Public Relations Intern Jobs in Indianapolis, IN
Public Relations Intern jobs in Indianapolis are concentrated in Midtown, Downtown, and the Meridian-Kessler corridor, driven by demand across healthcare, sports marketing, and nonprofit communications. Employers hiring right now include State Farm, Lids, and IndyGo. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Position Title: Employee Relations Specialist
Safety Sensitive: No
Supervisor’s Title: Director of Employee Experience
FLSA Status: Exempt
Department: People and Culture
Division: Human Resources
Worker Category: SAL Exempt Full Time
Job Class: Professionals
ABOUT US
We are IndyGo, a Municipal Corporation of Indianapolis–Marion County, and we’re proud to be the largest public transportation provider in the state of Indiana. We operate transit routes throughout the county, providing millions of passenger trips a year. IndyGo is committed to expanding mobility options to improve connectivity with the company’s mission, vision, and goals.
WHO WE ARE
As the largest public transportation provider in Indiana, we believe driving people from one place to another is much more than just moving riders: it’s about helping our riders reach their hopes and dreams, education and careers, families and friends, and health and well-being. IndyGo is focused on meeting three objectives as we operate nearly 30 transit routes throughout Marion County, and provide millions of passenger trips each year. They include protecting frontline workers, increasing ridership and prioritizing long-term stability. We are moving the city forward to become a better place of opportunity and community.
INDYGO MISSION
IndyGo's mission is to connect our community to economic and cultural opportunities through safe, reliable and accessible mobility experiences. Our vision is to be at the forefront of making Indianapolis a resilient, prosperous and equitable community for all.
Accountability: We are legally, ethically, and morally committed to utilizing all resources responsibly with integrity and transparency.
Adaptability: We adapt to disruptions through technology, workforce and ridership innovations, so we can meet the evolving needs of our community.
Workplace Culture: We offer an empowering workplace to meet the needs of our teammates and riders.
Compassion: We promote, embrace and value all individuals, treating each other with dignity and respect.
Communication: We value open and honest conversations with each other, our riders and the community.
Excellence: We are proud of who we are and the work we do and will continue to exceed customer expectations.
Responsibility: We will be good stewards of our resources.
Results: We make things better today than they were yesterday.
Safety: We ensure safe and secure environments.
BENEFITS WE OFFER
- Voluntary medical, dental, and vision coverage (effective on the first of the month following 30 days of employment)
- On-site wellness clinic for employees and their families
- Retirement plans (401A and 457B)
- Tuition reimbursement
- Free IndyGo transportation for employees and their families
- Eligibility for the Federal Loan Forgiveness Program
POSITION PURPOSE
The Employee Relations Specialist serves as IndyGo's first line of employee relations support and employee experience resource, while escalated investigations, complex labor matters, and strategic workforce issues are managed in partnership with the HR Business Partner and Director of Employee Experience. The Employee Relations Specialist will be a highly visible and proactive member of the Human Resources team, focused on fostering a positive, engaged, respectful, and high-performing workplace culture.
This role acts as a trusted resource for employees and leaders by:
- proactively addressing workplace concerns
- conducting employee relations investigations
- supporting employee engagement initiatives
- helping leaders strengthen team effectiveness, communication, accountability, and employee connection.
This position is intentionally designed as a role that balances issue resolution with culture-building and workforce engagement. The Employee Relations Specialist regularly engages with employees in the field, walks operational and administrative locations, identifies trends and concerns before they escalate, and helps create an environment where employees feel heard, supported, and connected to IndyGo’s mission and values.
This role operates with an early intervention philosophy focused on proactively identifying concerns, resolving issues informally when appropriate, reducing escalation, improving communication, and building trust before problems formalize into larger employee relations matters. The position also serves as IndyGo’s representative in unemployment compensation matters and partners closely with operational leaders to support fair, consistent, and well-documented employment practices.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. The company will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, consistent with applicable law.
Employee Relations & Workplace Support
- Serve as a visible and approachable HR presence across IndyGo facilities by regularly walking operational and administrative locations to build relationships and understand employee sentiment, concerns, successes, and workplace dynamics.
- Develop strong working relationships with frontline employees, supervisors, managers, and operational leadership to foster trust, communication, and employee engagement.
- Proactively identify workplace trends, morale concerns, communication gaps, operational challenges, and emerging employee relations risks and elevate insights to HR leadership and business leaders.
