Product Marketing Intern (Spring 2025)

Ascend Indiana (Ascend) is a fast-growing nonprofit on a mission to address Indiana’s workforce misalignment. Ascend’s vision is for Indiana to be a place of economic opportunity for all. An initiative of Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP), Ascend collaborates with corporate, education, philanthropic, and community partners, and is well-positioned to play a leadership role in addressing Indiana’s workforce challenges.

The Product Marketing Intern will collaborate closely with our product and marketing teams to explore, identify, and understand the various user personas that interact with our platform, the Ascend Network. The Ascend Network (Network) is a talent matching platform designed to connect Indiana job seekers with good and promising jobs and work-based learning opportunities. The Product Marketing Intern will ensure that our platform meets the needs of various stakeholders, including K-12 students, college students, early-in-career professionals, employers, school counselors, parents, and intermediary partners.

In this role you will…

  • Conduct user research to identify and define key user personas for the Network.
  • Gather and analyze qualitative and quantitative data to understand user needs, motivations, and behaviors.
  • Collaborate with the product team to ensure user insights are incorporated into the platform’s design and feature development.
  • Assist in developing messaging frameworks and positioning strategies tailored to specific user types.
  • Support the creation of marketing materials that effectively communicate the value of the Network to various user groups.
  • Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure a cohesive understanding of user needs across the organization.
  • Present findings and actionable recommendations to stakeholders.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

  • Currently enrolled in either an undergraduate or graduate institution with a 3.0+ GPA.
  • Current Marketing, Business, Computer Science, Psychology student, or pursuing a related major.
  • Strong interest in user research, product marketing, and educational technology.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, especially related to interpreting data and uncovering trends.
  • Experience with survey tools, interview techniques, or UX research methods.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to synthesize insights clearly.
  • Demonstrated track record of success in leading projects and achieving ambitious, quantifiable outcomes.
  • A detail-oriented self-starter who can be given a need or objective, break it down into executable activities, identify questions that need to be asked, gather priorities and requirements, set and manage to milestones, and then execute effectively.
  • Ability to learn new technology tools and processes quickly. Proficiency in Microsoft Suite preferred.
  • Track record of successfully working collaboratively within a team.
  • Demonstrate ethical handling of confidential information.

Details

  • Manager: Vice President of Product Development, Ascend Indiana
  • Office location: 16 Tech, downtown Indianapolis, with hybrid work (in office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week) or remotely
  • Work week: Up to 19 hours/week
  • Pay Rate: $15 / hr for undergraduate student
  • Travel: None

How to Apply

Interested applicants are asked to apply here.

CICP grants equal opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, age, national origin, military service obligations, veteran status, citizenship, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law. CICP provides equal opportunity in wages, promotions, benefits, and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to careers@ascendindiana.com or 317.464.5412.

Responsibilities for this role include interacting with student personally identifiable information (PII). As a condition of access, you are responsible for taking steps to protect the confidentiality of student PII in both electronic and physical form. All responsibilities relating to student PII must be conducted within the parameters of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).