Human Resources Summer Intern in Mountain View, California at Seti Institute

About Seti Institute

At SETI, we are dedicated to advancing humanity’s understanding of the universe through world-class scientific research, exploration, and discovery. We bring together a brilliant, passionate community of researchers, scientists, engineers, and innovators.

Every groundbreaking scientific discovery needs a rock-solid operational foundation. We are seeking a highly motivated Human Resources Intern for an onsite, 20-hour-per-week rotational program designed to provide comprehensive, educational exposure to the core pillars of HR within a non-profit scientific research institute.

Whether you join us for the Spring (February - May) or Summer (June - August) cohort, you will rotate through essential HR functions, gaining hands-on learning experience in HRIS management, the employee life cycle, talent acquisition, workplace culture, and the unique intersection of HR with Grants and Contracts. Because our team operates across a suite of modern digital tools, this is an excellent opportunity for a curious, tech-loving learner who wants to jump into new platforms at warp speed.

• HRIS & Employee Life Cycle: Learn the day-to-day administration of modern HRIS/ATS platforms by shadowing and assisting with our Rippling system.
• Onboarding & Offboarding: Assist our People Operations team in executing onboarding and offboarding workflows, learning how to manage the full lifecycle of employment documentation.
• Talent Acquisition: Support the design of recruitment strategies and learn how we attract Principal Investigators (PIs), researchers, and administrative staff.
• Sourcing & Pipelining: Learn to build diverse talent pipelines using traditional methods, AI resources, and specialized academic searches.
• Culture & Employee Experience: Shadow our team in responding to daily internal HR inquiries, learning how to build genuine internal trust and psychological safety within a workforce.
• Grants & Contracts: Gain foundational educational exposure to how academic funding cycles impact workforce planning, hiring, and compliance within a non-profit research environment.
• Digital Operations: Gain practical experience collaborating through a modern digital toolkit, including Rippling, Pin, Slack, Zoom, Dropbox, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Basecamp.

• An Eager Learner: You genuinely find joy in organizing workflows, understanding complex data, and crossing items off a checklist.
• A Rapid Tech Adopter: New software doesn't intimidate you; it excites you.
• A Strong Communicator: You are comfortable, warm, and clear when communicating with teams.
• Detail-Oriented: You strive for accuracy and data integrity without losing sight of the human being on the other side of the process.
• A Trusted Partner: You understand the importance of handling sensitive operational data with absolute discretion.

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s or PhD degree program focusing on Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, or a related field.
• Must be eligible to receive academic credit for this internship.
• Ability to commute to our Mountain View, CA office for 20 - 25 hours per week.
• Strong digital workspace literacy with tools like Google, Microsoft 365 and Zoom
• Strong interest in learning about HR operations within mission-driven nonprofits, research institutes, scientific settings, or academic environments.

SETI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Consistent with applicable law, including the California Fair Chance Act, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment.

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Duties and responsibilities may change at any time based on organizational needs and business priorities.