U.S. Public Policy & Advocacy Intern

Location: Washington, DC

Our team members are at the heart of everything we do. At Cencora, we are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures, and every person here is essential to us being able to deliver on that purpose. If you want to make a difference at the center of health, come join our innovative company and help us improve the lives of people and animals everywhere. Apply today!

Job Details

The U.S. Public Policy & Advocacy Summer Intern will support the U.S. Public Policy & Advocacy team through policy research, advocacy project support, project coordination, knowledge management, and development of reusable team materials. This internship is designed as a structured, development-focused 10-week experience that provides exposure to healthcare policy, federal and state government affairs, legislative and regulatory processes, advocacy strategy, corporate stakeholder engagement, and the pharmaceutical supply chain.

This role will support meaningful, project-based work aligned to real team priorities while building the intern's skills in research, writing, synthesis, professional communication, organization, data validation, project tracking, and cross-functional collaboration. The role is intended to support Cencora's early talent pipeline and align with future workforce planning and talent development opportunities.

The intern will contribute to discrete, supervised projects involving advocacy resources, state-level footprint materials, shared resource organization, policy research, meeting preparation, and team infrastructure initiatives. Projects will be designed to encourage critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and development of tangible deliverables that support business objectives.

The intern will maintain a project and accomplishment log throughout the internship and prepare a final presentation summarizing completed work, key deliverables, skills developed, and overall business impact.

Job Requirements

The Summer Intern, U.S. Public Policy & Advocacy will be responsible for:

Conducting research on federal and state policy issues, healthcare legislation, regulatory developments, congressional activity, trade association activity, and industry trends relevant to Cencora's policy and advocacy priorities.

Drafting concise internal summaries, background documents, one-pagers, biographies, briefing materials, meeting preparation documents, and presentation content for internal stakeholders under manager guidance.

Supporting state-level advocacy resource development by validating data, organizing information, identifying gaps or inconsistencies, and coordinating with internal stakeholders as needed.

Assisting with maintenance of team trackers, shared resources, project logs, templates, repositories, meeting materials, and process documentation.

Supporting organization and maintenance of shared team folders, onboarding materials, project resources, knowledge repositories, and other business-critical documentation.

Attending selected congressional hearings, industry briefings, internal meetings, team calls, and advocacy-related events, and preparing concise summaries of key takeaways.

Supporting planning and coordination for meetings, office visits, fly-ins, briefings, advocacy activities, and special projects as assigned.

Collaborating with colleagues across Public Policy, Federal Advocacy, State Advocacy, PAC, Corporate Responsibility, Marketing, and other business functions on assigned initiatives.

Maintaining a task and project log that documents assignments, deliverables, accomplishments, and skills developed throughout the internship.

Completing a final presentation summarizing project outcomes, business impact, professional development experiences, and recommendations for future work.

Required Knowledge

Basic understanding of U.S. government, public policy, political processes, legislative affairs, healthcare policy, business, communications, or related subject matter.

Interest in healthcare, government affairs, advocacy, public policy, legislative affairs, stakeholder engagement, or the pharmaceutical supply chain.

Ability to conduct research, analyze information, and synthesize findings into clear, concise written materials.

Understanding of professional written and verbal communication, including proofreading, accuracy, and audience awareness.

Strong attention to detail and commitment to producing high-quality work products.

Understanding of confidentiality, professionalism, discretion, and appropriate handling of sensitive information.

Familiarity with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, and SharePoint.

Ability to organize information in a clear and accessible manner.

Ability to work independently on assigned projects while collaborating effectively with team members.

Ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to changing business needs, and communicate proactively regarding workload and project status.

Required Experience / Relevant Coursework

Candidates should be currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant field, including but not limited to:

Political Science

Public Policy

Government

Public Administration

Health Policy

Healthcare Administration

Communications

Journalism

Business Administration

Economics

International Affairs

Law or Pre-Law

Data Analytics

Public Affairs

Related liberal arts, policy, business, or healthcare fields

Preferred Coursework or Experience

Coursework in U.S. government, legislative process, public policy, healthcare policy, political science, economics, communications, business, research methods, public administration, law, or data analysis.

Experience conducting research, writing summaries, preparing presentations, organizing data, drafting reports, or supporting team projects.

Experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, or SharePoint through academic, volunteer, internship