Summer 2026 Intern, Motion Design

Athena is a creative place for leaders, risk-takers, creative thinkers and boundary-pushers. We partner with organizations looking to transform their presence, reputation, and performance. For over ten years, we’ve delivered business insights, marketing strategies, and brand activations for leading organizations in industries ranging from telecommunications to major league sports.   

Our people make Athena, Athena. They’re what help set us apart from traditional ad agencies and consultancies. As a Philadelphia Inquirer Top Workplace for three years running, we take pride in fostering a work environment where passion meets excellence. Our people are solutions-oriented individuals who eagerly roll up their sleeves to make work that works while sharing a couple of laughs along the way.    

All Athena internships are hosted in-person at our Philadelphia headquarters, 20-30 hours a week.   

About the Role

As a Motion Design Intern on Athena’s Creative team, you’ll collaborate with designers, producers, and creative partners to help bring ideas to life through motion. You’ll support the creation of motion assets that elevate storytelling across advertising, digital campaigns, social content and brand design. 

You’ll learn how Athena approaches creative development end-to-end, gaining exposure to real client work and internal brand initiatives while building your skills in motion craft, feedback cycles, and fast-paced creative workflows.  

About the Program

The Athena internship program immerses interns in a collaborative, cross-functional environment where they work closely with teams across creative, marketing, events, operations, and data analytics, gaining exposure to how departments align to bring projects to life. Our Capstone Project allows interns to collaborate and contribute to real-world initiatives by presenting their proposal to internal stakeholders. Interns are mentored through weekly managerial check-ins and executive support. Athena fosters a culture of support, curiosity, connection, and inclusivity, which allows interns to shine.

Our internship program begins in June 2026 and is a part-time opportunity to join the organization for the summer. 

Requirements

What you'll be responsible for:

• Support the creation of motion graphics and animations for digital campaigns and social content, helping bring creative concepts to life through movement.  
• Assist in developing storyboards, style frames, and motion studies to explore and communicate animation ideas.  
• Design and animate motion assets that incorporate strong fundamentals (composition, typography, pacing), including work with type when relevant.  
• Collaborate with designers and creative partners to ensure motion and visual design work cohesively across deliverables.  
• Participate in briefs, reviews, and feedback sessions—making revisions and learning how to iterate quickly while maintaining quality.  
• Help keep files organized and production-ready, supporting versioning and handoffs as projects move through the workflow. 

The skills and experience you should have:

• Working toward a degree (or equivalent training) in Motion Design, Animation, Graphic Design, Visual Communication, or a related field.  
• Familiarity with motion and design fundamentals (timing, composition, typography, layout).  
• Basic to intermediate experience in Adobe After Effects; familiarity with additional Adobe tools (Illustrator/Photoshop/Premiere) is helpful. Experience with 3D animation tools (e.g., Rhino, Cinema 4D) is a plus. 
• A portfolio (student, personal, or freelance) showcasing motion samples—short animations, social content, or experimental studies are all welcome.  
• Strong communication skills, openness to feedback, and a collaborative working style.  
• Strong time management skills, with a collaborative approach to meeting deadlines in a fast‑moving environment. 

It's a plus if you have:

• Experience creating motion for social-first formats (short-form content, quick-turn assets).  
• Interest or exposure to video editing workflows.  
• Familiarity with exporting deliverables across multiple specs/aspect ratios for digital platforms.  
• Prior experience working directly with clients or supporting brand activations.  
• Leadership experience through extracurricular activities, volunteer work, or team-based activities.  
• Exposure to marketing, brand strategy, or social media planning.   

Benefits

• Paid Experience: Interns are compensated at $20/hour, with biweekly pay throughout the nine-week program. 
• Flexible Scheduling: Interns are expected to work 20–30 hours per week, ideally on a consistent schedule. Hours are coordinated with managers to allow flexibility within the weekly limit. 
• In-Person Engagement: This is an on-site internship based in Philadelphia, designed to provide immersive, real-world experience in a collaborative office environment. 
• Professional Exposure: Interns gain hands-on experience with client-facing work, learning key skills in professionalism, communication, and public relations. 
• Capstone Project: All interns participate in a Capstone Project, where they collaborate across departments to research and pitch a new client opportunity to Athena’s senior leadership and CEO. 
• Cultural Experiences: Interns enjoy company outings that showcase Philadelphia’s culture and community—past events have included visits to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Citizens Bank Park. 

Athena is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law. If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance in applying for a position, please contact us at 866.299.6040 or at AthenaGlobalAdvisors.com.