COLLEGE Intern – Small Business Learning & Development - Culture & Strategy – Airport Access & Business Opportunity – Denver International Airport

About Our Job
What We Offer
This internship is an on-call position, which means it is a part-time, hourly role. The City and County of Denver offers a competitive pay rate to commensurate with education, with the pay range for this position between $20.22 to $22.78 per hour. This position is eligible to enroll in the City and County of Denver’s 457b retirement plan. This position is not eligible for other additional benefits. On-call positions may have routine or variable work schedules.
Location Flexibility
The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model with a required 3 days in office. Employees work where needed to support business at Denver International Airport (DEN). We do not offer housing or relocation assistance for this position. Employees must work within the state of Colorado.
Internship Duration and Hours
This is a 3-month internship that will run from February 2027 to April 2027. Hours typically vary 15-30 hours a week during school semesters, but not exceeding 39 hours a week. The intern’s work schedule will be flexible to accommodate their current academic commitments.
Who We Are & What You’ll Do
Denver International Airport is the third-busiest airport in the United States and one of the top ten busiest airports in the world. We are the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $47.2 billion for the region annually. At DEN, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We celebrate individuality and strive to keep Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA) at the center of all that we do.
Through the DEN Intern (nicknamed “DENtern”) Program, students gain real world experience in aviation and workforce development while building professional skills. DENterns participate in networking, collaboration, and professional growth, tours, and engaging in impactful projects across the airport.
DEN’s Culture & Strategy – Airport Access & Business Opportunity group is actively seeking a Small Business Learning & Development DENtern to contribute to their division. As part of DEN's Strategic Plan, Vision 100, which envisions reaching 100 million annual passengers, Culture & Strategy plays a pivotal role in transforming the aviation industry.
Within the Culture & Strategy Division, the Business Learning & Development (BLD) team works to create programming and supportive environments, while providing excellent customer service to small businesses and supporting the City and County of Denver’s Division of Small Business and Opportunity’s Mentor Protégé program. The primary program within BLD’s portfolio is the Business Development Training Academy (BDTA). BDTA is an industry-leading program that provides training and resources to help small businesses implement a systematic approach for pursuing contracting opportunities at DEN and support their continued learning as a DEN contractor and/or concessionaire.
As a DENtern you will get to experience working on projects such as, but not limited to:
Project #1: Program Coordination Support
Support classroom management duties, including coordinating speakers, communicating with students, managing attendance, and preparing class materials.
Coordinate virtual classroom presence for BDTA students and help maintain engagement.
Project #2: Build a Weekly Communications & Engagement Toolbox and Template
Draft and deliver weekly communications to BDTA program participants—crafting clear, professional, and engaging messages that include reminders, updates, and outreach efforts designed to strengthen students’ professional writing, confidence, and connection to the program.
Project #3: Presentation & Facilitation Practice
Build confidence and skill in public speaking, facilitation, and lead student engagement moments by:
Leading opening or closing class announcements to practice clear, confident verbal communication
Facilitating one brief activity or engagement moment that strengthens group interaction and develops facilitation skills
Project #4: BDTA Professional Services Pilot Program
Develop a small-scale pilot workshop or resource tailored for Professional Services firms through industry research and discovery of best practices
Support planning and refinement of the pilot to ensure it is practical, relevant, and ready for preliminary testing
Project #5: BDTA Alumni Association Coordination
Support early coordination and engagement with the BDTA Alumni board and association members.
What You’ll Bring
Our ideal candidate has some or all the following interests, characteristics and skills:
An interest in business development, training, or community impact
Interest in supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs, and diverse communities
Collaborative with a positive, team-oriented attitude
Creative thinker who enjoys problem-solving and trying new ideas
Proactive, dependable, and able to manage multiple tasks
Desired Skill Set:
Customer Service: Understanding and addressing client needs.
Interpersonal Skills: Building rapport and working well with others.
Presentation Skills: Ability to present ideas clearly and confidently.
Problem-Solving: Analyzing issues and developing solutions.
Research Skills: Identifying and collecting information about a given topic
Minimum Qualifications
Education Requirement: This position is open to students currently enrolled in an accredited college program leading to a certificate, licensure, associates, bachelors, higher degree in, or up to one year post college graduation.
Experience: None
Education and Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.
Mandatory documentation required to be considered for this position:
1–2-page resume
Transcripts – either official or unofficial; dated within your current academic term. This is only used to verify amounts of credits; grades will not influence decisions.
Optional Documents
Cover letter detailing why you are interested in this position and 3-5 new skills, experiences, or tools you are hoping to take away from this experience.
Application Deadline