Department of Intercollegiate Athletics University of Minnesota 2014-2015 Internships
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is seeking applicants for our 100 percent, up to 12- month, Professional-in-Training/Internships (9584).
About our Internship Program:
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, will have an internship program for 2014-2015 in the areas of Administration, Athletic Communications, Creative Services, Event Management, Facility & Event Tech Operations, Facilities: Mariucci and Ridder Arenas, Facilities: TCF Bank Stadium Operations, Facilities: Williams Arena/Sports Pavilion, Football and Bierman Building Equipment Rooms, GGF: Athletic Development Major Gifts, GGF: Events, Hospitality & Premium Services, M Club, Motion Graphics, Ticket Office, Video/Production (New Media), and Video/Production (Scoreboard).
Gopher Athletics offers 25 NCAA sponsored Division I sports and participates in the Big Ten and WCHA conferences. We have a creative and collaborative team environment where change is embraced and innovation is encouraged. Internships are 12 month and anticipated start dates will be June 16, 2014, unless noted. The stipend for all internships will be $12,000 annually / $461.54 bi-weekly.
Interns will be invited to participate in an on-going ICA intern development program. The current Intern coordinator is Courtney Anderson. She can be reached at [email protected] or 612-624-9396. For more information on Gopher Athletics, please refer to www.gophersports.com.
An offer of internship will be subject to the successful completion of a background check.
Application Instructions:
To be considered for an internship(s), e-mail the application form (see Post Grad Intern Application 2014-2015), and in a separate document your cover letter, resume, and names/phone numbers of three references to: [email protected].
Applications will be accepted until the internship is filled.
The Intercollegiate Athletic Department is committed to hiring a diverse staff and actively encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply.
The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. A description of each available internship in 2014-15 follows:
Internship: Administration
Supervisor: Jenny Yehlen- Asst. AD/Chief of Staff
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
-Experience in business, human resources or sport management
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in business, human resources or sport management
Internship Description:
The Assistant AD, Jenny Yehlen, will supervise and mentor this internship. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. Special event planning and execution for AD/ICA Staff
2. Suite stewardship at athletic events
3. Communication/database management for AD/Admin Office
4. Daily operations/management of AD/Admin Office
5. Assisting with AD meeting schedule
6. Development of position descriptions and organizational structures
7. Position search and onboarding process
8. Internship selection process
9. Performance Management Systems
10. Budget development/planning, monitoring and reconciliation
11. Development of financial, human resource and other departmental policies and procedures
12. Other athletic department special projects and experiences Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014.
Internship: Athletic Communications (1 Opening)
Supervisor: Paul Rovnak– Associate Director of Athletic Communications
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
Preferred Qualifications:
-Prior experience in related field
-Demonstrated writing and editing skills
-Strong attention to detail and an ability to meet deadlines
-Knowledge of statistical software programs (Statcrew), website content management systems, layout/design software (QuarkXPress, InDesign, PhotoShop) and social media (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube)
Internship Description:
You will be supervised by the Director of Athletic Communications. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. The Athletic Communications staff, led by the Director of Athletic Communications, will mentor these internships. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. All 25 Gopher sports and all aspects of the Athletic Communications Office 2. Public relations initiatives including story placement, social media campaigns and web strategy 3. Media contact for sport programs 4. Press releases, competition previews, game/meet notes, recaps and feature stories 5. Media operations at home events 6. Production of online media guides and printed game programs 7. Recording in-game statistics and compiling season statistics 8. Weekly reports to the Big Ten Conference 9. Content for gophersports.com
Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014.
Internship: Creative Services
Supervisor: Jeff Keiser– Assistant Athletics Director for Creative Services
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
-Strong knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
-Strong proficiency with creating finished graphics for print and web
Preferred Qualifications:
-Knowledge of Quark Xpress, Adobe AfterEffects, HTML5 or other related programs
-Experience with photo editing and retouching
Internship Description:
The Assistant Athletics Director for Creative Services will supervise you. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. The Assistant Athletics Director for Creative Services will mentor this internship. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. Creation and design of all marketing, ticketing, communications, fundraising and other department print and other collateral
2. Creation and design of all web graphics for gophersports.com, mygophersports.com and goldengopherfund.com 3. Creation and design of print and web advertisements, marketing flyers, team posters and schedule cards
4. Editing of photography and scanning of historical images to continue growth of digital historical archives
Review of applications will begin on May 15, 2014.
