Intern (Unpaid): Systems and Data Support

Systems & Data Support Intern

Department

Facilities & Operations — Executive & Facilities Manager

Setting

Western Carolina University — Internship / Practicum Placement

Estimated Hours

10–15 hours/week (flexible; project-based scheduling)

Duration

One semester or summer session; renewable by mutual agreement

Reports To

Executive & Facilities Manager

Location

Franklin, NC — Community Health Hub + remote options available

Why This Role Exists

Vecinos is actively building the data infrastructure that supports day-to-day operations across fleet management, asset tracking, facilities compliance, and vendor oversight. Right now, several of these systems live in Google Sheets — functional, but not scalable. We're in the middle of transitioning key workflows into a relational database environment (Airtable), and we need someone who can help us build it right. This is a ground-floor opportunity. The intern won't be running reports someone else built — they'll be helping design the architecture those reports will eventually run on.

What You'd Actually Be Doing

Phase 1 — Fleet & Mileage Tracking (Immediate)

• Audit existing Google Sheets mileage and maintenance logs for data integrity issues
• Assist in migrating fleet data into Airtable, building out tables, views, and linked records
• Help troubleshoot auto-populate and form integration issues in existing Sheets workflows
• Document the data schema and field logic for future reference

Phase 2 — Asset Management Database

• Design and build an asset tracking table (devices, equipment, vehicles) with lifecycle fields
• Create views for department filtering, maintenance due dates, and replacement timelines
• Develop a simple check-in/check-out log structure for shared equipment

Phase 3 — Reporting & Dashboards (As Capacity Allows)

• Build summary dashboards in Airtable or Google Sheets for leadership reporting
• Create automated status views that flag overdue maintenance, expiring registrations, etc.
• Document all systems so they can be maintained by non-technical staff

What We're Looking For

• Enrolled in IT, Computer Information Systems, Database Administration, or related program at WCU
• Comfortable working with relational data concepts (tables, fields, linked records)
• Experience with Google Sheets, including formulas and data validation
• Bonus: prior exposure to Airtable, SQL, or similar database tools
• Self-starter who can work independently with periodic check-ins
• Able to communicate clearly about technical concepts to non-technical staff

What's In It for the Student

• Real-world, production-level database work — not a sandbox exercise
• Direct collaboration with organizational leadership
• Documented portfolio work and a strong professional reference
• Exposure to nonprofit operations, healthcare facility management, and grant-funded environments
• Potential for continued engagement or future paid opportunity as systems grow