Professional Intern

This Professional Intern position provides a recent graduate with hands-on experience in Student Affairs and Higher Education Administration. Reporting to the Program Manager for Orientation and Access, the Professional Intern supports key initiatives within New Student Orientation (NSO) and the College Enrichment Program (CEP).

As a central access, transition, and retention unit within the Division of Student Affairs, NSO and CEP advance UNM’s commitment to educational equity by serving students who are first-generation, Pell-eligible, from rural communities, and from other historically underrepresented populations. NSO introduces new students to the university through in-person, virtual, and self-paced orientation programming, while CEP provides continued transition support, success programming, and community-building opportunities that help students thrive throughout their academic journey.

The Professional Intern plays an important role in supporting the student transition experience at UNM. A central responsibility of the position is managing the New Student Orientation Task List, which guides incoming students through onboarding steps as they prepare for orientation and their transition to the university. This role will assist with monitoring onboarding progress, communicating with incoming students, and ensuring students are prepared to participate in orientation.

The position also supports the planning and implementation of New Student Orientation programming, working closely with NSO Leaders who welcome and guide students through orientation. As students continue their transition into the university, the Professional Intern helps support an extended orientation model and the continued involvement of NSO Leaders as Lobo Companions, a year-round peer mentorship and engagement program that helps students stay connected throughout their first year.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Professional Intern will:

• Provide holistic academic transition support to undergraduate students, including answering inquiries, resolving issues, assisting with course registration, and helping students understand financial aid and university processes.
• Support the management and communication of the New Student Orientation Task List, assisting incoming students in completing required onboarding steps through the VisualZen Orientation platform.
• Serve as a core member of the New Student Orientation team, supporting program planning, logistics, communication, and on-site implementation, including required evening programming.
• Support extended orientation and transition initiatives that strengthen belonging, engagement, and academic success during students’ first year for first-gen, Pell-eligible, and rural students.
• Assist with the recruitment, training, and mentoring of NSO Leaders, including their continued involvement as Lobo Companions, a year-round peer mentorship program.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, academic units, and campus partners to strengthen support systems for incoming and first-year students.
• Maintain accurate records, track student participation, and contribute to assessment and reporting to support CEP and Division of Student Affairs Strategic Plan.

This role requires collaboration, student-centered practice, and strong communication with faculty, staff, campus partners, students, and supporters. The successful candidate will be an emerging professional who is passionate about student success, interested in program development, and eager to learn systems and tools that support student onboarding and navigating the transition into higher education.

See the Position Description for additional information.

• Must present transcripts prior to a formal offer being extended.
• Employees who provide services or work in patient care or clinical areas are required to be in compliance with the University's influenza vaccination requirement.
• This is a fixed-term position, typically up to 24 months.

Must have obtained a Bachelor's or higher level degree no more than 24 months prior to the date of hire OR if the Bachelor's (or higher level) degree was obtained more than 24 months prior to the date of hire, the individual must be currently enrolled in a Bachelor's (or higher level) degree program; no previous work experience required.

• Experience working with
  first-generation, pell-eligible, rural, or underrepresented student
  populations
• Experience working in a higher
  education, student affairs, or student success programs
• Experience with New Student
  Orientation, extended orientation models, peer mentoring, or student
  leadership development
• Experience with VisualZen
  Orientation or similar software designed to manage new student orientation reservations and onboarding
• Experience with college access,
  admissions, FAFSA/financial aid processes, or community outreach

Only applications submitted through
the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job
advertisement on a 3rd party site, please
visit UNMJobs to submit an application.

For best consideration, applicants should submit a resume, cover letter that highlights their interest and/or experience within Student Affairs, and three professional references.

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.