Internship - Hilight Marketing & Support Intern

HiLight Marketing & Support Intern

The City of Hillsboro is seeking a HiLight Marketing & Support Intern to join our publicly owned broadband team for the summer.

HiLight is the City's high-speed fiber broadband service, built to support reliable connectivity for Hillsboro residents and businesses. As an intern, you will help support HiLight's marketing strategy, community engagement efforts, and public education about broadband services.

This internship offers a mix of hands-on community outreach and behind-the-scenes marketing work. You may spend one day representing HiLight at a community market and another analyzing digital campaigns or reviewing marketing materials. Throughout the summer, you'll contribute to real projects that help improve how HiLight communicates with the community.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys public interaction, creative problem solving, and independent project work.

For more detailed information about the duties, responsibilities, and minimum qualifications associated with this role, please review the official job classification: Intern

HiLight is the City of Hillsboro's publicly owned broadband service, delivering high-speed fiber internet to residents and businesses throughout the community.

The program supports digital equity, reliable connectivity, and access to modern broadband infrastructure, helping ensure Hillsboro residents and businesses can stay connected to the services, opportunities, and resources they need.

In this internship, you may:

• Staff community outreach events and tabling opportunities
• Help plan and execute at least one community engagement event
• Support and analyze digital marketing campaigns
• Review existing marketing materials and recommend improvements
• Help coordinate messaging across print, events, and digital channels
• Assist with marketing calendar management
• Develop training or presentation materials related to Wi-Fi management or outreach topics
• Evaluate current marketing and event practices and recommend improvements

A typical week will include a mix of scheduled event work and project-based assignments.

Some days will involve staffing community events, interacting with residents, and helping set up or tear down outreach materials. Other days may focus on reviewing marketing content, analyzing campaign performance, or developing recommendations to improve HiLight's outreach strategy.

This internship may require working independently at times, with a supervisor nearby for guidance. The role also includes outdoor work in a variety of weather conditions.

Successful candidates will likely bring:

• Strong communication and customer service skills
• Comfort engaging with the public in a friendly, professional manner
• Confidence working independently in community-facing environments
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to evaluate information and make thoughtful recommendations
• Basic to intermediate Microsoft Office skills, including Excel
• Interest in marketing, communications, business, or public service

Candidates who enjoy both creative marketing work and community interaction will be especially successful in this role.

Minimum qualifications:

• Must be enrolled in an educational institution (secondary or post-secondary) for at least one year, or have graduated within the last three months, studying marketing, communications, business, information systems, or a related field.
• Must be 18 years old by the time of hire.
• Preference may be given to students currently enrolled at Portland Community College in the Future Connect program.

Preferred background:

• Marketing
• Communications
• Business
• Community engagement
• Digital outreach
• Public service

Preference may be given to candidates studying marketing or business or who are bilingual in English and Spanish.

Licensing/certifications:

• Valid driver's license and safe driving record required
• Must be willing to drive a cargo van

What you'll gain:

• Hands-on experience with community marketing and event management
• Experience analyzing digital marketing campaigns and messaging strategy
• Opportunities to develop presentation and training materials
• Exposure to municipal broadband operations
• Experience evaluating programs and making recommendations for improvement

What success looks like:

• Helped plan or execute a community event
• Contributed to improvements in digital marketing efforts
• Provided recommendations to strengthen brand consistency across multiple communication channels

Interns will also complete a final evaluation of HiLight's event processes and marketing messaging, identifying opportunities to improve coordination between print, events, and digital outreach.

Internship classification summary:

The principal function of this class is to provide a learning opportunity to students interested in working in a public service field. Interns may assist with research, program preparation, community outreach, administrative tasks, and customer service while working under the supervision of an assigned staff member.

City of Hillsboro core values:

• Excellence in Public Service
• Respect for Diverse Voices and Ideas
• Responsiveness in Customer Service
• Tradition of Reliability
• Stewardship of the Public Trust
• Leadership with Ethics and Integrity
• Culture of Teamwork and Communication
• Emphasis on Innovation

Commitment to equity:

Hiring a workforce that reflects the diverse community we serve is essential to delivering exceptional City services and programs. The City of Hillsboro is committed to creating and supporting an inclusive and welcoming environment where employees can thrive and contribute their unique perspectives.

Application guidelines:

• Apply early: The posting will close after the first 50 applications are received.
• Complete your application fully: Ensure all sections are filled out accurately.
• Highlight relevant experience: Share examples that demonstrate communication, customer service, organization, marketing experience, or community engagement.