Project Manager – Internship

Athene; West Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid housing option

Job summary

Athene is offering an in-office Project Manager Intern role at our West Des Moines location (7700 Mills Civic Parkway). You will support Operations project delivery, collaborate with IT and business teams, and gain hands-on experience with AI-enabled project tracking tools.

You will participate in cross-functional projects, learn Agile practices, and contribute to governance activities while developing your PM skills in a leading retirement services company.

Qualifications

• Pursuing or recently completed bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• Exposure to cross-functional Agile environments preferred.
• Interest in AI tools and applying them to PM workflows.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate multiple parallel work streams for IT/business projects.
• Track and report project progress using Agile/Iterative methods.
• Document deliverables to support measurable outcomes.
• Assist with stage gate planning and epic/milestone development.
• Support PM governance activities and PAC preparation.
• Help maintain cross-vertical roadmaps and interdependencies.

Skills

Agile

Cross-functional teamwork

AI tools familiarity

MS Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in progress

Tools

Jira

MS Project

MS Office

Job description

We are driven to do more. More for our customers and the financial professionals who offer our products. If you are driven to do more and love the challenge of pursuing more, Athene is your kind of company. You will find we offer more than the basics to create an inclusive and dynamic work environment at our various locations.

Purpose & Impact: Working at Athene is more than an internship - it is a game changer for your career. Being an intern at Athene is seeing your idea come into fruition through collaborating with a team. It’s doing meaningful work with talented people. All internships are designed for you to create innovative solutions for our customers and the industry. Your internship is about making a difference in our communities. This is your chance to change the game with one of the leading retirement services companies in the United States. Qualified candidates must be enrolled at an accredited college or university for Fall term 2027. You’ll also gain experience working in an environment where AI and emerging technologies are changing how work gets done. You will have opportunities to use AI-enabled tools to analyze information, streamline routine work, generate ideas, improve processes or solve business challenges, while learning when and how to use AI thoughtfully and responsibly. Our goal is to help you build AI fluency, critical thinking, and adaptability that will be increasingly important throughout your career.

Key Deliverables: WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT AS AN ATHENE INTERN

• Professional development


• Social events


• Networking events


• Volunteer opportunities


• Community involvement


• Collaboration with other interns


• Paid housing option (if eligible)

Internships will run from mid-May to early August.

Interviews and hiring decisions expect to be completed prior to mid-November, with some being completed as early as late September.

These are in-office internships onsite at our West Des Moines located at 7700 Mills Civic Parkway.

The Project Manager Intern will support the delivery of Operations projects, assisting with business and IT initiatives that drive business growth, operational optimization, and system implementations.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Support the coordination of multiple parallel work streams while assisting with the delivery of Operations projects that require cross-functional IT/business resources.


• Assist in tracking and reporting on projects delivered using Agile/Iterative methodologies.


• Help monitor and document project deliverables to support measurable outcomes.


• Support tracking of project resource demand and allocations in alignment with defined EPMO metrics.


• Assist in the planning and delivery of projects through the gated process, helping ensure scope, cost, and schedule are documented and tracked.


• Participate in the PM community of practice, learning current processes and helping ensure updates are communicated across the team.


• Support Portfolio Approval Committee (PAC) preparation and general PM governance activities.


• Assist with stage gate planning, material preparation, and the development of epics and milestones for delivery, under the guidance of senior PMs.


• Help prepare materials for Project Steering Group meetings and support prioritization efforts across the vertical.


• Assist in maintaining the roadmap of initiatives across vertical/horizontal teams, helping track cross-functional interdependencies.


• Collaborate with the PMO to learn and support consistent project delivery practices across the IT organization.


• Support the exploration and piloting of AI-powered tools (e.g., generative AI, automation) to streamline project tracking, status reporting, and documentation.

What You Need to Bring

• A bachelor's degree in progress (or recently completed) in Business, Information Systems, Operations Management, or a related field is preferred.


• Relevant coursework, certifications, or equivalent experience will also be considered.


• No prior professional Project Management experience required.


• Prior coursework, internship, or extracurricular project experience is a plus.


• Exposure to, or interest in, a cross-functional Agile environment preferred.


• Interest in large system implementations, or the insurance/financial services industry, is a plus.


• Foundational understanding of, or strong interest in learning, Project Management and SDLC processes.


• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook); familiarity with MS Project is a plus.


• Familiarity with Atlassian Jira or similar tools is a plus, but not required.


• Curiosity about, or hands-on experience with, AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot) and interest in applying them to project management workflows.


• Drive.


• Discipline.


• Confidence.


• Focus.


• Commitment.

Athene is a Military Friendly Employer! Learn more about how we support our Veterans.

Athene is committed to inclusion and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.

We are driven to do more. More for our customers and the financial professionals who offer our products. If you are driven to do more and love the challenge of pursuing more, Athene is your kind of company. You will find we offer more than the basics to create an inclusive and dynamic work environment at our various locations.