- Respond to employee concerns and workplace issues in a timely, professional, and confidential manner.
- Conduct fair, objective, and impartial employee relations investigations involving workplace conduct, attendance, interpersonal conflict, policy violations, employee complaints, and other workplace concerns as directed.
- Gather facts through interviews, documentation review, and evidence analysis and prepare clear, objective investigative summaries.
- Maintain thorough, accurate, and confidential case documentation and investigation records.
- Support a proactive employee relations model focused on early intervention, conflict resolution, and issue prevention.
- Resolve employee concerns informally where appropriate while ensuring consistency, non-discrimination, proper documentation, and compliance with company policies and applicable law.
- Partner with leaders to improve workplace communication, build trust, strengthen team dynamics, and reduce escalation of employee concerns.
- Assist with performance management and employee accountability processes, including documentation coaching and corrective support.
- Support consistent application and interpretation of company policies, procedures, workplace expectations, and collective bargaining agreements.
- Support attendance management programs and partner with operational leaders regarding attendance trends, policy application, and corrective action processes.
- Escalate matters appropriately to the HRBP, Director of Employee Experience, Legal, or Labor Relations leadership when necessary.
- Support the interactive process for accommodation requests in partnership with HR leadership, Benefits, Safety, and operational management.
Employee Engagement, Retention & Culture
- Help coordinate and support employee engagement activities, recognition initiatives, appreciation events, and culture-building programs across IndyGo locations.
- Conduct stay interviews and retention conversations to better understand employee experience, engagement drivers, workplace concerns, and retention risks.
- Gather employee feedback through informal interactions, surveys, focus groups, and engagement initiatives and identify actionable opportunities for improvement.
- Partner with HR leadership and operational leaders to strengthen employee connection, workplace morale, communication, and organizational culture.
- Identify and celebrate positive employee and team contributions to strengthen engagement and reinforce organizational values.
- Support onboarding and employee transition experiences to help employees feel welcomed, informed, and connected.
- Develop and deliver training for supervisors regarding investigations, documentation standards, performance management, workplace expectations, and employee relations best practices.
Supervisor Coaching & Leadership Support
- Coach supervisors and managers on employee relations best practices, workplace communication, conflict resolution, accountability, documentation, and employee engagement strategies.
- Provide guidance to leaders on handling workplace concerns consistently, professionally, and proactively.
- Support leaders in strengthening team effectiveness, improving employee interactions, and addressing concerns before escalation occurs.
- Reinforce leadership accountability for maintaining respectful, inclusive, and productive work environments.
Labor Relations Partnership
- Partner with Labor Relations leadership and operational teams to support positive labor-management relationships.
- Assist with grievance fact gathering, documentation collection, and workplace issue review related to represented employees.
- Help identify emerging workforce issues, employee concerns, operational challenges, and workplace trends that may impact labor relations or employee engagement.
- Provide operational insight and workforce observations to HR and Labor Relations leadership to support proactive decision-making and issue prevention.
- Support consistent interpretation and application of collective bargaining agreements in partnership with HR and Labor Relations leadership.
Unemployment Compensation & Administrative Support
- Manage unemployment compensation claims processes on behalf of IndyGo, including reviewing claims, gathering supporting documentation, coordinating with operational leadership, and preparing responses.
- Serve as IndyGo’s representative during unemployment compensation hearings and proceedings, presenting factual information and documentation professionally and effectively.
- Partner closely with supervisors, managers, and HR leadership to assess claim circumstances, prepare testimony, and ensure consistent application of employment practices and documentation standards.
- Monitor unemployment claims trends and provide recommendations regarding documentation practices, policy adherence, and risk mitigation opportunities.
- Maintain organized and confidential records relating to unemployment claims, investigations, and employee relations matters.
- Support preparation of employee relations metrics, trend analysis, and reporting.
- Assist with HR communications, employee education efforts, and policy rollout support.
- Participate in special HR projects and initiatives as assigned.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE
To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the following education and/or experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Psychology, or a related field required. Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of education.
- Minimum of three (3) years of progressive experience in employee relations, human resources, workplace investigations, operations support, labor relations support, or a related field.
- Experience conducting workplace investigations and resolving employee concerns preferred.
- Experience supporting unionized, operational, transportation, manufacturing, logistics, or similarly complex work environments preferred.
- Experience representing employers in unemployment compensation hearings or claims administration strongly preferred.
