Communications & Operations Intern

Communications & Operations Intern

Part-Time Position
Start and end date: October 5, 2026 - March 5, 2027

Who We Are

CROP (Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs) is an Oakland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to reimagining reentry through a holistic and human-centered model. Driven by innovative approaches to education, advocacy, housing, personal leadership development, and workforce pathways, CROP works to reduce recidivism and create opportunities for justice-impacted individuals. Founded by leaders with direct lived experience in the criminal justice system, CROP’s programs aim to transform lives and communities.

What You’ll Do

The Communications & Operations Intern will help tell CROP's story through photography, video, and writing — capturing content onsite, creating social media and newsletter content, managing email communications through our CRM, and building relationships with staff, fellows, and comms-related external guests. The role will also provide essential front desk and operational support, including welcoming visitors, managing calls and deliveries, maintaining a professional reception environment, and assisting with on-campus events and activities. This role will work with the Sr. Manager, Communications and Development, and Operations team to support the smooth day-to-day running of CROP and ensure its work is consistently shared across owned platforms.

CONTENT CAPTURE & MANAGEMENT

Take photographs and videos at events, programs, and other organizational moments; organize and save all media correctly in our shared drive following our file-naming and folder conventions; and edit and repurpose content into social media-ready assets. When onsite for content capture, pitch in on light operational support (e.g., event setup/breakdown) during moments when not actively shooting.

WRITING & CONTENT CREATION

Draft social media captions, newsletters, and other ad-hoc communications (announcements, blurbs, event recaps, and more) from CROP's perspective, adapting tone and style to match the platform, channel, and intended audience.

EMAIL & CRM MANAGEMENT

Format newsletters for distribution, build and segment audience lists, and schedule and send email communications through our CRM platform, checking for accuracy before each send.

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT

Maintain positive, professional relationships with staff, fellows, and comms-related external guests (such as visiting journalists), and coordinate logistics for interviews, shoots, or press-related requests as needed.

FRONT DESK & OPERATIONS SUPPORT

Serve as the primary receptionist during assigned coverage hours by answering calls, greeting and directing visitors, and managing sign-in/sign-out procedures in accordance with CROP’s protocols and standards for safety and professionalism; manage incoming and outgoing mail, packages, and deliveries, ensuring proper documentation and notification to recipients; maintain a clean and welcoming reception area that reflects CROP’s values and professional standards; and assist with setup and breakdown for on-campus events and activities as needed.

Who You Are

You thrive in collaborative environments while being self-driven enough to take initiative and own your areas of responsibility. You're excited about CROP's mission and bringing your skills to work that matters. You combine strong attention to detail with curiosity about how your work connects to larger organizational goals.

We believe great talent comes from many backgrounds and career paths - whether you've followed a traditional career trajectory or taken a unique route to this point in your professional journey. We encourage candidates to apply even if they don't meet every qualification listed below. If you're excited about this role and our mission and think you could be a great fit, we'd love to hear from you.

ROLE FOUNDATIONS

For this role, there are a few essential requirements:

• Legal authorization to work in the United States

• Comfort with photography and videography, including basic photo/video editing

• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to adapt tone across formats and audiences

• Comfort working in a public-facing environment and interacting professionally with a wide range of people, including staff, fellows, visitors, and external partners.

• Ability to commit to 3 days/week, including at least two days per week onsite.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

We're especially excited about candidates who bring experience and capabilities in some of these areas:

Knowledge

Social media platforms: Familiar with the norms, formats, and audience expectations across platforms relevant to CROP's audience.

Nonprofit storytelling: Understands how visual and written content can build awareness and support for mission-driven work.

Skills

Photography & videography: Captures clear, usable photo and video content in dynamic, real-world settings such as events and programs.

Writing across formats: Drafts captions, newsletters, and ad-hoc copy that match the tone of the platform and audience.

CRM & email management: Formats newsletters, builds audience segments, and manages email sends with accuracy and attention to detail.

File & data organization: Saves and organizes media consistently in shared drives, following naming and folder conventions.

Abilities

Produces compelling written and digital content: Aims for accuracy and attention to detail. Can learn, internalize, and incorporate CROP's "voice" across platforms.

Builds relationships: Maintains positive, professional rapport with staff, fellows, and external guests.

Manages time and flexibility well: Balances onsite and remote responsibilities, adapting to a changing schedule week to week.

Willingness to learn and pitch in: Open to learning new tasks and procedures, and willing to support day-to-day operations and onsite activities as needed.

Additional Details

Compensation

This is a part-time, non-exempt internship. The pay rate for this position is $25 per hour.

Schedule

This is a 20-week part-time internship with a 2-week break from December 21 to January 1. The successful candidate will work 3 days (24 hours) each week with a preference for Tuesdays and Fridays onsite, and an option for flexibility with the third day. Onsite days are negotiable, but we regret that fully remote candidates will not be considered.

Supervision

This role is supervised by the Sr. Manager, Communications & Development.

Application

CROP is committed to hiring talented and qualified individuals with diverse backgrounds for all of its roles, with an emphasis on uplifting the proximate leadership of talent with criminal records. CROP believes that the gathering and celebration of unique backgrounds, qualities, abilities and cultures strengthens our workplace and supports the success of our programs. CROP also is deeply committed to equity and as such never discriminates on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, conviction history, immigration status, age, ability, or mental health.

Application Submission Includes

Please submit a resume and a portfolio with examples of your work. Examples may include graphic design, video editing, social media posts, or other written work. The best examples will demonstrate communicating on behalf of a group or organization (including student societies). Examples can include posts from personal pages only where relevant (e.g. a day in the life video demonstrating editing skills).

Applications will be received and reviewed until September 18. After this time, we may continue to review applications on a rolling basis, however, encourage candidates to apply before the deadline and/or as soon as possible. If you have any questions about the application or the position, please contact Alexandra Kimmons at alex.kimmons@croporg.org.