Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wellness Intern

🎯 Role Definition

The Wellness Intern supports the design, delivery, and evaluation of workplace or community health and wellbeing programs. This entry-level role partners with wellness coordinators, HR, clinical staff, and external vendors to plan events, create educational content, manage communications and logistics, collect and analyze participation and health metric data, and help operationalize wellness strategy. Ideal candidates are undergraduate or graduate students in public health, nutrition, kinesiology, psychology, communications or related fields who want hands-on experience implementing preventive health and employee wellbeing initiatives.

Keywords: wellness intern, health promotion intern, employee wellbeing intern, workplace wellness internship, preventive health, mental health, nutrition education, fitness programming, event coordination.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Undergraduate student or recent graduate in Public Health, Nutrition, Kinesiology, Psychology, Communications or related majors.
Volunteer or part-time assistant on campus wellness programs or community health initiatives.
Administrative or program support roles in HR, recreation, or community organizations.

Advancement To:

Wellness Coordinator / Wellbeing Coordinator
Health Promotion Specialist / Health Educator
Employee Wellbeing Program Manager
Benefits & Wellness Analyst
Corporate Wellness Consultant

Lateral Moves:

Communications Specialist (internal communications, health marketing)
Event Coordinator (health fairs, community outreach)
HR Coordinator with focus on wellbeing programs

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Assist in the planning, coordination, and execution of employee and community wellness programs including health challenges, preventive screenings, lunch-and-learn workshops, mental health seminars, fitness classes, and nutrition demonstrations; manage timelines, secure facilitators, and ensure supplies and space logistics are in place.
Draft, curate, and edit evidence-based educational content (articles, flyers, email campaigns, social posts, slide decks) that translate clinical or public health information into accessible wellness messaging for diverse employee or community audiences.
Support intake and enrollment for wellness initiatives by answering participant questions, managing sign-ups, maintaining participant lists, and tracking engagement metrics across programs and events.
Conduct outreach and engagement activities to increase program participation, including targeted email outreach, partnership building with internal champions, tabling at employee events, and follow-up communications to maintain momentum.
Help design, administer, and analyze pre- and post-program surveys, health risk assessments, and program evaluation tools to measure behavior change, satisfaction, and program impact; prepare summary reports with actionable recommendations.
Collect, clean, and maintain program data and participation records in spreadsheets, HRIS, or CRM systems; prepare weekly and monthly dashboards and executive summaries for wellness leadership.
Coordinate relationships with external vendors, community partners, fitness instructors, health coaches, and clinical providers; manage scheduling, contracts, materials, and vendor onboarding for events and services.
Provide administrative support for wellness initiatives, including budgeting and basic expense tracking, vendor invoicing coordination, purchase requisitions, room reservations, and equipment inventory management.
Assist with the recruitment and training of volunteer peer ambassadors, wellness champions, or student interns who support program delivery, promotion, and peer-led activities.
Support short-term coaching or triage functions under supervision (e.g., intake calls, resource referrals) and ensure appropriate follow-up and documentation in accordance with program protocols and confidentiality standards.
Implement digital wellness tools and platforms (app onboarding, challenge setup, content uploads), troubleshoot participant issues, and collect user feedback to inform platform improvements.
Help create inclusive, culturally sensitive wellness content and programming to ensure access and relevance across diverse employee populations, including accommodations and language access as needed.
Monitor and respond to participant feedback and inquiries through email, phone, and internal messaging channels with professional and empathetic communication; escalate clinical or escalating concerns to the appropriate supervisor.
Support the design and facilitation of experiential learning sessions (mindfulness, stress management, ergonomic workshops) by preparing materials, coordinating facilitators, and assisting during sessions.
Participate in regular wellness team meetings, contribute ideas to programming strategy, and help maintain the program calendar and promotional timelines.
Support workplace health screenings and biometric events by coordinating volunteer roles, logistics, informed consent materials, privacy safeguards, and post-event follow-up communications.
Assist in developing and executing wellness marketing calendars, social media strategies, and content schedules that align with organizational priorities, seasonal campaigns, and health observances.
Research best practices, emerging trends, and evidence-based interventions in employee wellness, mental health, nutrition, fitness, and preventive care to inform programmatic updates and continuous improvement.
Prepare materials and talking points for leadership presentations, internal newsletters, and wellbeing reports; compile case studies and success stories to demonstrate program ROI and engagement wins.
Support accessibility and accommodations for virtual and in-person programming, including closed captioning, large-print materials, multi-lingual resources, and accessible venue arrangements.
Maintain compliance with confidentiality, privacy, and data protection standards (including HIPAA awareness where applicable) when handling participant health information and program records.
Help pilot new initiatives (e.g., resilience training, smoking cessation, sleep interventions), track participation, and document lessons learned to inform broader rollout decisions.
Coordinate cross-functional partnership activities with HR, IT, ERGs, and facilities to integrate wellness into broader employee experience efforts (e.g., onboarding, benefits open enrollment, remote work support).
Support ad-hoc research projects, literature reviews, and grant or proposal writing assistance to secure funding or expand programmatic capacity.
Facilitate post-program debriefs, capture participant testimonials, and document process improvements to streamline future program delivery.

