Design and Research Intern

Our Design team is looking to hire two part-time interns to work during the summer of 2023 from early June to late August (approximately 20 hours per week for 10 to 12 weeks). This is a paid internship opportunity.

Coforma is looking for two creative, curious, and thoughtful interns to collaborate with each other and other members of our diverse Design department to organize and optimize our processes, practices, and methodologies while also supporting our distributed team. The selected candidates will learn about how we integrate all types of design into the creation of crucial digital services, while helping to bring about operational process efficiencies and improvements. Interns will report to and receive support and training from our Senior Manager of Design Operations and will work closely with other internal stakeholders at various levels of experience and expertise.

Interns may be responsible for various tasks associated with supporting our team including helping document our processes, methodologies, and workflows, researching software and tooling, and helping to build out our knowledge base. If you want to learn about how human-centered design and technology is designed and delivered, and you’re passionate about improving lives through digital products and services, Coforma is a great place for you, and we encourage you to apply to join us this summer.

Remote | Part-Time | $30.00 / hour


Responsibilities include:

 
Supporting the Design and Research team with internal projects as needed
 
Working with leadership to propose, implement, improve, and/or maintain items such as:
 
Documentation about internal processes, methods, and best practices, working directly with various Design leaders over the course of the internship
 
Documentation of team insights and notes from company-sponsored Design team professional development efforts
 
Our library of design and research resources and tools, such as videos, books, documents, webinars, conference materials, slide decks, etc.
 
Our design system in Figma, ensuring ease of use
 
Supporting meetings through event planning and logistics including but not limited to: distributing agendas, setting up collaboration tools, sending calendar invites and reminders, note taking, and sharing follow-up steps post-meetings
 
Researching and proposing tools and workflows that will enable our teams to work smarter / more efficiently
 
Helping maintain and grow the existing design system we utilize in Figma


General Experience

 
Student currently enrolled in an undergraduate- or graduate-level program, a recent college or trade school graduate, OR a professional with equivalent experience and interest
 
Comfortable in a fast-paced remote environment
 
Flexible and innovative with attention to detail
 
Exceptional written and oral communication skills with experience successfully balancing multiple tasks and projects


Preferred Qualifications

 
Previous experience working and collaborating in a remote setting (school collaborations count)
 
Access to a computer and internet to help navigate the remote aspects of the role
 
Knowledge of and experience using tools such as Google Suite, Slack, and Zoom
 
Previous experience working within an office environment
 
Analytical mindset with strong analytical skills and an ability to create systems and workflows
 
Calm manner with the ability to handle stressful situations and different personalities
 
Planning capabilities (able to anticipate what could go wrong when planning and coordinating projects as well as come up with solutions for these potential situations)
 
Organized and able to prioritize multiple projects and complete tasks on time
 
Self-starter who works well without a lot of direction
 
Cooperative and able to manage up and work with a wide range of staff and leaders across all teams and levels
 
Communicative and able to share ideas and create personal relationships through writing as well as in-person exchanges
 
Effective facilitator with the ability to present a strong rationale for design decisions and recommendations


Bonus Qualifications

 
Experience using Mural (or similar collaboration software such as Miro or FigJam) as well as Monday.com (or similar project management tools)
 
Working knowledge of Figma, Sketch, XD, Dovetail, Airtable, and/or Coda
 
Strong grasp of web and mobile standards and accessibility
 
Excellent time management skills and ability to self-direct when needed
 
A hunger to learn and a willingness to adapt when new and different challenges emerge


Mindset

 
You take pride in building high-quality, high-impact products that will help drive Coforma’s vision
 
You are a relentless contributor to your projects, your team, and the company
 
Curiosity drives you
 
You lead through influence, not authority
 
Delivering on-time and on-scope is second nature to you
 
You're open to new ideas, no matter their source
 
You collaborate with your team early and often
 
You have a bias for action and don’t let "analysis paralysis” hold the team back


What You'll Learn and Where You'll Grow

 
How to work effectively and efficiently with a remote team
 
Knowledge and experience with tools that facilitate remote collaboration and documentation
 
Experience working within the Design, Research, and DesignOps environments
 
Analysis and systems thinking
 
Planning and organization
 
Cooperation and communication
 
Change management
 
Experience and understanding of working within government or startup environments
 
A better understanding of Design, UX, Design Research, Content Design, and DesignOps


We Don't Care About

 
Whether or not you have a degree of any kind
 
Whether your educational major, if you had or have one, is related to this role
 
Whether or not you have Dribbble followers
 
Whether or not you have worked at a well-recognized company
 
Whether or not you’re sure you check every single box (that’s called "imposter syndrome", friend — apply and we'll discuss it together)


We Do Care About

 
Your passions, professional or otherwise
 
Your well-informed opinions about technology, teams, and processes
 
You


$30 - $30 an hour
We're Coforma

The stress of job searching can make you wonder if you’re enough. Studies have even shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs when they don’t meet every qualification. We believe that you ARE enough, and that it’s okay not to meet every requirement. We’re building a culture that’s authentic, inclusive, and diverse. If you’re excited to work with us but not sure you check every box, apply anyway! You may be just right for this or another role.

About Us
We use creativity to get results for clients and the communities they serve.

We’ve honed a modern, agile, user-centered approach that elevates human needs through thoughtfully-designed systems and products.

From connecting families in crisis at the US border to improving the way governments consume COVID-19 mobility data through a more accessible and user-friendly tool, we’re dedicated to improving people’s lives through thoughtful technology products and services. Together. Our cross-functional team works closely with each other and with our government, nonprofit, and commercial partners to research, design, and build better products and services.

Coforma employs over 100 talented creators. Our leadership has decades of experience in improving government digital services from a civic service mindset, and a strong record of developing innovative technology solutions for government, enterprise, and nonprofits.

We thoughtfully integrate design into product development. We are experts in leading the design and development of products to meet business goals, build alignment, and deliver value through technically feasible and iterative design activities.

Business objectives and human beings are at the center of our work. We work very closely and collaboratively with our partners, from solicitation through to delivery, to ensure that the solution provides a high level of value to the business. Accessibility is never overlooked in our work, and our iterative approach validates the utility and delight of the final product.

Equal Opportunity & Inclusive Workplace
Coforma is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, pregnancy, disability, work-related injury, covered veteran status, political ideology, marital status, or any other factor that the law protects from employment discrimination. As a federal government contractor, all employees of Coforma are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by January 4, 2022. Background checks and other security clearances may be required for some roles as it relates to the nature of our client work.

Our team and our office aims to be an accessible and hospitable place to work. We welcome applicants, contractors, and employees who are committed to improving our culture and practices.