Internship: Event Management (2 openings)
Supervisor: Andrew Parrish– Director of Event Management
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
Preferred Qualifications:
-Experience in athletics setting
Internship Description:
The Director of Event Management will supervise you. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. The Director and Assistant Director of Event Management will mentor these internships. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. University of Minnesota athletic events as well as other major events hosted in athletic venues with an emphasis on crowd management, game operations, participant movements, rule and policy creation, staffing, payroll, timelines, and coordination with various athletic department units
2. The budget process and management; staff training materials; sport-specific manuals and operations guides 3. Relationships with various campus entities involved in the successful presentation of an event. These include but are not limited to parking, police, facilities, land care, alumni association, and president’s office
Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014. Internship: Facilities– Facility and Event Tech Operations
Supervisor: Derek Hillestad- Director of Operations, TCF Bank Stadium/ Kevin Robinson, Stadium Operations Manager
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management, Sport Administration or related field
Internship Description:
The Director of Operations and Stadium Operations Manager will supervise and mentor this internship. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1) Weekly meetings with students and event coordinators to review needs and schedule of events 2) AV support for both athletics and premium events; including but not limited to Football, Basketball, Hockey, Career Fairs, Expo’s, Trade Shows, Weddings and Receptions a) Learn to operate and troubleshoot all technologies in a state of the art football facility 3) Support for events 4) Event AV needs, a) Planning, scheduling, set-up and support 5) Learn process for recruiting, interviewing, and evaluating part-time staff 6) Supporting documentation
Review of applications will begin on May 1, 2014 Internship: Facilities– Mariucci and Ridder Arenas
Supervisor: Craig Flor– Arena Manager, Mariucci and Ridder Arenas
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management or related field
Internship Description:
The Mariucci and Ridder Arena Manager will supervise and mentor this internship. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. All aspects of event management and facility preparation a. Attend planning meetings b. Game day customer service 2. Scheduling of student staff, office hours, special projects, budgeting, researching equipment purchases, meetings to attend, etc. 3. All user groups: Intercollegiate Athletics, the School of Kinesiology classes, recreational sports programs, Minnesota State High School League, and other approved groups and activities. 4. Facilities a. Routine walk-throughs b. Working with Vendors c. Facility improvements/repairs/maintenance. Building control systems for HVAC, PA, AV, and scoreboards d. Project-related support: building shut downs, building access, and room preparation related to major facility improvements and projects 5. Administrative a. Budgeting 1. Cost estimates and cost comparisons b. Exposure to the Facility booking system c. Learn facility policies/procedures and safety protocols d. Attend operations meetings e. Document filing, research and other projects
Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014. Internship: Facilities – TCF Bank Stadium Operations (2 Openings)
Supervisor: Derek Hillestad, Director of Operations, TCF Bank Stadium/Kevin Robinson, Stadium Operations Manager
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management, Sport Administration or related field
Internship Description:
The Director of Operations and Stadium Operations Manager will supervise and mentor these internships. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
Building Operations Internships:
1) Premium Spaces and Events a) Learn basis of conversions for more than 350 annual events held at TCF Bank Stadium b) Observe and learn variety of events such as weddings, tradeshows, meetings, and on- field events c) Become a certified Trained Crowd Manager 2) Leadership and Training a) Learn process for recruiting, interviewing, and evaluating part-time staff b) Observe task assignment and checklists for building operation and integrity c) Study workplace relationships with student staff d) Study manuals, playbooks, and standard operating procedures 3) Building Operation a) Learn to analyze facility needs, facility audits, and stadium walk-throughs b) Practice using daily task lists c) Observe budgeting process d) Study maintenance work order process e) Loading dock operations f) Learn about facility improvements, building systems, and vendor relationships g) Gain knowledge of machine operations program h) Become certified in fork lift operations and AED/CPR Certification 4) Game Day a) Facility preparation and service implementation b) Exposure to 360 degree process of Division I football season c) Exposure to NFL game operations and conversions
Review of applications will begin on March 1 for the first internship May 1, 2014 for the second.
Internship: Facilities Williams Arena / Sports Pavilion
Supervisor: Cory Chapman- Sr. Director for Arenas
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
-Experience in facilities, event conversions, overseeing student/part time workers
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management or related field
Internship Description:
The Senior Director for Arenas will supervise and mentor this internship. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. Event Conversions– Williams Arena and the Sports Pavilion is home to six Gopher Sports programs plus our spirit squad programs. Our Operations team sets, cleans and flips our two competition/practice spaces nearly every day.
