Facilities Student Intern

VAI currently has an opening for a Facilities Student Intern to join our Facilities Department for a 10-week summer internship opportunity in 2024. The Facilities Department’s mission is to create and maintain a “Best in Class” facility that exceeds staff and guests’ experiences. The department provides a clean, comfortable, functional, and safe working environment for employees to achieve their goals and the goals of the institute.  

In supporting this department and this goal, the person in this role will perform a variety of tasks that are related to operational activities, while also helping with special projects and assignments. They will be responsible for providing office support and assisting the internal staff. 

What you will be doing on a regular basis: 

Provide operational support to the Facilities Department by: 

Providing administrative computer support to the Facilities/Maintenance staff. 

Edit equipment data in our computerized maintenance management system and update equipment and preventative maintenance records. 

Provide status updates for maintenance projects. 

Submit Maximo service requests.  

Update the Chemical Inventory website. 

Project Management support. 

Job shadowing. 

Fulfilling other tasks assigned by supervisor. 

What will qualify you for this role? 

Must be enrolled full-time for your upcoming Fall semester. 

Preference will be given to students in a full-time Facilities Management program at an accredited college or university, but the internship is open to all majors. 

Have completed equivalent to 48 or more credit hours 

Have experience working in a maintenance or office services environment. 

Must be able to work independently with minimal or no direct supervision. 

Proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive). 

Proficiency with Canva, CAFM, and Adobe Creative Cloud preferred. 

You should also be a person with the following traits and characteristics: 

Strong written communication skills: editing and writing skills preferred. 

Strong verbal communication skills. 

Proficient in using standard office equipment.  

Highly organized. 

High level of professionalism and interpersonal skills. 

Team oriented. 

Willing to be trained and to learn new skills. 

What we offer: 

VAI defines a Student Intern as a student employee continuing their undergraduate or graduate studies while gaining experience at VAI. This is a paid internship and those student interns who wish to earn academic credit for their internship experience may also participate in the Guest Student Program administered through the Van Andel Institute Graduate School (VAIGS). 

Undergraduate Students are paid at a rate of $15 per hour.  
Graduate Students are paid at a rate of $16 per hour. 
In addition, the Facilities Student Intern will be offered one parking permit for the Michigan Street Development parking structure, contingent upon availability. 

The start date of the internship is flexible for either May or June 2024.   

Does this sound like you? Let’s begin the conversation! 

Qualified candidates should submit a resume, a brief cover letter describing their interests and goals, into a single combined PDF document. Please also provide at least two references.  

In your cover letter, please outline your experience or education to date, your future goals, and how these factors fit within the position description.  

Candidates selected for interviews will be asked to provide official university transcripts and two letters of recommendation from university professors.  

Interested students should apply by visiting 

If you have any difficulty uploading your application or any questions, please email natalie.hartford@vai.org