Whitney Museum of American Art
[Summer 2026] Total Rewards Internship
New York City, NY - Internship
The Whitney’s summer internship program is a full-time, paid, nine-week session primarily for undergraduate students. The program includes training, direct work experience, professional development, and a weekly speaker series. The 2026 Summer internship will be hybrid, meaning interns will work onsite at least three days per week. The program will begin on Monday, June 1, and end on Friday, July 31. Participants must be available Monday through Friday for nine consecutive weeks, five days per week.
The application window for our Summer 2026 Hearst Family Internship is now open through Friday, January 16th. Please note that all candidates will be considered on a rolling basis, and as such, some opportunities may close before the deadline.
The Whitney seeks an Total Rewards intern for Summer 2026. To view all Internship opportunities and to learn more about The Whitney's offerings, please refer to our Internships Page.
Expected Projects & Assignments
Assist the Total Rewards team with day-to-day benefits administration, including reviewing enrollment changes, confirming eligibility, and updating employee records in the HRIS.
Support payroll operations by helping verify timekeeping data, reviewing payroll reports for accuracy, and assisting with standard audits.
Build and analyze payroll reports to ensure data integrity and correct calculations
Help maintain employee benefits documentation, including filing and organizing forms, updating internal trackers, and preparing reference materials for staff.
Participate in ongoing vendor and carrier file reviews by checking data accuracy, identifying discrepancies, and helping prepare follow-up items.
Assist with onboarding and offboarding processes related to benefits (e.g., preparing welcome packets, reviewing new hire enrollments, supporting COBRA notifications).
Curate content for the company’s Wellness SharePoint site, including updating resources, organizing links and materials, and helping maintain a user-friendly layout.
Support employee engagement experiences through event planning and coordination.
Contribute to ongoing Total Rewards projects, such as analyzing benefits usage, or assisting with wellness initiatives.
Perform general administrative tasks, including scheduling meetings, preparing internal reports, invoicing, and maintaining organized, up-to-date benefits and payroll files.
Skills & Qualifications
Interest in Human Resources, particularly Total Rewards, benefits administration, or payroll.
Strong attention to detail with the ability to review data for accuracy.
Clear written and verbal communication skills.
Comfortable working with numbers and basic data entry.
Familiarity with Microsoft 365 tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint); basic Excel skills preferred.
Ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive employee information.
Undergraduates currently enrolled in accredited academic programs; applicants must have completed at least three years of coursework (no freshman applicants).
Overview of benefits administration processes (eligibility, enrollment, life events, offboarding).
Hands-on experience using HRIS/payroll systems such as PayPro.
Introduction to payroll processes, audit steps, and compliance considerations.
Exposure to benefit provider relationships, vendor file submissions, and internal cross-functional workflows.
Training on data tracking, report generation, and the importance of accuracy in a payroll and benefits environment.
Familiarity with HR policies, benefits compliance, and confidentiality best practices.
Outcomes
By the end of the internship, the student will:
Gain practical experience in day-to-day benefits administration and payroll operations.
Understand how Total Rewards supports the employee lifecycle—from onboarding to payroll to offboarding.
Develop skills in data accuracy, file review, communication, and HR systems.
Build foundational knowledge of how benefits and payroll integrate to support compliance, employee engagement, and a positive employee experience.
Compensation
- Interns will be paid a stipend of $6,500 for full participation.
If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.
About the Whitney:
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.
EEO Statement:
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, pregnancy, partnership status, caregiver status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, predisposition, or carrier status, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law, credit history, domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking victim status, or any other factor prohibited by law. The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels.
