Human Resources & Risk Management Intern

About the Department

This position is open until filled and may close at any time.

Are you curious about how organizations keep employees safe, support people at work, and solve real-world workplace challenges? Are you currently enrolled in, or a recent graduate of, a degree program focusing on Human Resources or Risk Management? Are you interested in public service, and want meaningful, hands-on experience that goes beyond filing and data entry?

The HR & Risk Management Team is looking for a motivated and detail-orientated HR & Risk Management Intern to join us for the summer as we host our internship program: Next Step, Auburn for the fourth year. You can learn more about what this means here!

If selected, you will gain behind-the-scenes exposure to how a public agency protects employees, manages workplace risk, supports safety programs, and delivers HR services that impact an entire community. You’ll work directly with HR and Risk professionals on projects that strengthen workplace safety, improve processes, and support employees across the City.

This is an excellent opportunity for students interested in HR, workplace safety, public administration, risk management, occupational health, or organizational operations. 

Position Duties

What You’ll Experience
During the 10-week program, you’ll take ownership of meaningful projects and collaborate with staff across departments.

Workplace Safety & Job Analysis Projects

You’ll help us better understand how jobs are performed across the City by conducting Job Hazard Analyses. This includes:

• Meeting with employees and supervisors to learn how work actually happens in the field
• Identifying potential risks and safety practices
• Helping create standardized safety templates used Citywide

Internship Program Leadership 

As part of the 2026 intern cohort, you’ll also help coordinate the City’s internship program: 

• Supporting intern events and professional development sessions
• Assist with scheduling and communications
• Serving as peer point-of-contact for fellow interns

Risk & Claims Exposure

You’ll get practical exposure to how organizations manage workplace risk and public risk, which may include: 

• Supporting liability and property damage claims tracking 
• Assist with workplace safety initiatives
• Learning how injury and incident reporting works
• Observing elements of workers’ compensation administration

HR & Risk Data & Reporting

You’ll help transform real operational data into meaningful information by:

• Pulling and compiling HR and safety metrics
• Assisting with monthly dashboards and reports
• Contributing to annual department reporting 

This is not an all-inclusive list. Interns are assigned ongoing tasks based upon department needs and your learning goals. We want your internship to be relevant, engaging, and valuable to your career interests. 

Minimum Qualifications

To be eligible for this position, you must be:

• Currently enrolled in, or have successfully completed within the last 12 months, a degree program in Human Resources, Risk Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Occupational Safety, or a related field, AND
• Able to pass a thorough background check, including fingerprinting and a driving abstract review.

What will help you succeed:

• Communicate clearly and professionally
• Enjoy learning how organizations work
• Can manage multiple projects and deadlines
• Handle sensitive information with discretion
• Work well independently and in teams

We would love it if you:

• Have familiarity with workplace safety or risk concepts (OSHA/WISHA/L&I)
• Enjoy analyzing information and solving problems
• Are comfortable using Microsoft Office tools

We are seeking interns available for the full 10-weekprogram (June 15th-August 21^st).

Preference will be given to candidates able to work up to 40 hours per week.  Final schedules will be discussed with top candidates.

Core hours: Monday-Friday,8amto5pm. This is an onsite internship at City facilities. A City computer will be provided. 

Other Qualifications

Our Team HR personality can be described as:

• Committed: We work together managing heavy workloads, confidential (often difficult) and time-sensitive projects. We love our fast-paced environment and are never bored! Our commitment to our staff, City, and each other means that we are willing to maintain flexibility and address whatever needs to be done.
• Welcoming: We genuinely enjoy interacting with each other and staff! We are friendly, reachable, and reliable. We know HR can be an intimidating department to visit, but we encourage people to stop by when they need to chat with someone.
• Motivated: Our team is service-oriented and motivated to treat all staff fairly. We feel strongly about ensuring that we are good stewards to the citizens of Auburn with the funds we have been provided and by the roles in which we have been placed.
• Authentic: We love what we do! We are professional, honest, and serve our staff and citizens with integrity. We don't take ourselves too seriously, and we are constantly learning, which keeps us knowledgeable in our field.

In HR, we are continuing to build shared values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, employee engagement, innovative thinking, and continuous improvement. We challenge ourselves to continue learning to ensure we are serving our staff and the citizens of Auburn to the best of our abilities.