Public Affairs Intern

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us. 

JOB DETAILS

Job Title: Public Affairs Intern
Location: Lilly Manufacturing Site, Dunderrow, Kinsale
Duration: 12‑Month Placement
Start Date:  May 2026 – May 2027
Salary: €30,500
Working Pattern: 4 days onsite / 1 day remote
Hours: Full‑time, 39 hours per week

Placement Information – Public Affairs Intern

At Lilly, student placements are designed to be hands‑on and impactful. You’ll contribute to real work, gain exposure to a global organisation, and build practical skills that support your academic and professional development.

About the Role

This 12‑month Public Affairs placement is based at Lilly’s Kinsale manufacturing site and sits within the Public Affairs team, which leads external communications, government affairs, and ESG initiatives across Lilly Ireland.

You’ll work closely with site leadership and corporate teams, supporting high‑impact activities across communications, stakeholder engagement, and social impact.

What You’ll Do & Learn

During the placement, you will:

• Work across multiple teams in a collaborative, cross‑functional environment
• Take ownership of defined workstreams in internal and external communications
• Support community engagement and social impact programmes
• Contribute to creative, innovative, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Build practical skills in public affairs, communications, and stakeholder engagement

You’ll receive structured support from your manager and the wider team, enabling you to apply your existing knowledge while developing new capabilities in a global, highly regulated environment.

Position Overview

The Public Affairs Intern will support the Kinsale Public Affairs function, partnering with site leadership and corporate teams on:

• External engagement and stakeholder relationships
• Internal and external communications
• Community and social impact initiatives

This placement is ideally suited to a Master’s‑level student seeking hands‑on experience in a global organisation while building strong professional networks and transferable skills.

Key Responsibilities:

Public and Government Affairs

• Support the development and delivery of public affairs and external engagement activities at site and national level for Lilly in Ireland.
• Assist with stakeholder mapping and engagement, including local community, public representatives, agencies, and industry bodies
• Monitor and summarise policy, regulatory, and political developments relevant to the life sciences and manufacturing sectors
• Contribute to the preparation of briefing materials, presentations, and reports for local and corporate audiences

University Outreach and Relationship Management

• Support the improved coordination of Lilly Kinsale’s engagement with universities and higher‑education institutions and the development of an All-Ireland approach to 3rd level campus outreach
• Help track and evaluate the impact of university engagement initiatives, providing insights and recommendations for improvement

External Engagement   

• Assist in the creation and maintenance of a database of external engagement with both professional organisations, trade associations and any other ad hoc activities.
• Contribute to the preparation of briefing materials, presentations, and reports for local and corporate audiences

Environmental, Social and Governance

• Assist in the ongoing development and delivery of Lilly’s All-Ireland social impact programme.
• Work with other team members to deliver creative and effective ways to communicate the new social impact programme in line with Lilly broader ESG priorities to external stakeholders.
• Support community engagement initiatives, events, and site visits
• Assist with ad hoc projects related to corporate reputation, sustainability, and social impact

Compliance and Continuous Improvement

• Maintain strict documentation audit trail as needed/required for external engagement activities, including review and approvals, and archiving when complete.
• Contribute creative ideas and suggestions across all aspects of the student’s responsibility to bring new thinking and continuous improvement to the team and the site.

Candidate Profile

Essential Requirements

• Recently completed (or due to complete) a graduate qualification in Public Affairs, Public Policy, Political Science, International Relations, or a related discipline
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to research, analyse, and clearly summarise complex information
• Strong organisational and documentation skills, with careful attention to detail.
• A proactive mindset with a willingness to learn and take initiative
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team
• Excellent interpersonal & communication skills
• Energy & enthusiasm to learn and maximise the value of placement

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.  The anticipated wage for this position is

Full-time equivalent employees may also be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a pension plan; vacation benefits; eligibility for healthcare benefits; flexible benefits (if applicable) life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities). Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.