Research and Insights INTERN

The Focus on the Family Internship Program provides valuable experience, professional and spiritual development, and lasting friendships for over 30 college upperclassmen each summer. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Focus on the Family has nearly 700 employees who work to achieve the mission of enriching the lives of families, engaging the culture, advocating for life and spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The work is meaningful, the culture is rewarding, and the purpose is eternal.

Researcher and Insights Intern - Job Description

What you would be a part of:

Focus on the Family is a Christian non-profit media ministry that offers practical, everyday help to families at every age and stage of their journey. We encourage kids and adults to grow in their faith; we prepare men and women for marriage and show them how to cherish one another for a lifetime; we provide training and support for moms and dads so they can navigate real-time parenting challenges; and we stand up for all human life, from conception to natural death. We are unashamedly pro-family, pro-life, and pro-Jesus.

The Research & Insights team exists to represent the “Voice of the Constituent” to the rest of the ministry. We use surveys, focus groups, and other primary research strategies to understand how our constituents think and feel, what struggles and challenges they face day to day, and how Focus on the Family can best come alongside them to help. We also glean relevant insights from trusted secondary data sources, such as trends in marriage, church attendance, or technology use.

We share our research findings with internal decision-makers throughout Focus on the Family to help inform content creation, communication/messaging, new product development, branding, ministry/outreach efforts, and other key decisions … all to better help families thrive in Christ. As an intern on this team, you will assist with basic to intermediate tasks involving research design, questionnaire writing, data collection, quantitative and qualitative analysis, report writing, and presentation to clients.

What a day in the life looks like:

• Balance 1-3 different research projects at any given time

• Meet with (internal) clients

• Assist with research design, analysis, and reporting for both quantitative and qualitative research projects

• Collect and summarize relevant secondary research

• Learn about the wide variety of programs and ministries offered by Focus on the Family and how to support those through market research

Our goals are for you to:

• Develop a deep understanding of market research theory and practice

• Learn what makes good research vs. bad research

• Gain experience in data analysis

• Gain experience in primary and secondary research techniques and theories

• Learn how to competently evaluate data presented by “experts” and how to ask insightful questions to determine whether such data should be trusted

• Understand how research and data collection are essential in a future career, whether in market research or a different field

• Continue to develop critical thinking skills

What makes you a good fit for the Research and Insights team:

• Majoring in: Market Research, Marketing, Math/Statistics, Data Science, Business, Social/Behavioral Sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc.), or other research related disciplines

• Curious or inquisitive regarding how people think and behave, and why

• Proficient in reading charts and tables, and explaining what they mean to non-numbers people

• Proficient in objectively listening to (or reading) a wide variety of perspectives and opinions, and identifying the main thoughts/issues

• Inclined toward logical/analytical thinking and problem solving

• Good interpersonal communication skills

• Able to work as a team, as well as independently

• Reliable and responsible

• Attentive to detail

• Positive, can-do attitude

• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

As a non-profit ministry, Focus on the Family is committed to hiring staff and interns who are dedicated to sharing the Gospel. Therefore, all candidates must be:

• Exemplifying Ephesians 5:1-2, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children and walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us...”
• Pursuing the Great Commission given by Jesus Christ in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
• A consistent witness for Jesus Christ; maintaining a courteous, Christ-like attitude in dealing with people within and outside of Focus; adhering to the Standard of Moral Conduct (http://media.focusonthefamily.com/fotf/pdf/about-us/human-resources/moral-policy.pdf) and Statement of Faith (https://www.focusonthefamily.com/about/foundational-values/); upholding Focus on the Family's ministry in prayer
• Demonstrating behaviors aligned with Focus on the Family core values (https://www.focusonthefamily.com/about/foundational-values/)

Additional Notes:

This position is an unpaid intern.  There will be no compensation or pay for this position, but a $3,500 honorarium; lunch will be provided during workdays, and housing will be provided for out-of-town students only.

Only upperclassmen college students need apply for a summer internship.

Transportation is the responsibility of the intern and may be a condition of acceptance.

Helping Families Thrive in Christ! Focus on the Family is a 501c3 Christian Non-Profit Ministry.