Internship- Communications

JOB INFORMATION

The Division of Solid Waste and Recycling is looking for a Communications Student Intern for the Fall 2026 semester!

Time Commitment: Work a minimum of 12 hours per week and 4 hours per scheduled workday through the stated specific end date; maximum of 30 hours per week; varied days and hours of Monday-Friday; 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with some weekends and evenings; maximum total of 240 hours over the course of the semester; non-exempt; part-time; no-benefits

Frederick County Government supports more than 300,000 people across the largest county by land area in Maryland. As the fastest-growing county in the entire state, we rely on a diverse workforce spanning skilled trades, technical roles, professional positions, public safety, and more. Every division and office plays an essential role in keeping Frederick County running smoothly and helping the community thrive. If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact, explore the many career paths available in local government. Your work can help shape the future of Frederick County.

By offering hands-on career exploration designed to bridge academic learning with real-world experience, our internships allow students the opportunity to apply their knowledge in a professional setting, gain valuable insight into the operations of local government, and explore public service career paths. Participants build meaningful professional connections, contribute to impactful projects, and discover how local government plays a vital role in serving the community.

Individuals seeking to earn academic credit through this internship are responsible for coordinating with their academic institution to ensure the experience meets all required criteria.

INTERNSHIP DETAILS:

The Division of Solid Waste and Recycling is offering an internship that places you at the forefront of improving Frederick County’s curbside recycling program and advancing environmental stewardship across the community. In this role, you’ll gain firsthand insight into how the program operates and play a key part in transforming that data into strategic communication efforts. Your work will help strengthen community outreach, deepen public understanding of environmental impacts, and support the Division’s efforts to expand programs and achieve the County’s waste-diversion and sustainability goals.

Frederick County Government values the principles of diversity and inclusion, and strives to ensure equal opportunities for its workforce, applicants and community members. If you are a person who wants to make a difference, give back to your community, and be a voice for change, apply to Frederick County Government today.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conduct curbside bin audits to assess recycling habits, identify contamination types, and analyze trends across different neighborhoods
• Collaborate with the Communications Manager to develop targeted, data-driven outreach strategies based on data from bin audits
• Attend and represent the Division of Solid Waste and Recycling at community events, engaging residents and answering questions about recycling and waste reduction
• Create compelling social media content and posts to promote recycling education, waste reduction tips, and division initiatives
• Work with the Communications Manager to enhance curriculum materials and develop new tools for school-based recycling and waste-education programs
• Develop creative outreach strategies and identify meaningful opportunities within the community to more effectively reach and educate residents about the importance of recycling and waste reduction for both the environment and the community
• Attend workshops, meetings and learning opportunities
• Perform other related duties as assigned

To perform this job successfully, an employee must be able to perform all essential functions satisfactorily. Any employee's position may not be assigned all functions or equipment listed above, and the examples may not cover all functions or equipment that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential functions.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an intern to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Enrolled in a college or university pursuing a degree in Communications, Environmental Studies, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations, Visual Arts or a closely related field
• Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 or higher. A college transcript is required as evidence of GPA. A copy of an unofficial transcript will be accepted

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:
A successful incumbent operating in this role displays the following:

• Knowledge of design, marketing, communication and social media software, tools and platforms
• Working knowledge of the principles, practices and methods of informational and public relations writing, and of related media relationships, marketing and graphic arts design and production
• Strong writing skills to support a range of content, including website copy, social media, and email communications
• Strong and effective spoken and written (English) communication skills including the ability to compile, prepare and present clear, concise and accurate reports, forms, letters, and record
• Strong collaborative and teamwork skills
• Ability to use graphic principles to create original online/print marketing materials
• Ability to effectively organize work, establish priorities, manage time effectively and complete assigned duties with minimal supervision in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to be flexible, act as a team player and provide quality internal and external customer service
• Ability to solve problems and to develop solutions and strategies
• Ability to research and provide data
• Ability to exercise sound technical judgment in the performance of assigned duties
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, business representatives, and members of the public
• Ability to effectively access and utilize computerized systems and equipment, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, databases, and email software (e.g. MS Office Suite)

PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN FOR:

• Experience in a public facing customer service role
• Experience involving environmental projects or programs
• Experience using Adobe Suite
• Secondary language skills in American Sign Language

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS:

• While working in this position, the employee is required to frequently sit, walk, climb, stoop, reach, perform repetitive motions, drive, and lift up to 20 pounds; occasionally crawl, lift between 20-50 pounds, and push up to 40 pounds; rarely lift over 50 pounds and pull up to 40 pounds
• While working in this position, the employee is required to frequently work indoors, work outdoors, walk on uneven ground, and work in dirty and dusty environments; occasionally work in hot temperatures above 100 degrees, cold temperatures below 32 degrees, noisy environments, near machinery and chemicals and wear protective equipment; rarely work at heights

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / EXAMINATION PROCESS

• Available for varied work hours (which may include evenings/ weekends) for scheduled events, meetings, outreach, workshops and other departmental priorities as needed
• Ability to provide own transportation to assigned internship location, training, meetings, events and other commitments

KIND OF EXAMINATION (may include):

• An evaluation of training and experience

• One or more interviews

Frederick County Government is committed to providing an inclusive work environment and complies with all applicable laws and regulations regarding workplace accommodation, including for individuals with disabilities. Applicants who require reasonable accommodation during the application and hiring process may contact the Talent Acquisition section of Human Resources. Inquiries about accommodations can be sent to Recruitment@FrederickCountyMD.gov

Position is not eligible to receive benefits with exception to the 457 Plan as listed below.

Savings Plan - Deferred Compensation:
The County offers a Section 457 Plan. Deferred compensation plans allow participants to save for retirement now and pay taxes later by contributing a portion of their salaries pre-tax to the plan. Contributions are invested at the employee's direction into one or more of the variety of investment options offered by the plan. Changes may be made to the contribution levels, investment options, etc. at any time.