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Internship/Fellowship in Office of the Secretary of Higher Education

The State of NJ - Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE)
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The Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) seeks undergraduate/graduate students and recent graduates that are passionate about education and government affairs and are looking to be engaged in an ACTIVE experience supporting a variety of teams within OSHE. The paid internship/fellowship is offered in the fall, spring, and summer. This internship/fellowship presents a unique opportunity to have a close view of postsecondary education policymaking and statewide government affairs and be exposed to all the work and efforts of all the areas that go hand in hand to improve education initiatives across the state and make higher education more affordable and accessible for New Jerseyans. Selected candidates will provide support to the following areas: Policy, Communications, Legislative, Licensure, Student Support, Finance, Research, and General Administration.

 

Interested candidates must have excellent writing skills, effective email and oral communication, good literature research skills, familiarity with quantitative and qualitative research methods, and demonstrated time management/organizational skills. Familiarity with New Jersey institutions of higher education and/or relevant organizations is preferred.

 

The selected applicants will be expected to adapt to and work in a fast-paced environment, being exposed to multiple facets of a government agency. Interns/Fellows will rotate through most areas of OSHE; however, priority projects and tasks will be considered for those that align with the intern/fellow’s interests. Though we have listed preferred qualifications, we recognize that part of being an intern/fellow is to learn skills that advance your career and academic pursuits. As a result, you will be afforded the opportunity to learn and gain experience not only from your team/area but also gain exposure to other teams and their operations, thus applicants who may not meet all the qualifications are still encouraged to apply. 

 

Tasks and projects in each area may include:

Policy

  • Research and drafting of memos and reports
  • Participating and minute-taking with a variety of statewide commissions and task forces
  • Participate and record meeting notes for implementation work groups
  • Provide project support for implementation of policy and program initiatives and logistical support for planned agency convenings
  • Strong Skills Required: Editing/proofreading skills, detail-oriented, time management/organizational skill, multi-tasking skills, ability to analyze and synthesize research, familiarity with quantitative and qualitative data
  • Interest in higher education policy, government affairs, and NJ institutions

Communications

  • Social media/graphics creation
  • First-round draft of press releases
  • PowerPoint creation for external speaking engagements, assistance drafting responses to constituent outreach, note-taking for internal meetings
  • Participating and minute-taking for a variety of meetings
  • Strong Skills Required: Editing/proofreading skills,creativity, and proficiency in presentation tools or other graphic instruments, social media savvy, Spanish language ability a plus
  • Interest in community outreach, higher education, marketing, and social media

Legislative and Regulatory Affairs

  • State and federal legislative bill tracking
  • Research and analysis of reports
  • Participate in legislative meetings and minute-taking
  • State and federal legislative bill tracking and monitoring progress of policy priorities
  • Remain informed of local and national news to provide timely updates
  • Strong Skills Required: Data analytics, familiarity with spreadsheets,
  • Interest in higher education policy, government affairs, advocacy, and administrative compliance

Licensure

  • Assist with managing licensure database and annual institutional reporting processes
  • Support with academic program review and quality assurance functions
  • Participate in external licensure stakeholder meeting sand site visits
  • Research and analyze local and national trends related to accreditation, accountability and student protection
  • Provide critical support to projects pertaining to achieving state-wide goals
  • Strong Skills Required: Editing/proofreading skills, detail-oriented, data entry skills/experience with spreadsheets, ability to work with legal documents, analytic ability to synthesize data and policy
  • Interest in higher education policy, academic programs, and legal affairs

Student Support Programs

  • Assisting education support programs across the agency including, EOF and GEAR UP
  • Report and data processing for statewide programs
  • Assisting with event coordination and logistics for achievement ceremonies

Ensure confidentiality of sensitive information and materials

  • Develop, revise and implement procedures/policies for program or function
  • Strong Skills Required: Superior organizational skills, detail-oriented, data entry skills/experience with spreadsheets, effective oral and email communication, strong interpersonal skills
  • Interest in student support services, community outreach, higher education, and grant processes

Finance

  • Perform financial analysis, and provide analytical support
  • Willing to become adept at understanding the higher education budget data
  • Analyze and compare financial records to verify numbers with associated receipts or other documentation
  • Assist with organizing and processing financial reports
  • Assist with statistical analysis and present data-driven recommendations to the finance team
  • Strong Skills Required: Proficiency in Excel, attention to detail, data entry skills/experience with spreadsheets
  • Interest in finance, accounting, higher education, , and grant processes

Research and Data

  • Support with tracking and organizing institutional profiles and state / federal data systems
  • Assist with procuring data and research to support the development of agency initiatives
  • Develop infographics to communicate key data takeaways and highlights to stakeholders
  • Create documentation for each data request or research project.
  • Improve operational efficiencies in various areas of the agency
  • Strong Skills Required: Proficiency in Excel, data entry skills/experience with spreadsheets, excellent
  • problem-solving skills, analytical understanding of statistics and data, knowledge of data visualization tools
  • Interest in research, data analysis and synthesis, and NJ institutions

General Administration Support

  • Perform administrative tasks to support Executive Services, especially Human Resource functions
  • Provide assistance with scheduling, event planning, follow-up and logistical coordination
  • Filing various documents and maintaining databases
  • Storing sensitive and confidential information properly
  • Submit timely reports and prepare presentations/proposals as assigned
  • Strong Skills Required: Superior organizational skills, detail-oriented, interpersonal skills, experience with scheduling and planning, data entry skills/experience with spreadsheets, writing/editing/proofreading skill
  • Interest in human resources administrative functions and general office management

 

In addition to the skills listed above, interns and fellows will be required to develop a proficiency in utilizing Microsoft Office Suite (including Outlook and Teams) and Adobe PDF.

 

This is a paid internship/fellowship. Undergraduate students will be considered for internships and graduate students and/or recent graduates will be considered for fellowships. Interns and Fellows will be required to work at least one day in-person at OSHE’s office in Trenton, NJ. OSHE is willing to work with your schedule. There are part-time and full-time opportunities available. Ideally, the intern/fellow would work at least a minimum of 15 hours a week. If you want to improve the higher education landscape through a student-centered vision alongside a team who cares about impacting education and students for the better, then we highly encourage you to apply!

 Internship/Fellowship Dates:

  • For priority consideration for Spring 2024 internships/fellowships, please apply by November 29, 2024.
  • For priority consideration for Summer 2024 fellowships, please apply by March 15, 2025.
  • For priority consideration for Fall 2024 fellowships, please apply by July 17, 2025.

 Application Process:

  • Please send your resume to interns.fellows@oshe.nj.gov.
  • Fill out this form and provide all the information required in a timely manner.
  • Please make sure you send your resume and completed form within the deadline, or your application will be considered incomplete.

SAME APPLICANTS: If you are applying under the NJ CSC “SAME” program, your Schedule A or B letter must be submitted along with your resume and any other required supporting documents indicated on the announcement by the closing date indicated. You are also required to apply via the NJ CSC SAME website. For more information on the SAME Program visit the CSC website at: https://nj.gov/csc/same/overview/index.shtml, email: SAME@csc.nj.gov, or call CSC at (609) 292-4144, option 3

Any questions regarding this posting should be directed to interns.fellows@oshe.nj.gov.