2. Hiring, scheduling and working with part time staff made up of nearly 25 students. Assist with compiling class schedules and inputting their work schedules into ABI on a weekly basis. Work alongside students to set competition and practice spaces for volleyball, basketball, gymnastics and wrestling. Mentor student staff and ensure they are trained properly and completing assigned tasks on time and to the standards we have set.
3. Accepting deliveries and ensuring our custodial spaces are well kept and stocked for over 80 events per year. Work with manager for special events hosted at Williams Arena and the Sports Pavilion – MSHSL events, robotics and community outreach events.
4. Assist the manager of Williams Arena and the Sports Pavilion with facility improvement projects, working with vendors to ensure the projects are completed appropriately, on time and on budget. Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014. Internship: Football and Bierman Building Equipment Rooms
Supervisor: Kyle Gergely, Director of Football Equipment, John Blackshear and Kevin Criter, Bierman Equipment Room
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
-Experience with Football Equipment
Preferred Qualifications:
-Experience in Olympic sports equipment and procedures
Internship Description:
You will be supervised by the Director of Football Equipment. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. The Equipment Staff will mentor this internship. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with the equipment industry.
1. Spend time with football and the Olympic sports. While with football, receive experience with fitting equipment, daily preparations for practices and games, travel, interactions with vendors, and student managers. Through these experiences this position would work with players and coaches to make sure the daily equipment needs are met.
2. While in the Bierman Equipment room, you will gain experience in the day-to-day responsibilities of the Men’s and Women’s Track teams as well as Baseball, Softball, and Wrestling. The experience will include laundry and preparation for practices and meets, including set-up of the field house. You will also gain experiences with the ordering process.
3. This intern position would also be given to opportunity to assist, on a limited basis, with both Men’s and Women’s Basketball and Volleyball.
Time split between rooms: June - December (or post bowl) = Football Equipment Room January – May = Bierman Equipment Room with limited football time during spring ball Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014. Internship: GGF Athletic Development– Major Gifts
Supervisor: Randy Handel, Associate AD, GGF
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
Preferred Qualifications:
-Experience in college athletics, development or business
Internship Description:
The Associate AD/GGF will supervise you. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. The Director of Major Gifts will mentor this internship. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. Major Gift solicitation for the department of Athletics in particular with Major Gifts 2. Assisting in capital project planning and implementation for the department of athletics 3. Donor customer service, cultivation and stewardship 4. Learning the process for estate gifts (testamentary bequests, beneficiary designations, etc.), life income gifts (charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trust, etc.) and special outright gifts (life insurance, charitable lead trust, real estate, etc.) 5. Strategic development of the Major Gift program, including Planned Giving, Capital Campaigns, Endowments 6. Development of the GGF Marketing Strategy for Athletics 7. Correspondence to Major Gift contributors to Athletics 8. Donor request and fulfillment 9. Donor communications 10. Developing relationships/cultivation/stewardship of donors to athletics 11. Away game and post-season donor travel with Golden Gopher Fund 12. Oversight and development of Major Gifts Calendar 13. Other learning opportunities as assigned
Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014. Internship: GGF– Events, Hospitality & Premium Services
Supervisor: Dana Nelson– Manager, Premium Seating and Events Services
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in service, marketing, sports management or communications
-Undergraduate education/experience in service, event marketing or planning
Internship Description:
The Manager of Premium Seating & Events Services will supervise you. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. The Events and Stewardship Coordinator will mentor this internship. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
You will participate in the creation, implementation and continual improvement of the Gopher Athletics premium services program. You will have “hands on” learning experience with the planning, implementation and execution of events and service plans for non-game day events in all of the Gopher Athletics premium spaces within Williams and Mariucci Arenas and TCF Bank Stadium.
