Capitol and District Office Intern

Senator Kirk Watson is seeking highly motivated and responsible individuals with a strong commitment to maintaining confidentiality and professionalism to assist with operations in his Capitol and district offices. Candidates must possess strong organizational skills. Interns will support legislative and district staff by researching issues and policies, writing policy memos and constituent letters, and performing general office duties. Positions are unpaid, part-time, and hours are negotiable. The internship dates are for the spring of 2018, from January 3rd to May 23rd, 2018. Interns are expected to commit to 15-20 hours per week, between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Interns will set a regular schedule of hours in that time frame in blocks of at least three hour increments. Both offices are located in the Capitol Complex in downtown Austin. Start and end date are flexible. We will work with your college or university to earn course credit for your internship, if applicable. Duties • Drafting templates for constituent letters on assigned topics or bills; • Drafting fact sheets and background memos on a range of policy issues and legislation; • Meeting with constituents and advocacy groups on assigned topic areas; • Attending meetings on assigned topic areas and developing briefing memos, as appropriate; • Answering phones; • Creating and maintaining files; • Updating constituent database; • Researching background for resolutions and coordinate submission to Legislative Council in conjunction with Constituent Services staff; • Managing constituent correspondence (email, phone calls, and letters); • Reviewing media clips for constituent recognition opportunities; • Working on special constituent projects; and • Conducting other office duties, as assigned. Qualifications • Be enrolled in college or university as an undergraduate or graduate student, or have recently graduated with an undergraduate or graduate degree; • Strong commitment to confidentiality and professionalism; • Strong work ethic and attention to detail; • Strong written and verbal communication skills; • Strong organizational skills; and • Interest in the legislative process.