Design Development Intern Jobs in Rhode Island (NOW HIRING)

We're not just a company-we're a team of Owners.

PLM is a dynamic, fast-growing organization unleashing the power of merchandising to measurably impact sales and win in the retail landscape. Since becoming an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) in 2017, we've built a culture where every employee is an owner, and learning plays a critical role in that ownership mindset. This internship offers hands-on exposure to real-world learning and development work that directly supports our employee-owners across corporate and field teams.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Training and Development Intern supports the design, development, and delivery of learning experiences that help PLM employee-owners grow their skills, business acumen, and understanding of our ESOP culture. This role is ideal for a student or early-career professional interested in HR, instructional design, organizational development, or corporate training.

Working closely with the Training and Development Manager, the intern will assist with content creation, LMS administration, reporting, and project coordination while gaining practical experience in modern learning and development practices.

What's in it for you?

This is a hands-on learning experience where you won't just observe-you'll contribute. You'll gain exposure to training and development, learning technology, facilitation support, and real business projects that impact thousands of employee-owners. You'll also build professional skills, expand your HR knowledge, and see how training supports business strategy and culture.

Day in the Life

Morning: Content & LMS Support
You start the day reviewing learning content and preparing your projects for the day. You help gather job-specific information for a project, begin to upload a new training module, check links, format descriptions, and ensure everything is learner-friendly. You assist in updating a job aid or slide deck that will be used in an upcoming manager training.

Mid-Day: Collaboration & Projects
You meet with the Training and Development Manager to discuss current projects-perhaps helping storyboard a short training video or organizing materials for a live workshop. You may conduct light research on best practices or gather feedback from recent training participants.

Afternoon: Reporting & Improvement
Later, you help pull completion reports from the LMS, summarize learner feedback, and organize insights that will help improve future training. You wrap up by documenting updates or preparing materials that will support onboarding or upcoming learning initiatives.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Learning & Content Support

• Assist in creating and updating training materials such as presentations, job aids, videos, and online learning modules.
• Support instructional design efforts by formatting content and ensuring quality and consistency.
• Help prepare materials for in-person and virtual training sessions.

LMS & Administrative Support

• Assist with maintaining training content, including uploading materials and tracking completions.
• Help run reports and organize data to evaluate training participation and feedback.
• Support onboarding and ongoing learning initiatives as assigned.

Collaboration & Culture

• Partner with HR and business teams to support learning initiatives tied to performance, onboarding, and culture.
• Help reinforce PLM's ESOP culture by supporting ownership-focused learning content.
• Assist on special projects and continuous improvement initiatives within Training & Development.

MINIMUM POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Human Resources, Education, Organizational Development, Business, Communications, or a related field.
• Interest in training, learning and development, HR, or organizational effectiveness.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (PowerPoint, Word, Excel).
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently while also collaborating with a team.
• Comfortable learning new systems and technology.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Familiarity with learning management systems (LMS) or instructional design concepts.
• Experience with Canva, video editing tools, or e-learning platforms (Articulate, SCORM, etc.).
• Previous internship or coursework related to HR or training.

MINIMUM PHYSICAL ABILITIES

Must be able to:

• Remain seated/standing for extended periods
• Lift up to 10 lbs. occasionally

COMPETENCIES / SKILLS

• Adaptability
• Communication
• Initiative & Willingness to Learn
• Collaboration
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Focus (Employee-Owner mindset)
• Time Management