Human Resources Intern

APA! BACKGROUND:
Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) is one of Austin’s most dynamic and beloved nonprofits. The organization leads the No Kill movement nationally and is considered a national thought leader in animal welfare. APA! locally rescues, treats, and adopts out 10,000 homeless dogs and cats each year, providing the safety net for Austin’s most at‑risk shelter pets, which helps Austin to be a No Kill city, while also assisting other communities in saving homeless animals.

The organization is distinguished by its large volunteer workforce and the scrappiness of its grassroots and its non‑traditional, community‑based animal rescue work.

The organization continues to innovate best practices to save lives and spreads its impact by offering resources and mentorship related to its renowned lifesaving model through American Pets Alive!, APA!'s national division. In 2020, American Pets Alive! began the Human Animal Support Services (HASS) - an innovative initiative aimed at rethinking the traditional model of animal sheltering. It focuses on supporting both people and pets in the community to reduce the number of animals entering shelters and improve outcomes for both.

The project encourages collaboration between animal welfare organizations and community‑based services, with a goal of providing personalized, proactive support that positions animal welfare as a social service.

The Human Resources Intern provides administrative and project‑based support to the Human Resources team while gaining hands‑on learning experience in nonprofit HR operations. This unpaid internship is designed for individuals interested in exploring a career in Human Resources and developing professional skills in recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, HR administration, and nonprofit operations.

This internship is intended to provide educational and professional development experience under the supervision and mentorship of HR professionals and is not intended to replace the work of paid employees. Responsibilities may vary based on departmental needs, intern learning goals, and available training opportunities.

Interns will gain exposure to a fast‑paced nonprofit environment while learning about HR systems, employment practices, onboarding processes, recruiting coordination, and employee engagement initiatives.

• Assist with drafting, formatting, and organizing HR‑related materials, correspondence, and onboarding documents
• Support updates and revisions to job descriptions and HR templates
• Assist with organizing digital and physical HR files and maintaining accurate documentation
• Shadow HR team members during administrative processes and projects as appropriate

• Assist with posting open positions on internal and external job boards
• Support interview scheduling and candidate communication coordination
• Help prepare onboarding and orientation materials for new hires
• Assist with organizing new hire paperwork and onboarding checklists
• Observe and support recruiting and onboarding processes under HR team guidance

• Assist with employee engagement initiatives, recognition efforts, and internal communications
• Support HR projects, audits, tracking spreadsheets, and reporting activities
• Help maintain organizational charts, training records, and survey tracking documents
• Participate in team meetings and learning opportunities related to HR operations

• Gain exposure to HRIS, payroll, and benefits administration processes through supervised training opportunities
• Assist HR team members with administrative preparation related to payroll and employee data tracking
• Observe HR operational workflows and compliance practices within a nonprofit environment

• Provide administrative support to the HR team as assigned
• Maintain professionalism and confidentiality when handling sensitive information
• Escalate employee questions or concerns to appropriate HR team members
• Support additional projects and operational tasks as needed

Interns may gain experience in:

• Recruit…