About the Department

The Responsibilities of the Governance and Compliance Intern:

A cover letter and resume are required by the agency to be considered for this position.

The Governance & Compliance Intern supports the agency's Legislative Affairs Liaison and serves as a support link between South Carolina First Steps leadership and its network of 46 local partnerships. The purpose of this role is to modernize and safeguard the agency’s governance infrastructure by transforming raw data into actionable insights. This position will gain hands-on experience in public administration, data-driven decision-making, and organizational design. The Governance & Compliance Intern has a unique opportunity to engage with various stakeholders, including state officials and local nonprofit leaders, receive guidance from executive leaders on the mechanics of state agency operations, and participate in high-level discussions regarding legislative affairs and statewide partnership growth.

This position is under the general supervision of the Legislative Affairs Liaison. Candidate should have excellent customer service skills, proficient in Excel and Word, ability to draft clear, professional guidance, ability to read and interpret official documents, policies, and legislative acts, knowledge of standard office procedures and professional etiquette within a government setting, ability to manage sensitive information with accuracy.

Designs and implements a centralized governance database to manage the profiles of board members across the state. Tracks tenures, contact networks, and historical service data to ensure organizational continuity and data-driven decision-making for agency leadership.
Conducts an audit of local partnership boards to ensure strict adherence to Act 81 legislative requirements. Develops a monitoring system to track board composition and identify potential compliance gaps, providing a direct look into how state legislation governs nonprofit operations.
In collaboration with the agency's leadership, develops a standardized, intuitive filing system for critical state and federal records, enhancing the agency’s operational efficiency and ensuring audit readiness for the Finance and Local Partnership teams.
Assists in the professionalization of communication channels regarding executive and delegation board appointments. Refines the tools used to coordinate with state officials and partners.
Other duties as assigned by the Agency Director, Legislative Affairs Liaison, and Chief Partnership Officer.

Position Duties

High school diploma and currently enrolled in an accredited university/college with a major related to public administration, pre-law, public policy, political science, business administration, communications or public relations.

Other Qualifications

SC First Steps is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, including, but not limited, to lactation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

Supplemental questions are considered part of your official application. Any misrepresentation will result in your disqualification from employment. Please complete the state application to include all current and previous work history and education. A resume will not be accepted nor reviewed to determine if an applicant has met the qualifications for the position.

SC First Steps offers an exceptional benefits package for full time (FTE) employees:

Health, dental, vision, long-term disability, and life insurance for employees, spouses, and children. Click here for additional information.
15 days annual (vacation) leave per year
15 days sick leave per year
13 paid holidays
Paid Parental Leave
S.C. Deferred Compensation Program available (S.C. Deferred Compensation )
Retirement benefit choices*
1. State Retirement Plan (SCRS )
2. State Optional Retirement Program (State ORP )

*Enrollment in one of the listed plans is required for all FTE employees; please refer to the contribution section of hyperlinked retirement sites for the current contribution rate of gross pay.