Marketing Communications Intern

West Coast Community Bank is a top-rated community bank with a focus on serving the banking needs of businesses and individuals along the Central Coast, in Silicon Valley and throughout the Bay Area. We operate full-service branches in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, King City, Monterey, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville.

Delivery of relationship-based service with a solutions-driven focus sets us apart from the competition. We offer direct access to decision-makers combined with modern banking technologies and digital tools. The Bank is a leading SBA lender in Santa Cruz County and Silicon Valley and a top USDA lender in the state of California.

Since opening in 2004, we have proudly upheld our commitment to support regional well-being by actively participating in and donating to local nonprofit organizations. We engage in impactful volunteerism and support the greater economic vitality within our four-county reach, contributing more than 2,000 hours of volunteering annually.

Our success is driven by our exceptional team — experienced, knowledgeable and focused on delivering results!

National, regional and local honors we’ve received include:

• Newsweek – America’s Best Regional Banks and Credit Unions 2025
• American Banker Magazine – Top 100 Best Performing Community Banks in the U.S., 10 years
• Good Times – Readers’ Poll, Best Bank in Santa Cruz County, 13 years
• Santa Cruz Sentinel – Readers’ Choice, Best Bank in Santa Cruz County, 10 years
• Farm Bureau of Santa Cruz County and Agri-Culture – Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award
• Second Harvest Food Bank – Big Step and Platinum Awards for Holiday Food and Fund Drive
• Santa Cruz Area Chamber of Commerce – Business of the Year 2025, 2021 and 2018
• The Pajaronian – Best of the Pajaro Valley 2024 Readers’ Poll, Best Bank
• The Press Banner – The Best of Scotts Valley 2024 Readers’ Poll, Best Local Bank

Position Overview

This is a temporary intern position based in our Santa Cruz office and is fully on-site.

West Coast Community Bank is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Marketing Communications Intern to support the execution of internal and external communications. This role is ideal for a candidate interested in content development, social media, brand storytelling and campaign support within a growing, community-focused bank. This position offers hands-on experience in marketing communications, content strategy and community engagement.

The Marketing Communications Intern will assist with creating and coordinating marketing content across digital platforms, supporting social media initiatives, drafting internal communications and helping maintain brand consistency across campaigns. 

Applicants must be currently pursuing or have recently completed a degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field, with demonstrated coursework or project experience in writing, digital media, or marketing in order to be considered for selection.

Essential Job Functions

Content Development & Communications

• Assist in drafting and editing content for newsletters, social media posts, website updates and marketing materials
• Support the development of internal communications, including West Coast Weekly and employee announcements
• Help maintain consistent brand voice and messaging across all communication channels
• Proofread and review content to ensure accuracy, clarity and AP style compliance

Social Media & Digital Marketing

• Assist with the execution of marketing campaigns, including promotional materials and digital content
• Help coordinate marketing assets, timelines and approvals across projects
• Support updates to the website, including “What’s New” and “About Us” sections
• Social media monitoring by responding to comments and messages while tracking engagement and performance

Community Engagement & Events

• Support promotion of community events, sponsorships and volunteer initiatives
• Assist with capturing and organizing event photos and content for marketing use
• Help prepare recaps and highlight content for social media and internal communications
• Assist in preparing marketing materials for events, sponsorships and community partnerships

Research & Insights

• Conduct basic research on competitors, industry trends and community initiatives
• Assist in gathering content ideas and identifying opportunities for storytelling
• Support reporting efforts by tracking social media and campaign performance metrics

Process Support & Organization

• Assist in organizing marketing files, assets and content libraries
• Help track tasks and deadlines using project management tools such as Asana
• Support documentation of communication templates and content standards
• Maintain and regularly update a centralized swag inventory tracker, ensuring adequate stock levels for events and timely reordering of promotional materials. 

Performs additional duties as assigned that are consistent with the business needs of the Bank and the scope, responsibilities, and level of the role. 

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Marketing, Communications, Business or a related field
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Attention to detail with a focus on grammar, clarity and accuracy
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines 

Preferred:

• Interest in social media, content creation or digital marketing
• Familiarity with AP style writing guidelines
• Experience with Asana, Canva, Adobe Creative Suite or similar tools
• Experience with social media platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook)
• Interest in community engagement or nonprofit partnerships

Core Competencies:

• Communication Skills: Writes clearly, professionally and with attention to tone
• Creativity: Contributes ideas for content and storytelling
• Attention to Detail: Ensures accuracy and consistency across materials
• Collaboration: Works effectively with marketing, community engagement and banking teams
• Organization: Manages multiple assignments and timelines effectively
• Initiative: Takes ownership of tasks and seeks opportunities to contribute

What You Will Gain: 

• Hands-on experience creating marketing and communication content
• Exposure to social media strategy and campaign execution
• Experience supporting community engagement and event marketing
• Insight into brand management within a community bank
• Mentorship from marketing leadership and cross-functional teams

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel, and use hands and fingers to operate typical office equipment such as a computer, telephone, mouse and keyboard.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.
• Light to moderate lifting may be required.
• Regular, predictable attendance is required; including the occasional evening and weekend work as business demands dictate.
• Travel between company locations as needed.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a teammate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Moderate noise (i.e., business office with computers, phone, and printers, moderate traffic).
• Ability to work in a confined area.
• Ability to sit or stand at a computer terminal for an extended period.

*To ensure a consistent hiring process, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters or agencies. Submissions without prior approval will not be considered.