- Experience working in public sector or unionized environments preferred.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
- Strong employee relations and workplace investigation skills.
- Ability to build trust and credibility with employees and leaders at all organizational levels.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, mediation, and conflict resolution abilities.
- Demonstrated emotional intelligence, professionalism, sound judgment, and discretion.
- Ability to identify patterns, trends, and opportunities for proactive intervention and workplace improvement.
- Ability to exercise independent judgment while managing sensitive and confidential information.
- Strong listening and relationship-building skills with a highly approachable and proactive style.
- Ability to coach and influence leaders effectively in operational environments.
- Ability to effectively represent the organization during unemployment compensation hearings and administrative proceedings.
- Strong interviewing, documentation review, investigation, and case preparation skills.
- Knowledge of employee relations principles, workplace investigations, employment practices, and labor relations fundamentals.
- Working knowledge of federal and state employment laws including FMLA, ADA, FLSA, Title VII, PWFA, and related regulations.
- Knowledge of public sector labor relations principles is preferred.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships across diverse employee populations.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, HRIS systems, and case management documentation practices.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential physical functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. The company will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, consistent with applicable law.
- Regular on-site attendance is an essential function of this position due to the need for in-person collaboration, operational support, hands-on infrastructure management, and training and development activities with reasonable accommodation provided as required by law.
IndyGo is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Position Title: Employee Relations Specialist
Safety Sensitive: No
Supervisor’s Title: Director of Employee Experience
FLSA Status: Exempt
Department: People and Culture
Division: Human Resources
Worker Category: SAL Exempt Full Time
Job Class: Professionals
ABOUT US
We are IndyGo, a Municipal Corporation of Indianapolis–Marion County, and we’re proud to be the largest public transportation provider in the state of Indiana. We operate transit routes throughout the county, providing millions of passenger trips a year. IndyGo is committed to expanding mobility options to improve connectivity with the company’s mission, vision, and goals.
WHO WE ARE
As the largest public transportation provider in Indiana, we believe driving people from one place to another is much more than just moving riders: it’s about helping our riders reach their hopes and dreams, education and careers, families and friends, and health and well-being. IndyGo is focused on meeting three objectives as we operate nearly 30 transit routes throughout Marion County, and provide millions of passenger trips each year. They include protecting frontline workers, increasing ridership and prioritizing long-term stability. We are moving the city forward to become a better place of opportunity and community.
INDYGO MISSION
IndyGo's mission is to connect our community to economic and cultural opportunities through safe, reliable and accessible mobility experiences. Our vision is to be at the forefront of making Indianapolis a resilient, prosperous and equitable community for all.
Accountability: We are legally, ethically, and morally committed to utilizing all resources responsibly with integrity and transparency.
Adaptability: We adapt to disruptions through technology, workforce and ridership innovations, so we can meet the evolving needs of our community.
Workplace Culture: We offer an empowering workplace to meet the needs of our teammates and riders.
Compassion: We promote, embrace and value all individuals, treating each other with dignity and respect.
Communication: We value open and honest conversations with each other, our riders and the community.
Excellence: We are proud of who we are and the work we do and will continue to exceed customer expectations.
Responsibility: We will be good stewards of our resources.
Results: We make things better today than they were yesterday.
Safety: We ensure safe and secure environments.
BENEFITS WE OFFER
- Voluntary medical, dental, and vision coverage (effective on the first of the month following 30 days of employment)
- On-site wellness clinic for employees and their families
- Retirement plans (401A and 457B)
- Tuition reimbursement
- Free IndyGo transportation for employees and their families
- Eligibility for the Federal Loan Forgiveness Program
POSITION PURPOSE
The Employee Relations Specialist serves as IndyGo's first line of employee relations support and employee experience resource, while escalated investigations, complex labor matters, and strategic workforce issues are managed in partnership with the HR Business Partner and Director of Employee Experience. The Employee Relations Specialist will be a highly visible and proactive member of the Human Resources team, focused on fostering a positive, engaged, respectful, and high-performing workplace culture.
This role acts as a trusted resource for employees and leaders by:
- proactively addressing workplace concerns
- conducting employee relations investigations
- supporting employee engagement initiatives
- helping leaders strengthen team effectiveness, communication, accountability, and employee connection.
