2027 Summer Internship - HR Strategy and Program Management

Location: Chicago, IL 60607

When you’re the best, we’re the best. We instill an environment where employees feel engaged, satisfied and able to contribute their unique skills and talents while living and working as their authentic selves. We provide extensive opportunities for personal and professional development, building both employee competence and organizational capability to fuel exceptional performance through an inclusive environment both now and in the future.

Vizient Intern Program Overview

This program is designed to foster a beneficial relationship and provide growth opportunities for Vizient, our employees, and collegiate students. Since 2000, our summer intern program has provided college undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students with practical experience that exposes them to multiple aspects of a career field and the healthcare industry. This full-time, paid intern program offers an opportunity to accelerate academic learning, apply classroom knowledge, and introduce students to a professional setting. Interns are assigned a supervisor to mentor/develop their business skills, as well as monitor their work experiences. Interns are integral members of the company’s team, setting goals, working toward deadlines, and actively participating in community service projects.

The program requires the intern to commit to 10 weeks of participation in all formal training, mentoring, on-the-job learning, and opportunities to interact with senior leaders.

Program starts June 1, 2027, and ends August 6, 2027

Pay rate: $25 per hour.

About the team and role

The HR Strategy and Program Management Intern will work across the function to support strategic initiatives while bringing a fresh, employee-centered perspective to how we plan and deliver our work. Through hands-on experience with People Team projects and Centers of Excellence, the intern will help coordinate activities, engage stakeholders, improve processes, conduct workforce research, and analyze feedback and program data. This role is designed for a curious, proactive contributor who will not only support execution but also share candid observations and practical recommendations to strengthen processes, programs, adoption, and team effectiveness.

What You’ll Do

Bring a fresh perspective to People Team projects and initiatives by contributing to planning, coordinating tasks, tracking timelines, and managing documentation—with an eye toward where processes could be simpler or more effective.

Challenge how we think about change by supporting stakeholder engagement, communication development, leader enablement, and adoption tracking—and sharing observations on what is and isn’t landing from an employee perspective.

Contribute a new lens across our Centers of Excellence—including Talent, Learning & Development, Total Rewards, Culture, Belonging and Impact, and HR Operations—by supporting program coordination and offering candid input on how our work shows up for employees and teams.

Recommend improvements to how we manage the People Team knowledgebase and share communications based on your experience as a new user.

Research HR and workforce trends and bring forward ideas that challenge our current thinking and inform how we evolve our strategic programs.

Gather and analyze feedback and program data to evaluate effectiveness—and go beyond reporting to provide your perspective on what this means and what you would recommend we do differently.

Participate in team effectiveness workshops and training sessions as both a contributor and a critical observer—your outside perspective on our team dynamics is as valuable as your work product.

Help maintain project plans, action trackers, and process documentation.

What You’ll Learn

Hands-on experience supporting strategic HR programs across multiple Centers of Excellence.

Exposure to stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration.

Opportunities to develop project planning, communication, and presentation skills.

Insight into employee experience, engagement, talent, and organizational development initiatives.

Mentorship from HR strategy and program-management professionals.

Qualifications

Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Psychology, Communications, or a related field.

Strong organizational and project-coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.

Process improvement mindset, with the ability to ask thoughtful questions, identify opportunities to simplify workflows, and recommend practical improvements that enhance the employee experience.

Basic understanding of change management principles, including stakeholder engagement, clear communication, and supporting adoption of new processes or programs.

Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.

Comfortable working with cross-functional teams and stakeholders; collaborative, proactive, and eager to learn.

Strong attention to detail and ability to handle confidential information appropriately.

Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for organizing and analyzing data, PowerPoint for developing presentations, and Word for creating communications and documentation.

Equal Opportunity Employer:   Females/Minorities/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The Company is committed to equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, gender identity, ethnicity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable law.