Marketing and Analytics Intern

Description

Downtown South Bend Inc.’s Internship Program 

MISSION  
Downtown South Bend, Inc.'s mission is to enhance and advance the cultural and economic heart of our city. We deliver on our mission through four primary areas of focus:

Presenting MARKETING & EVENTS designed to attract visitors and highlight downtown as the center for arts, dining and entertainment 
Advancing DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT through the activation of public spaces and vacant or blighted properties and effective advocacy for infrastructure and urban design to make downtown liveable, loveable, and walkable. 

JOB DESCRIPTION

As DTSB looks toward strengthening its impact in the community, our interns will provide critical support. Each intern will work as part of a collaborative team to assist in key activities of the organization as needed. Activity areas will include event planning and administration, outreach and marketing, business development services, policy and best-practices research, and organizational operations. This internship will provide hands-on experience in different core aspects of a vital nonprofit. 

DIRECT CONTACT WITH POPULATION SERVED

DTSB interns will have direct contact with the general public. We serve a variety of constituents from downtown business owners to local government leaders to patrons and visitors of our downtown. 

SUPERVISION, TRAINING, AND MENTORSHIP

We are a small team. Depending on the intern’s interests and skill sets the intern supervisor will either be the Executive Director, the Senior Director of Marketing & Events, the Director of Business Development, or the Communications & Administration Manager. We see interns as vital members of our organization and they are expected to attend weekly team meetings. We strive to provide every professional development opportunity possible including access to programs through the Young Professionals Network and inclusion in City of South Bend community stakeholder sessions to make sure younger voices and perspectives are represented in areas of economic and community development, sustainability, infrastructure, and more. Our interns are included in meetings and networking events with top civic and business leaders. In 2023 our downtown development organization was the only one to include interns at the International Downtown Association Annual Conference. 

Orientation will take place during the first week of the internship and will include an overview of our organization and our policies and procedures.> 

WORKPLACE DESCRIPTION

Our workplace is an office environment, but we engage the public through signature events such as First Fridays and Art Beat. Event support may entail outdoor tabling, event setup/teardown, and other support as needed. Much of the work is hands-on and in-person.> 

DATE PREFERENCE/PREFERRED WORK SCHEDULE

Starting in as soon as possible is preferable. There is flexibility with the schedule but we prefer that interns be available Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for our regular team meetings as well as First Fridays which involve working past normal business hours until roughly 9 pm.  

LEARNING GOALS

Learn about the strategies for effective downtown development and place management.

Develop proficiency in social media management and marketing asset creation utilitizing design tools and video editing software.

Develop strong analytical skills to measure the effectiveness of marketing and communication campaigns, business incentive programs, and signature events.

DRESS CODE

Business Casual 
 
Testimonial from former intern:

“My time at DTSB was absolutely extraordinary… One skill that I learned working with DTSB this summer was teamwork skills. Two times a week, DTSB had brainstorming sessions to plan different events such as First Fridays and the Outdoor Film Series. This was new to me because in previous internships, my position as an intern did not permit me to give my input on things. The brainstorming process that I got to be a part of at DTSB gave me a new appreciation for the city and helped me value teamwork more. As a loud and proud South Bend resident, working at DTSB made perfect sense for me from the very beginning. However, I was not aware of the additional hometown pride that I would gain from working with this organization. 

-Nah 'Shon Z. Williams, DTSB Intern - Summer 2022

Responsibilities

Intern duties will be varied, with roles and responsibilities dependent on interns’ interests and DTSB’s needs. Potential duties include:

Communicating with businesses and residents about DTSB services and resources

Assisting with the planning, coordination, and implementation of DTSB signature events

Drafting social media content, including post language and digital assets

Conducting analysis of marketing campaigns, economic impact of business development programs and events, etc. 

Researching best practices, initiatives, or policies to support specific areas of downtown development and synthesizing findings. 

Creating operational guides for DTSB staff to build institutional memory

Managing operational needs (e.g. answering phones, handling mail, etc.)

Assisting staff with additional tasks and responsibilities as needed 

Qualifications

Interns are expected to demonstrate a high degree of dependability and follow-through on assigned tasks. The ability to problem-solve, a willingness to learn, and a positive attitude are paramount in our organization as our work is incredibly varied and new, unexpected, and often unprecedented scenarios are common.