Leadership Development Specialist Internships
Leadership development specialist internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience, mentorship from working leadership development practitioners, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings are concentrated across Insurance and Food & Beverage, with Pentair, Travelers, and Amazon among the employers posting roles now.
Find InternshipsOverview
Showing 5 of 37+ Leadership Development Specialist Internships
Job Description:
Ignite your Career Journey with Pentair’s Leadership Development Internship Program!
Are you ready to dive into a world of innovation and hands-on learning? Pentair invites ambitious and forward-thinking students to apply to join our summer internship program.
What Awaits You
Embark on a 12-week experience where innovation, creativity and professionalism prosper. As an intern at Pentair, you will be provided with an immersive and collaborative career development experience guided by Pentair leaders who are invested in your growth.
Make a Difference
Pentair’s interns are afforded the opportunity to explore their skillset hands-on while participating in a variety of professional development activities. Each intern will be assigned to a real-world, strategic business project that they will be immersed in for the summer. Interns will present their project objectives, processes, and overall results and impact to leadership at the conclusion of the internship program.
Professional Cohort Development
In addition to a formal mentorship program, one-on-one coffee chats with Pentair leaders and weekly sessions with segment presidents, the entire intern cohort is flown to Minnesota for a professional development week. During the residency in Minnesota, interns will network with the Executive Leadership Team, volunteer as a cohort, and further develop their professional skills by participating in development sessions with the Learning & Development team, Pentair’s Business Resource Groups, the Culture & Inclusion team and many more.
About Pentair:
At Pentair, we believe the health of our world depends on reliable access to clean water. We design, manufacture, and deliver a comprehensive range of smart, sustainable water solutions to homes, business, and industries around the world. Whether it is improving, moving, or enjoying water, we help manage the world’s most precious resource.
Pentair Will:
- Provide the opportunity to work with Human Resources leaders and teams in the areas of manufacturing operations, business unit or functional HR, HR Shared Services and HR Centers of Excellence (ie. Talent, L&D, Compensation, Culture).
- Provide the opportunity to complete meaningful projects as part of an HR team that benefit the site, business/function or COE you work with.
- Provide foundational HR experiences that help you build your HR acumen, advance your skills, and increase your understanding of HR’s impact on the organization
- Provide valuable business connections that extend beyond the HR function.
- Provide development and mentoring in line with Pentair’s development philosophy
- Pay competitively.
- Offer a variety of professional development, social, and volunteer events to help you make valuable connections throughout the summer months
- Provide the opportunity to deliver a professional presentation of your key learnings to the Pentair leadership team with the potential for a full-time position upon graduation
Professional Development you can expect:
- Impactful Project-based assignments to hone your project and stakeholder management skills
- Build your network with colleagues and senior leaders in HR and throughout the organization
- Professional presentation skills to captive your audience and deliver an impactful message
- Deepen your skills in at least one core area of Human Resources
Who we’re looking for:
- Self-starting individuals who possess the passion and drive to succeed
- Resilient and agile problem solvers
- Individuals with a sense of urgency and bias for action to operate in a fast-paced environment
- Proven leadership throughout your academic career
- Previous internship experience in is preferable
- Willing and able to relocate at time of hire and as your career progresses within the organization
Minimum Qualifications:
- Be pursuing a Master’s Degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations, Human Resources Management/Development or MBA from an accredited university
- Be enrolled as a first year Graduate student
- Have a strong interest in pursuing the Human Resources Leadership Development Program which will require at least one relocation over the three year program in locations throughout the United States upon graduation
- Be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now or in the future
✅ Key Internship Information
-
12-week internship program with two start date options:
- Session 1: Late May – Early August 2027
- Session 2: Early June – Mid-August 2027
- This position pays an hourly rate of $35.00/ hour. Interns work approximately 40-hours each week during the internship.
- Financial support may be offered to those relocating for Pentair’s Summer 2027 Internship Program.
Posting End Date: March 1st, 2027
Equal Opportunity Employer
Pentair is an Equal Opportunity Employer. With our expanding global presence, cross-cultural insight and competence are essential for our ongoing success. We believe that a diverse workforce contributes different perspectives and creative ideas that enable us to continue to improve every day.
Job Description:
Ignite your Career Journey with Pentair’s Leadership Development Internship Program!
Are you ready to dive into a world of innovation and hands-on learning? Pentair invites ambitious and forward-thinking students to apply to join our summer internship program.
What Awaits You
Embark on a 12-week experience where innovation, creativity and professionalism prosper. As an intern at Pentair, you will be provided with an immersive and collaborative career development experience guided by Pentair leaders who are invested in your growth.
Make a Difference
Pentair’s interns are afforded the opportunity to explore their skillset hands-on while participating in a variety of professional development activities. Each intern will be assigned to a real-world, strategic business project that they will be immersed in for the summer. Interns will present their project objectives, processes, and overall results and impact to leadership at the conclusion of the internship program.
Professional Cohort Development
In addition to a formal mentorship program, one-on-one coffee chats with Pentair leaders and weekly sessions with segment presidents, the entire intern cohort is flown to Minnesota for a professional development week. During the residency in Minnesota, interns will network with the Executive Leadership Team, volunteer as a cohort, and further develop their professional skills by participating in development sessions with the Learning & Development team, Pentair’s Business Resource Groups, the Culture & Inclusion team and many more.
About Pentair:
At Pentair, we believe the health of our world depends on reliable access to clean water. We design, manufacture, and deliver a comprehensive range of smart, sustainable water solutions to homes, business, and industries around the world. Whether it is improving, moving, or enjoying water, we help manage the world’s most precious resource.
Pentair Will:
- Provide the opportunity to work with Human Resources leaders and teams in the areas of manufacturing operations, business unit or functional HR, HR Shared Services and HR Centers of Excellence (ie. Talent, L&D, Compensation, Culture).
