internship program. 

In addition, the Intern will contribute to a variety of HR projects across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement, learning and development, and internal communications.

This internship is designed as an educational experience that provides meaningful project work, mentorship, and opportunities to build practical HR skills. Interns will be encouraged to take ownership of projects, contribute new ideas, and leave a lasting impact on the employee and intern experience at NORD.

This is an unpaid internship with a flexible schedule. We anticipate a minimum commitment of four months, with flexibility based on academic schedules and student availability.

What You Will Do

Internship Program Development

• Help design and enhance NORD's internship program and overall intern experience. 
• Coordinate intern onboarding activities and welcome new interns to the organization. 
• Organize bi-weekly intern coffee chats and networking opportunities with leaders and subject matter experts across NORD. 
• Connect regularly with interns to gather feedback, answer questions, and identify opportunities to improve their experience. 
• Develop resources, guides, and programming that support intern success and engagement.

Support HR Projects
 In addition to leading intern programming, the Intern will have opportunities to contribute to a variety of HR initiatives based on organizational priorities and Intern interests. Projects may include:

• Supporting recruitment and onboarding initiatives. 
• Researching employee engagement and wellness best practices. 
• Assisting with employee communications and engagement activities. 
• Creating training materials, guides, templates, and HR resources. 
• Documenting HR policies, procedures, and workflows. 
• Participating in HR process improvement projects.

What You'll Learn

Throughout the internship, the Intern will have the opportunity to:

• Gain experience building employee and intern engagement initiatives.
• Learn about the full employee lifecycle within a nonprofit organization.
• Develop project management skills while leading meaningful HR initiatives.
• Build experience creating communications, training materials, policies, and employee resources.
• Learn how HR partners with leaders to strengthen organizational culture and improve the employee experience.
• Receive mentorship and coaching from experienced HR professionals.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• Eligible to receive academic credit or participate through a university-sponsored internship program.
• Creativity and initiative, with an enthusiasm for developing employee engagement activities, wellness initiatives, training resources, and communication materials.

Working Conditions

This is a U.S.-based, fully remote, unpaid internship with a flexible structure and meaningful responsibility. Requires reliable internet access. Virtual meetings will be scheduled during standard business hours.

We expect the internship to last a minimum of four months with flexibility to adjust start and end date based on student availability. 

This internship is structured as an educational experience intended to benefit the student through observation, mentorship, research, and professional development. Interns will not replace paid employees, perform routine operational work, or assume responsibility for duties regularly assigned to staff members.

NORD is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

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