Design & Production Internship – Summer/Fall '26

APCO is hiring seniors and recent graduates to join our full‑time, paid internship program. Our in‑house creative and paid media teams include strategists, designers, video editors, copywriters, animators, creative directors, media buyers, and production coordinators. APCO builds brands and develops creative content—amplifying it with paid media strategies when needed—to tell powerful client stories and communicate compelling value propositions. Our work is designed to drive awareness, spark interest, and inspire action among key audiences in ways that can be measured against client goals.

Interns have the opportunity to participate in team meetings, collaborate with art directors and senior designers, develop new skills, and contribute to high‑profile brand work.

This role will be based in our Washington DC or Raleigh office.

Responsibilities:

• Assist our internal teams with multimedia creative projects
• General production support, including:
  • Photo sourcing and retouching
  • Incorporating edits to print and digital projects (ex: one-pagers and social media graphics)
  • Preparing/editing PowerPoint presentations and Word documents
  • File management and archiving
• Work with creative directors, designers, producers, editors, writers and project/account staff
• Monitor issues, news events and competitor happenings
• Research topics and issues and analyze findings
• Help with social media research and creation of social media content
• Assist in the development of client proposals
• Other tasks and projects as assigned

Qualifications:

• Recent college graduate or senior in class standing
• Portfolio that demonstrates expertise in design, typography, composition, and color
• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, etc.)
• Previous work in an agency or in-house creative team preferred
• Candidates must be team players with excellent communication and organizational skills as well as the ability to work against tight deadlines
• Available to work 40 hours per week, with at least Tuesdays-Thursdays in office
• Knowledge of project management software is a plus
• Knowledge of wireframing, prototyping, HTML/CSS is a plus
• Requires US Work Authorization, unable to consider candidates with CPT/OPT/Post-OPT status

Application Materials:

To apply, please submit your resume and portfolio. We are unable to consider candidates who do not link to a design portfolio.

What are the core working hours and will I need to be in an office?

Interns will be expected to work 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

We are committed to a hybrid and flexible working environment, with the opportunity to decide to work from home or in the office on Mondays and Fridays. We ask all colleagues to work from the office Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays so that you get to explore more of our culture, find cross functional opportunities and meet other colleagues. You will be provided with a company laptop so that you are able to work from home and in the office easily.

Compensation:

This is a paid internship at a fixed hourly rate of $17.95.

When is the closing date for applications?

Applications will close on Friday, February 27th.

When does the internship commence?

Our program begins on Tuesday, June 16th and ends on Friday, December 11th 2026.

Through our recruitment, hiring and retention efforts, APCO is committed to building teams who bring the best possible expertise and robust perspectives to our clients. We embrace differences in experience, viewpoint and ideas, starting with our values and extending to our behaviors, policies and practices. We aim to create a positive work experience and welcoming environment where everyone feels they belong and can thrive.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, national origin, citizenship, native language, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, religion, age, veteran status, neurodivergence, mental or physical disability, medical history, pregnancy, political belief or affiliation or any other characteristic protected by law.

EOE M/F/V/D