About AAPD 

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) works to increase the political and economic power of people with disabilities. As a national disability-led and cross-disability rights organization, AAPD advocates for full civil rights for over 60 million Americans with disabilities. We do this by promoting equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation through our programs and advocacy.

AAPD is an equal opportunity employer. Our office collaborates across initiatives to actively uplift and center the diversity of the disability community in our work. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. Applicants with disabilities, especially AAPD program alumni, are especially encouraged to apply.

AAPD has an office headquartered in Washington, DC, but also has flexible workplace and remote work policies. AAPD follows strong COVID-19 Prevention Policies in our DC office and whenever our staff are in-person.

We are looking to hire staff who embody our mission and are invested in building the disability rights movement. In addition to a salary range of $70,000 - $85,000 for this role, we offer a competitive benefits package including:

• Unlimited PTO
• Flexible work schedule
• 403(b) with 5% employer match
• 100% employer coverage of Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance for each employee and up to 2 dependents
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional development opportunities
• Relocation benefits, if applicable
• Employer covered life insurance

Job Summary

• Position Type: Manager
• Job Type: Full-Time
• Reports to: Programs Director
• Co-Supervisory Responsibility: Program & Operations Assistant
• Location: Hybrid in Washington, DC metro area (i.e., some in-person work will be required)*
• Salary: $70,000 - 85,000
• Start Date: August 2025

* Location is hybrid, because the Manager is responsible for implementing the in-person aspect of a hybrid program. Please see below for in-person requirements. There may be other occasional in-person events required. Otherwise, the role is primarily remote during the rest of the year. The Manager will be responsible for their own commute to Washington, DC.

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is seeking an Internship Program Manager to manage all of the primary components related to the AAPD Internship Programs.  AAPD’s Summer and Fall Internship programs develop stronger disability identities for students and recent graduates so they can shape the future of our workplaces and communities. AAPD achieves this by providing professional and career development opportunities for program participants so that they can access meaningful employment, gain leadership skills, and connect to the broader disability community. Please visit AAPD’s Internship Program page to learn more. 

The Manager will be responsible for leading the planning and implementation of the Summer and Fall internship cohorts which typically consist of undergraduate, graduate students, and recent graduates with varying disabilities from across the country. The Manager will also serve as the primary point of contact for the internship program with the internship program team, interns, supervisors, mentors, and community members participating in the program. The Internship Program Team currently consists of the 

Internship Program Manager, Program & Operations Assistant, Events and Logistics Coordinator, and Programs Director.

Summer Internship Program schedule is as follows (in-person required):

• May: Occasional in-person preparations, averaging 1-2x a week leading up to orientation week 
• Sunday before Memorial Day: Support move-in for summer interns
• Last week of May, including Memorial Day: Weeklong Orientation
• Weekly Friday programming from 12:00p - 4:00pm ET from the last week of May through the first week of August
• Other possible in-person programming: intern happy hours, intern events

Fall Internship Program schedule is as follows:

• Four-day event in July: Fall Internship Program in-person gathering (in-person required)
• Sunday in August: Day long orientation (virtual)
• Weekly programming on Fridays from 12:00pm - 4:00pm ET (virtual; hours may be subject to change)

This role may have occasional work either in-person or virtually during evenings and weekends outside of above schedule. An estimate is around 3-5 times a year. Flexible scheduling will be provided.

Core Role Responsibilities 

The below includes the overall responsibilities, including other relevant duties as assigned by the Programs Director. The Manager will also be the primary co-supervisor, along with the Chief Operating Officer, of the Programs & Operations Assistant.

Planning

• Research and apply best practices for in-person, online, and hybrid engagement among young adults with disabilities

• Research different recruitment method strategies to ensure the application pool reflects the broader disability community
• Lead the recruitment, application, interview, and selection process of future internship cohorts
• Gather programmatic and logistical information from interns to ensure  meaningful and accessible internship experiences
• Coordinate placement sites and mentors for each intern
• Assist the Programs Director with developing the budget

Implementation

• Conduct placement site check-in calls three times during each program session  for each intern in the Summer and Fall sessions 
• Lead and facilitate orientation sessions

• Lead and facilitate weekly Friday community programming focused on interns’ professional and personal interests
• Coordinate outreach to presenters for orientation and Fridays programming
• Establish and strengthen relationships with external partners related to the internship program, such as potential and confirmed placement site supervisors and mentors
• Manage and enforce relevant intern processes and protocols, such as stipends, Code of Conduct, Community Guidelines, etc.
• Collaborate with all of AAPD’s teams (i.e., Communications, Policy, Programs, etc.) to strengthen the impact of the internship program

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reports

• Collaborate with the Programs Director to develop the evaluation methods to determine the effectiveness and impact of the internship program
• Disseminate and analyze evaluation data 
• Manage a database of AAPD internship program networks of supervisors, mentors, and speakers
• Regularly collect informal and formal feedback from program participants, including supervisors and mentors
• Incorporate feedback and evaluation data to improve programming in future years
• Assist in drafting content for several reports, such as the annual Internship Programs report and Board reports

Qualifications

Applications should possess the following:

• 3+ years of cumulative relevant experience (paid and unpaid), with a focus on executing projects and community building for students and recent graduates
• Exceptional organizational / planning skills and attention to detail
• Experience in handling sensitive data and other confidential information, and demonstrated discretion and strong judgment in such situations
• Past experiences demonstrating project management
• Past experiences demonstrating strong relationship building skills with individuals and large groups of people
• Past experiences demonstrating skill around facilitation or coordinating programs in real-time
• Past experience includes some supervision of volunteers, interns, and/or staff
• Demonstrates commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and an understanding of how to apply these frameworks to the program cycle and engagement
• Strong background knowledge of disability rights, disability justice, and disability policy, as well as current events affecting the disability community
• Computer proficiency related to Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, virtual platforms, and researching information

Application & Interview Process

Please submit your application materials on the AAPD’s job posting platform, Rippling, including:

• Resume
• Short answer question responses (see below)
• Two references: one must be a prior supervisor
• • References will not be contacted until the final round. Candidates will be notified before reaching out to references. 

Short Answer Questions (150-300 words recommended)

1. What would you be most excited to do in the role of the AAPD Internship Program Manager?
2. Please describe your professional experience engaging with the disability community.
3. Describe a past experience where you were the lead facilitator for a group event. Please share any relevant planning, goals, and outcomes.
4. A key part of this role involves building and maintaining strong relationships with multiple people – interns, supervisors, mentors, internal teams, and external partners. Can you share a previous experience where you had to build and maintain different professional relationships with a shared goal?

Selected candidates will participate in a 15-20 minute screening. Next, the candidate will participate in two rounds of interviews, 60 minutes each. If moved forward, the candidate will have a final 30-minute interview with the Vice President of Programs. AAPD will complete reference checks after the final interview. The offer will be contingent upon a successful background check due to interactions with youth.

If you have any inquiries, please email sisenberg@aapd.com with the subject line, “Internship Program Manager Inquiry.”

AAPD will accept applications on a rolling basis with priority given to applications by Friday, July 11, 2025 at 11:59pm ET with a final deadline for applications on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 at 11:59 ET.