- Provide the opportunity to complete meaningful projects as part of an HR team that benefit the site, business/function or COE you work with.
- Provide foundational HR experiences that help you build your HR acumen, advance your skills, and increase your understanding of HR’s impact on the organization
- Provide valuable business connections that extend beyond the HR function.
- Provide development and mentoring in line with Pentair’s development philosophy
- Pay competitively.
- Offer a variety of professional development, social, and volunteer events to help you make valuable connections throughout the summer months
- Provide the opportunity to deliver a professional presentation of your key learnings to the Pentair leadership team with the potential for a full-time position upon graduation
Professional Development you can expect:
- Impactful Project-based assignments to hone your project and stakeholder management skills
- Build your network with colleagues and senior leaders in HR and throughout the organization
- Professional presentation skills to captive your audience and deliver an impactful message
- Deepen your skills in at least one core area of Human Resources
Who we’re looking for:
- Self-starting individuals who possess the passion and drive to succeed
- Resilient and agile problem solvers
- Individuals with a sense of urgency and bias for action to operate in a fast-paced environment
- Proven leadership throughout your academic career
- Previous internship experience in is preferable
- Willing and able to relocate at time of hire and as your career progresses within the organization
Minimum Qualifications:
- Be pursuing a Master’s Degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations, Human Resources Management/Development or MBA from an accredited university
- Be enrolled as a first year Graduate student
- Have a strong interest in pursuing the Human Resources Leadership Development Program which will require at least one relocation over the three year program in locations throughout the United States upon graduation
- Be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now or in the future
✅ Key Internship Information
-
12-week internship program with two start date options:
- Session 1: Late May – Early August 2027
- Session 2: Early June – Mid-August 2027
- This position pays an hourly rate of $35.00/ hour. Interns work approximately 40-hours each week during the internship.
- Financial support may be offered to those relocating for Pentair’s Summer 2027 Internship Program.
Posting End Date: March 1st, 2027
Equal Opportunity Employer
Pentair is an Equal Opportunity Employer. With our expanding global presence, cross-cultural insight and competence are essential for our ongoing success. We believe that a diverse workforce contributes different perspectives and creative ideas that enable us to continue to improve every day.
Leadership Development Specialist Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Insurance
- Food & Beverage
Tips for Your Leadership Development Specialist Internship Search
Apply months before your target start date
Large employers open summer cohort applications the preceding fall, often in September or October. Waiting until spring means competing for a much smaller pool of late-opening roles. Set a calendar reminder now and treat fall recruiting season as your primary window for summer internships.
Build a portfolio before you need one
Leadership development specialist intern candidates who stand out give recruiters something concrete to assess. Document a change management project, a workshop you designed and facilitated, or a team effectiveness analysis with measurable outcomes. Include the tools and frameworks you used, and link the work where possible so reviewers can see it directly.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured programs tied to your university, and professors or career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts alongside campus activity widens the pool you reach and catches openings that never appear at a fair.
Practice the actual intern screen before you apply
Leadership development specialist intern interviews typically include behavioral questions tied to real leadership scenarios, case-style prompts about organizational challenges, and sometimes a written or presentation exercise. Practice out loud, explaining your reasoning as you go, because interviewers weigh how you think through a situation as much as the answer you land on.
Target structured leadership development programs early
Many large companies and government agencies run formal leadership development program (LDP) internships built to train people entering the field for the first time. These cohort programs recruit in the first wave of fall recruiting and fill fast. Identify the programs that match your goals and submit your application as soon as they open.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 36% of the leadership development specialist internships listed here. Decide what you can realistically commit to before you start sorting through openings. Filtering by location and work type upfront means you spend your time on roles you can actually take, not ones you'll rule out after reading the full description.
Leadership Development Specialist Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a leadership development specialist internship?
Lead with coursework, independent projects, and a portfolio rather than work history, since hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. For leadership development specialist candidates, a concrete artifact might be a documented change management project, a leadership workshop you designed, or a case study showing measurable team impact. Pair direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a leadership development specialist internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. What drives it for leadership development specialist interns is consistent performance on real work, team headcount at offer time, and communicating early that you want to return. Position yourself by owning your projects fully and asking your manager about return-offer timelines before the internship ends, without treating a full-time role as certain.
When should I apply for leadership development specialist internships?
Earlier than most students expect. Large employers recruit summer cohorts the preceding fall, so applications for June start dates often open in September or October. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to their actual start dates, which means openings appear year-round. Checking listings regularly rather than waiting for a single recruiting season gives you the widest window.
Are leadership development specialist internships paid?
Most professional leadership development specialist internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location, and listings show it where the employer discloses it. Unpaid internships exist but are rare at larger organizations in this field. If pay matters for your decision, filter for listings that include compensation details before applying.
What should a leadership development specialist internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented projects with the frameworks, tools, or methods you used and where a recruiter can review them, such as a linked case study, a training curriculum sample, or a published analysis of an organizational initiative. Add relevant coursework in organizational behavior, human resources, or business strategy. Keep the resume to one page.
Are there remote leadership development specialist internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 64% of the leadership development specialist internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast because they draw applicants nationally, so apply early and filter by work type to see them before they close.
What is a leadership development program (LDP) internship?
A leadership development program internship is a structured cohort experience, common at large corporations and government agencies, designed specifically for students and new graduates with no prior professional leadership role. Participants rotate across business units, work on real organizational projects, and receive formal coaching. These programs recruit early in the academic year, attract competitive applicant pools, and fill in the first wave of recruiting, so identify the ones that fit your goals and apply as soon as they open.
Can international students get leadership development specialist internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
See All 37 Leadership Development Specialist Internship Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Internships