1. Premium Seating Service:
a. Service elements for club level and other premium areas within Williams and Mariucci Arenas and TCF Bank Stadium
b. Game day customer service activities related to premium seating areas and premium seat holder requests for all Gopher athletics events and various special events in conjunction with Athletics Development and Gopher Sports Properties
c. The upkeep of premium seating areas
d. External Event Assistance
2. Event logistics, including but not limited to, staffing requirements, event setup/access requirements and internal and client communications for all events occurring in the premium areas
a. Seating and event space, set-up and preparation; and adjustments
b. Post-event follow-up and client retention functions
3. Administrative:
a. The facility booking system (EMS), maintaining facility usage guidelines and rental costs and cultivating clients throughout the sales and service process
b. Facility policies/procedures and safety protocols c. The calendar of events and weekly events meetings
d. Document filing, research and other projects
e. Facility and emergency management training
f. Revenue/expenditure tracking and monthly reports
4. Hospitality:
a. Provide administrative and project management assistance with the planning and execution of various special events and hospitality efforts, including intercollegiate athletics championship hospitality programming
Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014. Internship: M Club
Supervisor: George Adzick– M Club Director
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
Preferred Qualifications:
-University of Minnesota “M” Letter Winner
Internship Description:
The M Club Director will supervise and mentor this internship. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. Public events
2. Hall of Fame Ceremony Production
3. Annual dues campaign
4. Athletics oriented reunions and celebrations
University of Minnesota "M" Club: upholding and enriching the great tradition of Golden Gopher athletics. The University of Minnesota "M" Club is comprised of individuals who have earned the University's varsity athletics insignia, the "M", for their athletic endeavors or who have been Honorary "M" recipients. The "M" Club provides its members the opportunity to foster and maintain relationships across different sports, generations and geographical locations. In this way, the Club aspires to contribute, through the common bond of sport, to the social and professional enrichment of its members and provide a means for ongoing association with the University. As an integral part of the Minnesota family, the "M" Club endeavors to uphold and enrich the great tradition of Golden Gopher Athletics.
Today, there are over 4500 living "M” winners across the country and around the world.
Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014. Internship: Motion Graphics
Supervisor: Daniel Claxton– Digital Media Producer
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
-Experience with graphic design
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, motion graphics or video production
-Experience with Adobe Creative Suite, Cinema 4D, or other related software
Internship Description:
The Digital Media Producer will supervise and mentor this internship. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. Designing and creating motion graphics across all sports for use online and in- venue. This may include, but is not limited to: a. Player head shots b. Team intro videos c. Sponsor elements d. Stat layouts
2. Use of best techniques to utilize uniquely shaped displays across different mediums
3. Developing projects in Adobe Creative Suite while utilizing necessary software and plug-ins to maximize finished project
4. Understanding how to setup a video shoot in order to fit the desired outcome
Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014.
Internship: Ticket Office
Supervisor: Chad Rasmussen– Director of Sales and Service
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
-Experience in sales and/or customer service
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in Sport Management
Internship Description:
The Director of Sales and Service will supervise you. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. All Ticket Managers will mentor this internship. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. Daily operation of the Phone Bank and accounting areas
2. Working with customer service representatives to answer questions, handle “escalated” customer complaints
3. Daily batching and processing of ticket orders for all sports
4. Game Day preparation– which includes fulfilling staffing assignments and organizing player pass lists
5. Ticket office operations on game day
6. Event reconciliation– which includes auditing, reporting and daily balancing from window sales
7. Assist with configuring ticket specials with the marketing department
8. Season parking passes for football, men’s basketball and men’s hockey
Review of applications will begin on: May 15, 2014. Internship: Video Production (New Media)
Supervisor: Ryan Maus– New Media Manager
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
-Experience in video production (shooting, editing, storytelling)
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in broadcasting, journalism, or communications
-Hands-on experience in video production– shooting, editing, storytelling for the Web, preferably in a sports environment
-In-depth knowledge of video editing/production software
-Graphic design and/or motion graphics software familiarity also a plus
Internship Description:
The New Media Manager will supervise and mentor this internship. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. Assist in the conceptualization, shooting, editing, production and distribution of video and graphics projects for Gopher Athletics
2. Collaborate with other units within department, including athletic communications, marketing/promotions and development, in the production of content that meets department goals & objectives
3. Utilize creative spirit to engage Gopher fans online and in-arena via video and motion graphics projects
4. Receive experience in a state-of-the-art video control room, displaying content to fans at over 100 Gopher home sporting events
Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014. Internship: Video Production/Scoreboard
Supervisor: Tadd Wilson – Scoreboard and Video Operations Manager
Required Qualifications:
-Bachelor's degree
-Experience with video production
Preferred Qualifications:
-Bachelor’s degree in broadcast, video production or communications
-Experience with Daktronics’ software
Internship Description:
The Scoreboard and Video Operations Manager will supervise and mentor this internship. You will have an initial period of observation, followed by supervision as needed. Review will happen on a daily basis. You are expected to ask for assistance when needed. A general description of the internship opportunity is as follows:
Receive “hands on” learning experiences with:
1. Being a part of live video broadcasts across multiple mediums, including in-venue LED displays and web streaming on BTN.com
2. Assisting with the operation of control room positions, including: camera, replay, technical director, director, graphics, and Daktronics’ related software
3. Creating and updating videos and motion graphics with Adobe Creative Suite and other industry related software
4. Utilizing creativity to engage Gopher fans in-arena via video and motion graphics
Review of applications will begin on April 1, 2014.