MBA Intern (Paid) - Strategy, Business Development, & Ops | Fall 2026

MBA Intern (Paid) - Strategy, Business Development, & Ops | Fall 2026

Application Deadline: 30 September 2026
Department: Operations
Employment Type: Internship
Location: New York | Fidi
Compensation: $30.00 - $35.00 / hour
Description

About the Position
Karp Strategies is seeking an MBA Intern to provide Chief of Staff-style support across a range of strategic and operational priorities. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role for someone who thrives in dynamic environments, is eager to roll up their sleeves, and wants to contribute meaningfully to a growing, mission-driven firm.
Now in our 11th year, no two weeks look the same - and this role reflects that. You'll take on substantive projects with real end-to-end ownership, embedding in active workstreams alongside our team. Some of the questions you might be tackling include: How do we optimize our BD pipeline and reporting to drive revenue growth? Where should a firm our size invest to generate the highest marketing ROI? How do we leverage AI - internally and within client engagements – while maintaining the confidentiality our partners depend on?
In practice, this could mean co-designing a go-to-market strategy for a new practice area, going deep on market intelligence and thought leadership, or building the data infrastructure and reporting systems that drive smarter decision-making across the firm. The intern will report directly to the Managing Principal, Strategy & Operations, with mentorship from our Marketing & BD Associate and members of our Leadership team.
Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Market Intelligence

Serve as a key partner to support our Marketing & BD Associate and senior leadership on active business development pursuits - supporting outreach, proposal development, and relationship tracking across priority sectors
Conduct deep market and landscape research to identify new client opportunities, emerging sectors, and competitive dynamics; translate findings into actionable BD strategy
Support development of go-to-market plans for targeted practice areas, including state-level landscape research, stakeholder mapping, and opportunity prioritization
Assist in preparing proposals, presentations, and materials for prospective client engagements
Help maintain, organize, and improve business development data, including pipelines and tracking systems, with an eye toward data quality and actionable reporting
Marketing & Communications

Identify high-impact content and marketing pieces, including thought leadership, project spotlights, and market-facing narratives that reflect the firm's voice and values
Support preparation of materials for conferences, events, and speaking engagements
Collaborate with leadership and our Marketing & BD Associate on external-facing communications and brand-building initiatives
Strategy & Operations

Support the design and build-out of data infrastructure and reporting systems that bring our pipeline, marketing, and performance data to life - turning data points into dashboards, reports, and insights that drive decision-making, identifying trends, and preparing leadership-ready summaries
Explore and implement AI tools to improve firm-wide efficiency and collaboration – both in internal workflows and, where appropriate, within client-facing work – while maintaining client confidentiality
Support cross-functional special projects at the direction of senior leadership
Assist with strategic planning processes, including tracking and analyzing key KPIs and preparing supporting materials for leadership meetings and retreats
Attend and document key meetings; manage follow-up actions as needed
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Currently enrolled in an MBA program, with coursework or experience in strategy, business development, marketing, consulting, operations, or a related field
Genuine interest in urban issues, community economic development, and/or social impact consulting
Strong analytical and research skills, including experience with data analysis and reporting; able to synthesize information and communicate it clearly
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable drafting polished, professional materials
Fluency or comfort leveraging AI platforms (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) to enhance research, writing, and workflow efficiency
Entrepreneurial mindset: proactive, adaptable, and comfortable with ambiguity
Able to work independently while remaining collaborative - comfortable managing through others and coordinating across teams without direct line authority
Able to maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive firm or client information
Proficiency in Google Suite and Microsoft Office; familiarity with CRM tools or project management platforms is a plus
Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple work streams simultaneously

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