Community Development Intern

Position Summary

The Community Development Intern will support the day-to-day operations of IRONMAN’s global athlete recognition program. This role offers hands-on experience in athlete engagement, customer service, communications, project coordination, and program operations

The ideal candidate is organized, detail-oriented, and passionate about delivering exceptional athlete support. They will work closely with teams across Community Development, Marketing, Design, IT, Athlete Services, and Event Operations to help ensure the successful execution of AWA initiatives, communications, and athlete benefits. This role supports athlete communications, AWA program administration, swim cap logistics, and cross-functional coordination efforts

Key Responsibilities

AWA Customer Service

• Manage and respond to athlete inquiries through the AWA inbox

• Deliver exceptional, athlete-first customer service through timely, professional, and solution-oriented support.

• Assist athletes with questions related to AWA status, rankings, benefits, priority registration, athlete profiles, race results, and race-day recognition

• Escalate and coordinate issue resolution with internal teams as needed

• Help identify recurring athlete concerns and opportunities to improve overall program support

Communications & Content Support

• Assist in the creation, review, and coordination of athlete-facing communications for a global audience.

• Support email campaigns, newsletters, program announcements, and priority registration communications

• Coordinate communication timelines and stakeholder feedback

• Ensure communications are accurate, engaging, and aligned with IRONMAN brand standards

Program Operations

• Assist with AWA swim cap ordering, inventory tracking, and fulfillment coordination

• Maintain program documentation, tracking tools, and operational records

• Support athlete recognition and benefit fulfillment initiatives throughout the season

• Assist with the planning and execution of annual AWA program activities and year-end launches

Cross-Functional Project Coordination

• Coordinate with the Design team to develop athlete-facing graphics and creative assets

• Partner with Marketing teams to support campaign execution and communication timelines

• Work with IT to track website updates, enhancements, and program-related improvements

• Assist with project tracking and follow-up to help ensure key deliverables are completed on schedule

• Support year-end readiness efforts by helping coordinate communications, program updates, and stakeholder deliverables

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Sports Management, Event Management, or a related field

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills

• Highly organized with strong attention to detail

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams

• Interest in endurance sports, athlete engagement, sports marketing, or community building is preferred