Inventory Management and Systems Internship
Inventory Management & Systems Internship
Jefferson County Head Start (location overview)
Jefferson County Head Start is a no-cost early childhood program serving children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old across Jefferson County. We support children and families through early learning, nutrition, health services, and family partnerships.
Behind the scenes, strong systems help our classrooms run smoothly and that’s where you come in!
Internship Overview
Are you someone who loves organizing, improving systems, or figuring out how to make things work better? This internship offers hands-on experience helping Head Start create a simple, sustainable inventory management system used across multiple school sites.
You’ll work on real operational challenges from tracking diapers and classroom supplies to improving visibility between sites and help build tools that will continue to be used after your internship ends.
This is a great opportunity for students interested in operations, supply chain, nonprofit work, public service, education systems, or business process improvement.
What You’ll Work On
Inventory & Supply Review
- Take inventory of supplies such as:
- Diapers and hygiene items
- Classroom materials (paint, glue, paper, learning tools, etc.)
- General program supplies
- Identify what supplies are unique to each site.
- Help organize items by category and usage.
Building Better Systems
- Help design a cross-site inventory management process.
- Create easy-to-follow procedures for:
- Ordering
- Receiving
- Storage
- Distribution
- Develop templates, checklists, or guides that staff can actually use.
Resource Leveling
- Compare inventory across sites.
- Identify gaps, overages, or shortages.
- Recommend ways to better balance supplies between schools.
Visibility Between Sites
Help improve transparency so teams can easily see:
- What supplies exist
- Where items are located
- What can be shared
- Support communication tools that reduce duplicate ordering.
Check-Out & Tracking System
- Design a simple check-out system for shared materials.
- Possible tools may include:
- Microsoft Office
- Online forms
- Basic databases or dashboards
- Focus on ease of use for busy classroom staff.
Inventory Reporting
Create reporting tools that track:
- Current inventory levels
- Incoming supplies
- High-use items
- Help leadership better understand purchasing trends and needs.
Roles & Long-Term Sustainability
Help identify:
- Who owns which part of the inventory process
- How responsibilities are shared across sites
- Make recommendations so the system can continue long-term.
Key Deliverables
By the end of the internship, the intern will help produce:
- A categorized inventory list for each site
- A cross-site inventory management process map
- A standardized supply list (shared vs. site-specific)
- A working check-out and tracking system
- Inventory reporting templates or dashboards
- Written step-by-step guides for staff use
- Recommendations for roles, ownership, and sustainability
- Deliverables may be scaled based on internship length and student availability.
What You’ll Learn
- Real-world systems and operations management
- Process improvement in a public-sector/nonprofit setting
- Inventory tracking and reporting
- Cross-team collaboration
- How organizational systems impact frontline services
- You’ll leave with tangible, resume-ready project examples.
Who Should Apply
- Students majoring in:
- Business Administration
- Operations or Supply Chain Management
- Public Administration
- Nonprofit Management
- Education or Human Services
- Organized, detail-oriented thinkers
- Comfortable with spreadsheets and documentation tools
- Interest in improving systems that support children and families
Qualifications
Eligible to work in the United States
Able to pass criminal background check and fingerprinting
Preferred qualifications:
- Project management (related work and certification)
- Experience in creating ground up information systems
- Graduate student
- Comfort working autonomously and cross functionally
- Ability to travel independently to various school sites (located in Arvada, Wheat Ridge, and Lakewood)
Students majoring in:
- Business Administration
- Operations or Supply Chain Management
- Public Administration
- Nonprofit Management
- Education or Human Services
- Organized, detail-oriented thinkers
- Comfortable with spreadsheets and documentation tools
- Interest in improving systems that support children and families
Internship Details
Location: Head Start sites (primarily Arvada; some cross-site coordination)
Schedule: Flexible, part-time, 8-10 hours per week (approximately)
Duration: 8–16 weeks (semester-based preferred)
Compensation: $24 hourly / Paid / academic credit (if applicable)
Supervision: Head Start Operations & Leadership Team