How to hire an internship director

How to hire an internship director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step internship director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an internship director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new internship director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an internship director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an internship director, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an internship director to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an internship director that fits the bill.

   This list presents internship director salaries for various positions.

   Type of Internship Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Internship Director		$19-46
   Program Manager	A program manager is responsible for monitoring the project's progress, improving and developing new strategies, and coordinate various projects across the organization to ensure the success of the business objective. Program managers also manage the program's expenses, ensuring that the projects adhere to the budget goals without compromising the quality and accuracy of the result... Show more	$31-67
   Managing Member	A managing member is an individual who has an ownership interest of a limited liability company (LLC) and is involved in its daily management. Managing members have an authoritative position that allows them to represent the company in contract negotiations and agree to the terms of a binding contract... Show more	$23-82

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Internship Program
   • Alumni
   • Financial Statements
   • Press Releases
   • Community Outreach
   • Professional Development
   • Student Athletes
   • Event Planning
   • Facebook
   • Athletic Events
   • Program Development
   • NCAA
   • PowerPoint
   • Soccer

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
   • Process notices to vacate & manage delinquency/file evictions as necessary.
   • Manage social media platforms including Facebook and twitter, coordinate supervisors international business travel, and perform administrative tasks
   • Lead copywriter using SEO best practices, modify HTML, and build pages through new content management system.
   • Move in new tenants into YARDI.
   • Serve as liaison for UK's counter-terrorism and radicalization program.

   More internship director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your internship director job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An internship director salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, internship directors' average salary in arkansas is 43% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level internship directors earn 58% less than senior-level internship directors.
   • Certifications. An internship director with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an internship director's salary.

   Average internship director salary

   $62,518yearly

   $30.06 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level internship director salary

   $40,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average internship director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$74,626	$36
   2	Massachusetts	$73,720	$35
   3	California	$72,578	$35
   4	Delaware	$71,711	$34
   5	Pennsylvania	$67,647	$33
   6	Virginia	$65,268	$31
   7	Texas	$56,188	$27
   8	Colorado	$55,823	$27
   9	Minnesota	$55,537	$27
   10	Nevada	$55,018	$26

   Average internship director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Oceaneering	$77,169	$37.10
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$77,025	$37.03
   3	Princeton University	$71,273	$34.27	2
   4	United Nations Foundation	$70,362	$33.83
   5	New York University	$69,642	$33.48	3
   6	Medical Billing	$68,164	$32.77
   7	Wellesley College	$67,615	$32.51
   8	Independent Health	$65,478	$31.48
   9	University of Colorado Denver	$60,240	$28.96
   10	Service Employees International Union Local 205	$60,058	$28.87
   11	Canvas Health	$59,288	$28.50
   12	Sky View	$59,049	$28.39
   13	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$59,010	$28.37	9
   14	Mayo Clinic	$58,397	$28.08	5
   15	University of St. Thomas	$56,226	$27.03
   16	Dickinson College	$55,324	$26.60
   17	MHMR Tarrant	$54,121	$26.02
   18	University of Delaware	$54,081	$26.00	4
   19	CRISTA Ministries	$53,879	$25.90
   20	University at Buffalo	$52,481	$25.23

4. Writing an internship director job description

   A good internship director job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an internship director job description:

   Internship director job description example

   Level: Graduate Degree
   
   Job Details Job Location Montebello - Pueblo, CO Position Type Full Time Education Level Graduate Degree Travel Percentage Up to 25% Job Shift Day Director of Internship Programs/Special Projects

   Health Solutions is a premier wellness center focused on whole-person care. With over 400 employees in Southern Colorado, you would be joining a mighty team of support and administrative staff, case managers, clinicians, physicians, nurses, and others in our efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of our community.

   Were looking for a Director of Internship Programs/Special Projects to join our team at 41 Montebello Rd. in Pueblo.

   What Youll Like About Us

   • Generous benefits package. For most positions, includes paid holidays, generous PTO, Subsidized YMCA membership, tuition reimbursement, retirement 403(b), and FSA
     • Insurance: Medical, Dental, and Vision, with low deductibles. Also, Wellness benefits program available.
     • EAP, Teladoc, LifeLock, Direct Path, Life and AD&D
     • Additional Insurance: FSA, Voluntary Life, Allstate Voluntary benefits
     • Childcare for school aged children
     • Flexible schedule
   • Employee recognition and celebrations
   • Warm and friendly work environment in which staff respect and learn from one another
   • Meaningful work with opportunities to serve our neighbors in Pueblo

   What Youd Be Doing

   As The Director of Internship Programs/Special Projects designs, implements and oversees the development of formal internship programs in collaboration with regional institutes for higher learning. The Director oversees special projects as assigned by the CEO. Strategies for the program will support and advance the organizations overall goals and objectives.

   The Director is responsible for:

   • Designing, developing and leading the implementation of Health Solutions internship strategies;
   • Forming alliances and partnerships with key academic institutions;
   • Working collaboratively with other department directors to ensure the program is in alignment with organizational needs;
   • Working collaboratively with the executive team, directors and supervisors to identify and develop clinical mentors who will oversee internships and practicums, and/or will supervise candidates for professional license;
   • Develop and implement administrative and recordkeeping systems;
   • Oversees a variety of special projects under the direction of the CEO;
   • Performing other job-related responsibilities as assigned.
   • Physical requirements include the following
   • Requires standing and sitting for prolonged periods of time
   • Requires occasional walking
   • Occasionally lifts and carries items up to 20 pounds
   • Requires working under stress in emergency situations
   • Requires occasional driving, at times in adverse weather conditions
   • Requires frequent use of a computer

   Health Solutions expects all staff to

   • Is adaptable to change in the workplace and uses change as an opportunity for innovation and creativity
   • Takes ownership of problems, has ability to brainstorm different problem resolution paths, uses sound judgment in selecting solutions to problems, and demonstrates consistent follow through
   • Self-initiation and an action bias orientation
   • Has job knowledge and skills to perform the fundamental job functions and is able and willing to assume greater responsibility over time regarding the scope of work
   • Has the ability to inspire and model collaborative teamwork
   • Demonstrates an understanding of customer service regarding accommodation, politeness, helpfulness, trust building, appropriate boundaries, and flexibility

   What Were Looking ForThe Must-Haves

   • A masters degree or PhD (preferred) in education or a behavioral health field;
   • At least five years of work experience in behavioral health with an understanding of the operational and administrative structures of a health agency.
   • Demonstrated competency in the required key skills: Negotiation, influencing, facilitation and communication (both verbal and written).
   • Advanced project management skill.
   • Skilled in analytical thinking and time management.
   • Must possess a current Colorado drivers license and have access to transportation during working hours.
   • Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required upon hire

   What Wed Like to See in YouThe Nice-to-Haves

   • Spanish Speaking skills.
   • Experience with and/or thorough knowledge of available behavioral health graduate school programs.
   • Training in LEAN, SCRUM, AGILE or other project management/work stream tools.

   Notice : Health Solutions is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing a work environment that is free of unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Any employee or applicant may request a COVID-19 vaccine exemption form from HR. For more information visit:

   
   
   

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5. Post your job

   To find internship directors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any internship directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level internship directors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your internship director job on Zippia to find and recruit internship director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting internship directors requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new internship director

   Once you've decided on a perfect internship director candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new internship director. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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