Business Development Intern

Leesburg Public House; Leesburg (VA); Hybrid; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid internship

Job summary

Leesburg Public House + Open Fire Catering in Leesburg, VA, is offering a Hospitality Operations & Business Development Intern role. This hybrid, part-time internship provides hands-on exposure to restaurant ownership, catering sales, pricing, client negotiations and events.

Ideal for a candidate early in their career who thrives with responsibility, learns by doing, and can move between strategic thinking and hands-on execution. Paid internship with potential for event work and incentives.

Qualifications

• Ambitious, highly resourceful candidate with hands-on approach to problem solving.
• Experience in hospitality, business, sales, events, communications or entrepreneurship is a plus.
• Comfortable working in a hybrid environment and taking ownership of tasks.

Responsibilities

• Help manage catering and event leads from inquiry through follow-up.
• Research new business, partnership and revenue opportunities.
• Draft proposals, client communications and presentations.
• Keep priorities, correspondence and follow-ups moving.
• Coordinate vendors, purchases, scheduling and occasional local errands.
• Assist with events and hospitality operations.
• Use AI and modern productivity tools to research, organize and solve problems.
• Take ownership of special projects across both businesses.

Job description

Hospitality Operations & Business Development Intern

Leesburg Public House + Open Fire Catering

Leesburg, VA | Hybrid | Part-Time

We’re looking for an ambitious, highly resourceful candidate to work closely with the owner of two hospitality businesses and gain hands‑on experience in what it takes to operate, sell and grow them.

This role is ideal for someone early in their career who wants meaningful responsibility, learns by doing, and would rather be handed a problem to solve than a perfectly defined task list.

What You’ll Do

• Help manage catering and event leads from inquiry through follow-up
• Research new business, partnership and revenue opportunities
• Draft proposals, client communications and presentations
• Keep priorities, correspondence and follow-ups moving
• Coordinate vendors, purchases, scheduling and occasional local errands
• Assist with events and hospitality operations
• Use AI and modern productivity tools to research, organize and solve problems
• Take ownership of special projects across both businesses

Some projects will be strategic. Others will simply need to get done. We’re looking for someone who sees value in both.

You’ll Thrive Here If You…

• Naturally take ownership and notice loose ends
• Are organized, proactive and comfortable working independently
• Figure things out instead of waiting for step‑by‑step instructions
• Communicate confidently with clients, vendors and team members
• Are interested in how businesses grow and make money
• Can move easily between big‑picture thinking and hands‑on execution
• Are hungry to learn and motivated by results

Experience in hospitality, business, sales, events, communications or entrepreneurship is a plus, but mindset and initiative matter more than the perfect résumé.

The Opportunity

Approximately 10–20 hours per week with a mix of remote and in‑person work in Leesburg.

This is a paid internship , with additional opportunities for event work, restaurant shifts and performance‑based incentives tied to business development.

You’ll gain direct exposure to restaurant ownership, catering sales, pricing, client negotiations, events, marketing, staffing, vendor relationships and the real-world decisions behind running a hospitality business.

If you’re looking to build a career in hospitality, events, business development or entrepreneurship, this is an opportunity to learn the business from the inside, take on increasing responsibility and grow with the role.