This position is intentionally designed as a role that balances issue resolution with culture-building and workforce engagement. The Employee Relations Specialist regularly engages with employees in the field, walks operational and administrative locations, identifies trends and concerns before they escalate, and helps create an environment where employees feel heard, supported, and connected to IndyGo’s mission and values.
This role operates with an early intervention philosophy focused on proactively identifying concerns, resolving issues informally when appropriate, reducing escalation, improving communication, and building trust before problems formalize into larger employee relations matters. The position also serves as IndyGo’s representative in unemployment compensation matters and partners closely with operational leaders to support fair, consistent, and well-documented employment practices.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. The company will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, consistent with applicable law.
Employee Relations & Workplace Support
- Serve as a visible and approachable HR presence across IndyGo facilities by regularly walking operational and administrative locations to build relationships and understand employee sentiment, concerns, successes, and workplace dynamics.
- Develop strong working relationships with frontline employees, supervisors, managers, and operational leadership to foster trust, communication, and employee engagement.
- Proactively identify workplace trends, morale concerns, communication gaps, operational challenges, and emerging employee relations risks and elevate insights to HR leadership and business leaders.
- Respond to employee concerns and workplace issues in a timely, professional, and confidential manner.
- Conduct fair, objective, and impartial employee relations investigations involving workplace conduct, attendance, interpersonal conflict, policy violations, employee complaints, and other workplace concerns as directed.
- Gather facts through interviews, documentation review, and evidence analysis and prepare clear, objective investigative summaries.
- Maintain thorough, accurate, and confidential case documentation and investigation records.
- Support a proactive employee relations model focused on early intervention, conflict resolution, and issue prevention.
- Resolve employee concerns informally where appropriate while ensuring consistency, non-discrimination, proper documentation, and compliance with company policies and applicable law.
- Partner with leaders to improve workplace communication, build trust, strengthen team dynamics, and reduce escalation of employee concerns.
- Assist with performance management and employee accountability processes, including documentation coaching and corrective support.
- Support consistent application and interpretation of company policies, procedures, workplace expectations, and collective bargaining agreements.
- Support attendance management programs and partner with operational leaders regarding attendance trends, policy application, and corrective action processes.
- Escalate matters appropriately to the HRBP, Director of Employee Experience, Legal, or Labor Relations leadership when necessary.
- Support the interactive process for accommodation requests in partnership with HR leadership, Benefits, Safety, and operational management.
Employee Engagement, Retention & Culture
- Help coordinate and support employee engagement activities, recognition initiatives, appreciation events, and culture-building programs across IndyGo locations.
- Conduct stay interviews and retention conversations to better understand employee experience, engagement drivers, workplace concerns, and retention risks.
- Gather employee feedback through informal interactions, surveys, focus groups, and engagement initiatives and identify actionable opportunities for improvement.
- Partner with HR leadership and operational leaders to strengthen employee connection, workplace morale, communication, and organizational culture.
- Identify and celebrate positive employee and team contributions to strengthen engagement and reinforce organizational values.
- Support onboarding and employee transition experiences to help employees feel welcomed, informed, and connected.
- Develop and deliver training for supervisors regarding investigations, documentation standards, performance management, workplace expectations, and employee relations best practices.
Supervisor Coaching & Leadership Support
- Coach supervisors and managers on employee relations best practices, workplace communication, conflict resolution, accountability, documentation, and employee engagement strategies.
- Provide guidance to leaders on handling workplace concerns consistently, professionally, and proactively.
- Support leaders in strengthening team effectiveness, improving employee interactions, and addressing concerns before escalation occurs.
- Reinforce leadership accountability for maintaining respectful, inclusive, and productive work environments.
Labor Relations Partnership
- Partner with Labor Relations leadership and operational teams to support positive labor-management relationships.
- Assist with grievance fact gathering, documentation collection, and workplace issue review related to represented employees.
- Help identify emerging workforce issues, employee concerns, operational challenges, and workplace trends that may impact labor relations or employee engagement.
- Provide operational insight and workforce observations to HR and Labor Relations leadership to support proactive decision-making and issue prevention.
- Support consistent interpretation and application of collective bargaining agreements in partnership with HR and Labor Relations leadership.
Unemployment Compensation & Administrative Support
- Manage unemployment compensation claims processes on behalf of IndyGo, including reviewing claims, gathering supporting documentation, coordinating with operational leadership, and preparing responses.
- Serve as IndyGo’s representative during unemployment compensation hearings and proceedings, presenting factual information and documentation professionally and effectively.