Secondary Functions

Support the creation and maintenance of the wellness program resource library (toolkits, referral guides, vendor brochures) and ensure materials are updated and easily accessible.
Assist with the onboarding of new employees into wellness platforms and benefits-related health programs, including creating step-by-step guides and hosting orientation sessions.
Contribute to cross-team initiatives such as wellbeing weeks, mental health awareness campaigns, and workplace ergonomics improvements by providing logistical and promotional support.
Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory analysis to answer stakeholder questions about participation patterns, demographic engagement, and basic program metrics.
Contribute to the organization's wellness strategy and roadmap by documenting pilot outcomes, participant feedback, and recommended next steps for scaling initiatives.
Collaborate with business units and employee resource groups to translate population needs into targeted program offerings and communication plans.
Participate in sprint planning, project status updates, and agile-style ceremonies within the wellness program team to help prioritize initiatives and track deliverables.
Provide cover for reception or wellness desk duties during high-volume times such as health fairs or open enrollment, including check-in, materials distribution, and basic troubleshooting.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program coordination and event logistics: scheduling, vendor coordination, room setup, materials management.
Health education content development: writing evidence-based articles, presentations, and participant-facing guides.
Data collection and basic quantitative analysis: experience with Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP), Google Sheets, and basic descriptive statistics to monitor program KPIs.
Survey design and administration: creating intake surveys, satisfaction surveys, and post-program evaluation tools (Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics).
Digital wellness platforms and apps: setup and troubleshooting of wellness challenge platforms, LMS basics, or proprietary wellbeing apps.
Social media and digital communications: experience managing or contributing to LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or internal communications platforms with basic content scheduling.
Design and content tools: basic competency with Canva, PowerPoint, Google Slides, and Adobe Spark for creating collateral and marketing assets.
CRM and participant tracking systems: familiarity with maintaining participant records in HRIS, Salesforce, or other CRM tools.
Basic budgeting and expense tracking: purchase requests, vendor invoicing, and reconciliation in spreadsheets or finance systems.
Confidentiality and privacy awareness: familiarity with HIPAA basics (as relevant), data protection, and handling sensitive health information securely.
Basic qualitative analysis and reporting: synthesizing survey comments, participant feedback, and case notes into themes and recommendations.
Microsoft Office and Google Workspace proficiency (Word/Docs, Excel/Sheets, Outlook/Gmail, Calendar).

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication, with ability to write clear, accessible health content and present findings to non-technical audiences.
Strong organizational and time-management skills; able to juggle multiple programs, deadlines, and event logistics simultaneously.
High emotional intelligence, empathy, and sensitivity when working with participants on health-related topics.
Team player mentality with ability to collaborate across HR, clinical, and community partners.
Proactive problem-solver who takes initiative and follows through with tasks with minimal supervision.
Customer-service orientation: professional, friendly, and responsive when interacting with employees, vendors, and stakeholders.
Cultural competency and inclusivity, with respect for diverse health beliefs, backgrounds, and abilities.
Adaptability and resilience in dynamic environments with shifting priorities.
Attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy and confidentiality.
Creative thinking for program design, engagement tactics, and communications.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an undergraduate or graduate program (Associate's/Bachelor's preferred) in Public Health, Health Promotion, Nutrition, Kinesiology, Psychology, Communications, Human Resources, Business, or related disciplines.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree (completed or in progress) in Public Health, Health Education, Nutrition, Kinesiology, Exercise Science, Psychology, Communications, or Organizational Behavior.
Coursework or certificate in health promotion, behavior change theory, community health, or wellness program management is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Public Health
Health Promotion / Health Education
Nutrition / Dietetics
Kinesiology / Exercise Science
Psychology / Behavioral Science
Communications / Marketing
Human Resources / Organizational Development
Community Health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: Entry-level to 1+ years (0–2 years), including internships, volunteer roles, campus program experience, or part-time positions supporting health/wellness activities.

Preferred:

1+ internship or volunteer experience supporting wellness programs, health education, event coordination, or related public health projects.
Demonstrated experience creating content, supporting events, or analyzing basic program data.
Experience working with diverse populations and demonstrating cultural humility in program delivery is highly desirable.