Position Title: AI Optimization Intern
Company Description: Innovate Carolina, the brand umbrella for the work of the Office of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (IEED), leads the University in its goal to uncover and unleash the vast innovation potential of faculty, students, staff, alumni and stakeholders. IEED works with leadership across campus to set strategy, provide central services, establish and foster partnerships, and garner resources to support the University’s innovation, entrepreneurship and economic development agenda. UNC-Chapel Hill is generating ground-breaking ideas through research to become a leading fundamental and translational research university. IEED uses a federated model to strengthen the innovation ecosystem that consists of an extensive network of University-facilitated programs. This network of students, faculty and staff are working together to tackle the most challenging problems in North Carolina and the world.
Company Website:
Internship Job Description:
Innovate Carolina is hiring AI Optimization Interns to help offices across UNC-Chapel Hill put AI to work in their daily operations. As an intern, you will be embedded in a campus office, where you will learn how the work gets done, pinpoint tasks where AI or automation can save time or improve quality, and build solutions alongside the staff who will use them. You will also train staff and document each workflow so the improvements last after your internship ends.
Responsibilities
• Interview staff to understand how their work gets done, which tools they use, and where time is lost
• Map workflows to identify recurring tasks suited to AI or automation
• Prioritize opportunities based on expected time savings, ease of implementation, and staff needs
• Design, build, and test AI-assisted workflows, automations, and tools
• Train staff on new tools and write documentation they can follow on their own
• Measure results, including time saved and how widely staff adopt each tool
• Contribute to a shared playbook that documents methods and outcomes across the cohort
• Present findings to office staff and Innovate Carolina leadership
Job Requirements
• Currently enrolled UNC-Chapel Hill undergraduate or graduate student in good academic standing; all majors welcome
• Hands-on experience with generative AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, or Microsoft Copilot
• Demonstrated experience building working automations, apps, or dashboards, using tools such as Power Automate, Power Apps, Power BI, Zapier, Python, or AI coding assistants
• Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain technical topics to non-technical colleagues
• Self-directed, reliable, and able to balance this role with coursework
Preferred Qualifications
• Familiarity with Microsoft Azure, Azure AI services, or Microsoft 365 Copilot • Background in process mapping or user interviews
• Ability to write clear training materials, how-to guides, or process documentation
• Coursework in process improvement, consulting, information science, or change management
Type and Timing of Internship:
Part Time, during
Spring Semester
Approximate Start and End Dates:
2027-01-11T00:00:00Z to 2027-05-31T00:00:00Z
Internship Location: Inovate Carolina Junction, 136 E Rosemary St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Paid or Unpaid: Yes –
Application Instructions:
2026-11-30T00:00:00Z
Submit your application at https://www.tfaforms.com/5231391.
In your application, include a statement of interest (250 words or fewer) describing your experience with AI tools and one process
you would improve.
Primary Contact Email: patrick.kastian@unc.edu