Public Affairs Undergraduate Intern

King-County,-W; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 36,000; Part time

Job summary

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office seeks a Public Affairs Undergraduate Intern to support communications and legislative affairs. You will report to the Directors and contribute to projects ranging from legislative research to media tracking in a fast paced office in downtown Seattle.

This on-site internship is open to currently enrolled undergraduates through Spring 2027, with up to 12 hours per week in the school year.

Qualifications

• Completed coursework in communications, public relations, marketing, political science or public policy or related projects.
• Basic familiarity with criminal justice concepts.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (Outlook, Word).
• Experience with Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky and/or TikTok.

Responsibilities

• Assist with media tracking and analyzing news articles relevant to the office.
• Research public affairs opportunities and challenges.
• Assist with bill tracking and legislative process tasks.
• Produce content for KCPAO blog and other office communications.

Skills

Public affairs

Public relations

Public policy

Written communication

Teamwork

Education

Undergraduate student through Spring 2027

Tools

Microsoft Office

Social media platforms

Job description

This recruitment is being used to fill a Public Affairs Undergraduate Intern position within King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Are you an undergraduate student interested in public affairs, public relations or public policy? The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office (PAO) team is looking for a highly motivated Public Affairs Intern to contribute to our communications and legislative affairs operations. You will report to the Director of Legislative & Public Affairs and the Director of Communications, assisting with projects ranging from legislative research to work on the communications landscape. This is a unique opportunity to gain professional experience in the public affairs arena in the 2nd largest law firm in Washington State while making significant impacts in your community!

About the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office

• We exercise the power given to us by the people with fairness and humility.
• We serve our diverse community, support victims and families, and hold individuals accountable.
• We develop innovative and collaborative solutions for King County and the State of Washington.

We are guided by our core values of Integrity, Compassion, Professionalism, and Leadership. Our office is comprised of six divisions that are further organized into specialized units. To learn more about the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO), please visit our website.

We value diversity and strive to hire a workforce that reflects the community that we serve. It is essential to our mission that we create and maintain an office that is diverse and inclusive. All PAO employees are expected to participate in PAO equity work and attend equity trainings and discussions. PAO employees are expected to comply with race, equity, and social justice principles, and to work with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement.

Who May Apply: Currently enrolled Bachelors/Associates level studies at an accredited university/college through Spring quarter of 2027. Proof of enrollment status is required upon hire. Interns must commit to working for at least for six months.

Work Location: Downtown Seattle in King County, WA

Interns are expected to be on-site throughout the duration of the program to collaborate closely with our team, participate in hands‑on projects, and engage in day‑to‑day operations. This structure ensures meaningful mentorship, real‑time feedback, and a more immersive learning experience.

Union Representation: This position is not represented by a labor union.

Salary: Range 26-- $22.00 hourly

Work Schedule: Our office is open Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Interns may work up to 12 hours per week during the school year.

Selection Process

We prioritize initiative and the ability to learn as much as deep expertise for our internship role. Materials will be reviewed for qualifications, and the most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a panel interview process.

Special Requirements

Finalists must successfully submit to a criminal background check, reference check, and be fingerprinted.

Please note this position is not eligible for King County leave, holiday, health benefits, or other benefits. However, administrative interns accrue sick leave at the rate of 0.025 hours for each hour in pay status.

Job Duties

Job duties will be based on assigned project needs and work output will be reviewed by KCPAO staff. Possible job duties include:

• Assisting with media tracking, including regularly identifying, compiling and analyzing news articles relevant to the work of the office.
• Research and identify public affairs opportunities and challenges.
• Assist with bill tracking, list management, watching/analyzing committee hearings and other tasks related to the legislative process.
• Help with reports related to key areas of the office’s work. Produce content that may be used for the KCPAO blog and other office communication, following reviews from KCPAO staff.

We hire interns for their potential and ability to learn. If you are excited about this opportunity and believe you can grow in this role, we strongly encourage you to apply. We prioritize initiative and the ability to learn as much as deep expertise for our internship roles. Successful candidates will demonstrate this potential alongside a fundamental foundation public affairs skills and a commitment to continuous learning.

Technical Knowledge & Experience

• Completed coursework in communications, public relations, marketing political science, public policy or related courses or equivalent personal project experience).
• Basic familiarity with the concepts of criminal justice.
• Competence in Microsoft Office programs including Outlook and Word.
• Experience with Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky, and/or TikTok.

Core Professional Skills

• Ability to Accept Feedback and Supervision: Demonstrates a high degree of willingness to learn and accept direction.
• Strong Analytical and Communication Skills: Ability to synthesize information and communicate clearly.
• Teamwork and Initiative: Ability to work independently and as a team member, using initiative and attention to detail to see projects and assignments through to completion.
• Confidentiality and Professionalism: Ability to maintain security, confidentiality, and discretion involving highly critical matters at all times.
• Commitment to Race, Equity and Social Justice work, including ongoing cultural competence development.
• Demonstrate timely, reliable, and predictable attendance.

The Prosecuting Attorney's Office is dedicated to making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.