- Partner closely with supervisors, managers, and HR leadership to assess claim circumstances, prepare testimony, and ensure consistent application of employment practices and documentation standards.
- Monitor unemployment claims trends and provide recommendations regarding documentation practices, policy adherence, and risk mitigation opportunities.
- Maintain organized and confidential records relating to unemployment claims, investigations, and employee relations matters.
- Support preparation of employee relations metrics, trend analysis, and reporting.
- Assist with HR communications, employee education efforts, and policy rollout support.
- Participate in special HR projects and initiatives as assigned.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE
To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the following education and/or experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Psychology, or a related field required. Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of education.
- Minimum of three (3) years of progressive experience in employee relations, human resources, workplace investigations, operations support, labor relations support, or a related field.
- Experience conducting workplace investigations and resolving employee concerns preferred.
- Experience supporting unionized, operational, transportation, manufacturing, logistics, or similarly complex work environments preferred.
- Experience representing employers in unemployment compensation hearings or claims administration strongly preferred.
- Experience working in public sector or unionized environments preferred.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.
- Strong employee relations and workplace investigation skills.
- Ability to build trust and credibility with employees and leaders at all organizational levels.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, mediation, and conflict resolution abilities.
- Demonstrated emotional intelligence, professionalism, sound judgment, and discretion.
- Ability to identify patterns, trends, and opportunities for proactive intervention and workplace improvement.
- Ability to exercise independent judgment while managing sensitive and confidential information.
- Strong listening and relationship-building skills with a highly approachable and proactive style.
- Ability to coach and influence leaders effectively in operational environments.
- Ability to effectively represent the organization during unemployment compensation hearings and administrative proceedings.
- Strong interviewing, documentation review, investigation, and case preparation skills.
- Knowledge of employee relations principles, workplace investigations, employment practices, and labor relations fundamentals.
- Working knowledge of federal and state employment laws including FMLA, ADA, FLSA, Title VII, PWFA, and related regulations.
- Knowledge of public sector labor relations principles is preferred.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships across diverse employee populations.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, HRIS systems, and case management documentation practices.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential physical functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation. The company will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, consistent with applicable law.
- Regular on-site attendance is an essential function of this position due to the need for in-person collaboration, operational support, hands-on infrastructure management, and training and development activities with reasonable accommodation provided as required by law.
IndyGo is an Equal Opportunity Employer
See All 14 Public Relations Intern Jobs in Indianapolis
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Find Public Relations Intern JobsPublic Relations Intern Job Market in Indianapolis
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
- Consulting & Professional Services
Public Relations Intern Jobs in Indianapolis: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a public relations intern job in Indianapolis?
Target Indianapolis's strongest hiring sectors: healthcare systems, sports and entertainment organizations, and nonprofit institutions, which consistently bring on PR interns. Downtown and Midtown firms, along with agencies clustered near the Indiana Avenue corridor, post regularly. Candidates who can show writing samples, social media work, or campus media experience stand out locally, as do those with ties to Indianapolis-area universities and their communications programs.
Which companies hire public relations interns in Indianapolis?
Companies currently hiring public relations interns in Indianapolis include State Farm, Lids, and IndyGo, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Indianapolis's mix of major health systems, professional sports franchises, and regional nonprofits means internship openings come from a wide range of employer types beyond traditional agencies.
Are there remote public relations intern jobs in Indianapolis?
Yes, though public relations intern roles lean on-site given the client-facing and media-relations work involved. About 40% of public relations intern openings tied to Indianapolis are remote or hybrid as of July 2026, with hybrid arrangements most common for roles focused on content writing, social media scheduling, and media monitoring rather than event support or in-person pitching.
How can I get a public relations intern job in Indianapolis with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Indianapolis is through nonprofit communications, where organizations like community foundations and arts groups regularly bring on interns without requiring prior agency experience. Campus media roles at Butler, IUPUI, or Indiana University Indianapolis also translate well. Starting as a general communications or marketing assistant at a local sports property or healthcare brand is another common door into PR work here.
Which industries hire the most public relations interns in Indianapolis?
Most public relations intern openings in Indianapolis sit in Healthcare & Medical Services and Consulting & Professional Services, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of July 2026. Indianapolis's identity as a healthcare hub, a major sports and events destination, and a growing nonprofit center makes those sectors the steadiest sources of PR intern demand in the city.
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