Online Community Intern

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is the nation’s first and largest organization dedicated to serving the 2.5 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, from their first day home to the rest of their lives. IAVA strives to build an empowered generation of veterans through programs in four key impact areas: Health, Education, Employment and Community.

• Health - IAVA makes it a priority to ensure that both mental and physical health needs are being effectively addressed in our community, and has provided support to over 20,000 returning veterans nationwide.
• Education - With nearly a million new veterans headed back to school under the New GI Bill, IAVA has provided over 500,000 with the tools and support needed to make informed decisions about their education.
• Employment - No veteran should come home from Iraq or Afghanistan to an unemployment check. To fight shockingly high joblessness rates, IAVA’s Combat to Career initiative helped over 270,000 veterans in their transition to civilian careers in 2011.
• Community - Less than 1% of the country served in Iraq and Afghanistan – a stark contrast to the 12% that served during WWII. Building community, both online and on the ground, is a critical factor in fulfilling IAVA’s mission, which means bridging geographical divides to create a united, supported and proud movement of new veterans

Community of Veterans (CoV) is the first and largest online social network exclusively for paperwork-confirmed Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. CoV provides its more than 24,000 members with access to message boards, affinity groups, resources, and live chats with experts on a range of issues – especially those related to mental health. CoV provides veterans with a safe space to share what they’re going through with others who “get it” because they’ve been there too. An informal peer-to-peer support system and means of connecting with resources and experts, CoV is an invaluable gathering space for veterans grappling with PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries, depression, and even thoughts of suicide.

The Online Community Intern will be responsible for supporting the IAVA Programs department to promote engagement within CoV through outreach and communications with members, posting content and resources, and scheduling live chats and other events. The Online Community Intern will report to the Senior Program Manager.

The Online Community Intern will:

Interact with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans online and off by conducting outreach to promote CoV sign-ups at IAVA events and interacting with veteran members in CoV

Learn about methods for digital outreach and engagement, through drafting social media announcements and blog posts, and through planning and executing online events, such as webinars and live chats

Learn about mental health issues affecting this generation of veterans and gain exposure to key resources

Enhance skills in data analysis by monitoring and reporting on trends among CoV member needs and interests

Assist with creating and executing a crisis prevention and response system within CoV

The Online Community Intern should possess:

Excellent organization skills

Strong communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills

The ability to work well with others and independently, with a sense of humor and a professional demeanor

A positive attitude and a passion for veterans issues and community building

Special Qualification Requirement

To maintain the integrity of the CoV site, the Program Intern, CoV must be a veteran of Iraq or Afghanistan. Evidence of service, such as DD214 forms, will need to be provided before an offer is finalized.

To Apply: Please send a resume, cover letter, salary history and three professional references to [email protected], with “Salesforce Coordinator” in the subject line. Include a cover letter that concisely explains how your campaign experience could be applied to IAVA. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. No phone calls, please.

IAVA is an equal opportunity employer. VETERANS OF THE IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN CONFLICTS ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.