Intern, Benefits

About the Internship

The Port Authority offers exciting opportunities for students to gain knowledgeable and experience on professional assignments critical to supporting Port Authority employees. Assignments include hands-on projects to cultivate technical, writing, communication and team-building skills. The Employee Benefits division is seeking an intern to support the many projects that are critical to the department and agency.

Responsibilities:

• Support the retirement section of the division in making improvements to the current filing process by leveraging technology, including updating collateral material.
• Update the Retirement Portal, which will be a resource for current employees and retirees pertaining to retirement benefits and the like.  
• Review and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of various tasks related to the Benefits Division.
• Review employee benefits related content on the employee portal (intranet) to ensure it is current.
• Make improvement recommendations to the employee portal to make it more user-friendly for employees.
• Support onboarding documentation (DocuSign) and case management (Salesforce).
• Handle data entry of employee benefits information in PeopleSoft. 
• System Related Matters – handle eligibility events, closing & clean-up events in the system, and entry of various numbers, etc.
• Audit retiree and their dependent records in PeopleSoft (our ERP system) for accuracy and completeness.
• Assist in handling benefits call center shifts, providing information to employees and retirees about different benefit plans, as needed. 
• Support the Benefits Manager and Supervisor with ad hoc initiatives. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Enrollment at a college or university at the time of the internship
• Experience with Microsoft apps such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, etc.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Interest in contributing to the success of the New York and New Jersey region.
• Interest in public service and/or transportation
• Willingness to learn

 Desired Qualifications

• Experience in benefits administration
• Experience in a customer focused environment
• Knowledge of PeopleSoft or similar HR Systems
• Ability to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment
• Keen attention to detail and a self-starter

Internship Details

• The start date is expected to be in September/October 2026
• This internship will require 20-24 hours per week
• In accordance with Port Authority policy, this position permits interns to work remotely a maximum of one day per week. In person collaboration is essential to how the Port Authority conducts business and regular in-office days or team collaboration days may be required depending on business needs. Some internships may require interns to be fully in-person.

Selection Process

• Only applicants under consideration will be contacted
• If selected to move forward, the hiring team will reach out directly to schedule 1-2 interviews
• Different internships will have different timelines for interviews

Compensation & Benefits

• The hourly rate range is $18.61 to $31.22 (the exact rate will be determined by internship type and rising school year)
• Ability to opt in to the New York State and Local Retirement System
• Access to Employee Business Resource Groups
• Facility Tours
• Career Panels
• Social/Networking Events