Copywriting Intern

Smile Train is changing the world one smile at a time. We’re always on the hunt for curious, passionate, and innovative thinkers to join our team, to help us do what we do better. If that’s you, please read on. 

Smile Train is an international nonprofit headquartered in New York. Our goal is to transform the life of every person impacted by a cleft lip or palate. We train and support doctors and medical professionals to provide free, life-changing comprehensive cleft treatment to our beneficiaries. Our sustainable model has allowed us to reach 1.9 million children in 90 countries to date and we’re just getting started. We are truly changing the world one smile at a time. 

About Internships at Smile Train 

Smile Train is committed to offering interns an opportunity to learn how an international nonprofit works in practice. All interns are invited to attend regular information sessions, each led by a different member of our team. In addition, each intern will work on an Intern Project and participate in a presentation of their project. It’s our hope that these activities will inspire and educate our interns. 

We are seeking a Copywriting Intern for Summer 2024. This person will support the Communications team’s creative initiatives, including producing and writing stories about Smile Train’s patients, partners, and supporters around the world, and maintaining and planning out a comprehensive, balanced content production calendar. The role may also include supporting our digital asset cataloging and SEO keywording strategies. This is an excellent opportunity to grow your professional writing and storytelling skills while working on the Communications team of a top-100 global nonprofit.  

The internship period is June 3 through August 16, 2024. The internship pays $15 USD per hour. The internship is scoped at full-time (5 days or 35 hours per week). Candidates must be based in the NYC area and able to work from our Midtown office at least 2 days per week; remote working will be permitted outside of this. COVID-19 vaccines are required, except for approved medical or religious exemptions. 

Responsibilities 

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Writing, editing, and publishing real-life accounts of Smile Train’s patients, local medical partners, and supporters (this will include interviewing subjects) 
• Rewriting and formatting stories for different marketing channels and audiences such as PR pitches, email, social media, and our global websites 
• Familiarizing yourself with Smile Train’s unique style and voice 

• Learning about issues related to cleft lip and palate 
• Helping with video projects, including script writing and subtitle editing  
• Liaising with global staff and external vendors to fulfill content requests 
• Maintaining and building out a comprehensive, well-balanced content production calendar 

Qualifications 

Our ideal candidate is/has: 

• Working towards a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Communications, English, Journalism, Creative Writing, or a related field 
• Superb writing and copyediting skills  
• Very organized and efficient with precise attention to detail  
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and able to quickly adapt to new content management systems  
• Strong time management skills: the ability to prioritize and handle several projects at one time  
• A strong work ethic and a positive attitude 
• Skills in Adobe Photoshop and/or Premier a plus 
• Fluency in Spanish, French, Arabic, Tagalog, and/or Portuguese a plus 
• Experience in SEO a plus 
• Experiencing in digital archiving a plus 

Application information 

Smile Train is an equal opportunity employer, committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage candidates from all groups and communities to apply. 

To apply, please complete the application through the link below. Include a copy of your resume, two relevant writing samples, and a cover letter that describes why you believe you would be a good fit for Smile Train and this role. Applications without all three of these elements will not be considered. 

The application deadline is April 15, 2024, but we encourage interested applicants to apply as soon as possible.