Federal Market Research & Business Development Intern

imagineeer LLC; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 17,000 - 26,000; Part time

Job summary

Imagineeer is seeking a graduate student for a Federal Market Research & Business Development Internship in Arlington, VA. You will gain hands-on experience in federal procurement research, opportunities discovery, and outreach to agency offices.

The role supports Imagineeer's growth strategy under the Director of Brand and Growth and provides a portfolio of briefs and pipeline analyses. The internship requires 20 hours per week from mid-October 2026 through March 31, 2027, with training in SBA

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a graduate program in business, public policy, public administration, data analytics, or a related field
• Strong research, writing, and spreadsheet skills
• Professional phone and email communication
• Authorized to work in the United States
• Available 20 hours per week from mid-October 2026 through March 31, 2027

Responsibilities

• Complete federal market research training.
• Research opportunities across SAM.gov, USAspending.gov, FPDS, and state portals.
• Qualify opportunities using a scorecard and write briefs for pursuing opportunities.
• Analyze recompetes and the competitive landscape for target agencies.
• Assess partner fit and identify teaming opportunities.
• Conduct agency outreach to OSDBU, small business specialists, and SBA representatives.
• Maintain an events calendar and recommend attendee participants.
• Log research and outreach in a tracker and help prepare pipeline briefings.

Skills

Research skills

Writing skills

Spreadsheet skills

Professional communication

Education

Graduate program enrollment

Tools

SAM.gov

USAspending.gov

FPDS

Virginia eVA

Maryland eMMA

Job description

Federal Market Research & Business Development Intern

About the role

We’re looking for a graduate student who wants practical experience in federal acquisition and business development. You’ll help build Imagineeer’s federal market research and agency outreach function. That means finding and evaluating opportunities across federal, state, and local government, setting up meetings with agency contacts for our executive team, and keeping track of the industry events where we should be present.

You’ll start with structured training in SBA opportunity-finding methods and the major federal procurement data systems. You’ll then apply that training directly to Imagineeer’s growth strategy, working closely with our Director of Brand and Growth and presenting your findings to our Founder & CEO.

Key Responsibilities:

• Complete federal market research training. Work through a curriculum covering SBA opportunity-finding methods and the official training for federal procurement data systems.
• Research opportunities. Search SAM.gov, agency procurement forecasts, USAspending.gov, FPDS, and state procurement portals (including Virginia eVA and Maryland eMMA). You’ll look for requirements that match Imagineeer’s capabilities and past performance.
• Qualify opportunities. Score each opportunity with Imagineeer’s qualification scorecard and recommend whether to Pursue, Watch, or Pass. Write short opportunity briefs for the ones you recommend pursuing.
• Analyze recompetes and the competitive landscape. Identify contracts in target agencies that are expiring soon, along with their incumbent firms, award values, and likely recompete timing.
• Assess partner fit. Flag opportunities where a teaming partner should take the prime role or needs a small business teammate.
• Conduct agency outreach. Contact Offices of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), small business specialists, SBA Procurement Center Representatives, and program offices to request introductory and capability meetings for Imagineeer leadership.
• Maintain an events calendar. Track industry days, vendor outreach sessions, OSDBU matchmaking events, SBA and APEX Accelerator events, and association conferences. Recommend who from Imagineeer should attend each one.
• Document and report. Log your research, outreach, and training in a shared tracker. Submit a weekly activity report and help prepare a monthly pipeline briefing for executive leadership.

What you’ll Gain:

• Practical training in federal market research tools and methods used across the government contracting industry
• Experience in agency engagement and outreach
• A portfolio of research, opportunity briefs, and pipeline analysis you can point to in future roles

Qualifications and Skills:

• Currently enrolled in a graduate program in business, public policy, public administration, data analytics, or a related field
• Strong research, writing, and spreadsheet skills
• Professional phone and email communication
• Interest in federal acquisition or government contracting
• Authorized to work in the United States
• Available 20 hours per week from mid-October 2026 through March 31, 2027

Desired Skills and Competencies:

• Coursework or experience in public procurement, market research, or business development
• Familiarity with SAM.gov, USAspending.gov, or other federal data sources

Additional Information:

Must be authorized to work in the United States. We use AI to review Resumes. All hiring decisions will be made in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations

Equal Opportunity Employer:

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate in employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications.

About Imagineeer

Imagineeeris a fast-growing SBA 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business headquartered in Arlington, VA, delivering federal AI modernization across health, defense, homeland security, and transportation. We design, test, and deploy secure, AI-ready systems that move agencies from pilots to production without breaking governance, compliance, or mission continuity. Our Mission Studio model creates shared environments where policy, data, security, and operations come together. We are capability-driven and competitive by design, not program-dependent. Our leadership hasoperatedinside the federal systems we now transform, bringing institutional knowledge that accelerates delivery and reduces risk. If real delivery motivates you more than slides, and you want your work to compound across programs and agencies,Imagineeeris growing and we are building the team to match.