University & Employer Partnerships Intern_
Help Nap OS build the bridge between universities and employers — sourcing real projects from real companies so students can prove what they can do. You will work directly with the founder on live commercial opportunities, not a simulated internship brief.
About Nap OS
Nap OS is an Irish workforce technology company building a new way for students and early-career professionals to gain verified, project-based work experience and demonstrate their capabilities to employers.
Our platform connects universities, employers and emerging talent through structured project work. Students build verified work portfolios and receive employer feedback; employers meet emerging talent through real projects rather than CVs.
Nap OS has launched its commercial MVP and is generating recurring revenue, with paying Workforce Members, an employer Letter of Intent, and active conversations with technology companies. The next stage of the business is university and employer partnerships — which is exactly what this role exists to accelerate.
The opportunity
We are looking for one highly motivated intern to help build the Nap OS university-to-employer partnership network.
A significant current opportunity is our engagement with Maynooth University, where we are exploring how the Nap OS Placement Product could support postgraduate students and complement existing employability and consulting initiatives. The product is designed to give universities a structured framework for project-based work experience: project management, evidence collection, skills verification, employer feedback and portfolio development.
Your job is the other half of that equation — finding the employers who can provide meaningful real-world projects for those students, and helping the relationships between Nap OS, universities and employers take shape.
Where this role sits
What you will do
- Research and identify Irish companies that could provide real-world projects for students.
- Build and maintain a pipeline of potential employer partners.
- Contact companies through email, LinkedIn and other professional channels.
- Prepare employer outreach campaigns and partnership proposals.
- Support meetings with employers and university stakeholders.
- Research university placement, careers and employability programmes.
- Identify where Nap OS can complement existing university initiatives.
- Help develop the Nap OS Placement Product using feedback from universities, employers and students.
- Gather employer requirements and translate them into suitable project opportunities.
- Keep accurate records of partnership conversations and pipeline status.
- Support presentations, reports and commercial materials.
- Help move successful pilots towards longer-term partnerships.
What an average week could look like
You might begin the week researching technology companies, professional services firms and SMEs that could offer projects suitable for postgraduate students. You then prepare a targeted outreach campaign, contact prospective employers and arrange introductory conversations.
Mid-week you may join a meeting with a university stakeholder, document what they need, and help translate those requirements into a product or partnership proposal. Each week you and the founder review the pipeline together, decide which opportunities get priority, and you take ownership of the next steps.
Because Nap OS is an early-stage company, you will see how decisions get made, how customer feedback changes the product, and how a first conversation becomes a commercial opportunity.
Who we are looking for
We are interested in students or recent graduates in business, management, marketing, HR, recruitment, technology, communications, economics, social sciences or related subjects. More important than your degree subject is your attitude.
- Curious and willing to learn.
- Confident communicating with professionals.
- Comfortable researching companies and spotting opportunities.
- Proactive and willing to take initiative.
- Organised and reliable across multiple conversations.
- Interested in startups and technology.
- Comfortable using LinkedIn, email and online research tools.
- Interested in improving employment outcomes for students and graduates.
No previous sales or business development experience is required. Training and guidance will be provided.
Candidate specification
Skills that help
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, including with businesses and university staff.
- Research and online research skills; comfort with LinkedIn, email and productivity tools.
- An organised approach to managing contacts and opportunities.
- Ability to work independently and take initiative.
What you will gain
Practical experience in B2B business development, university partnerships, employer engagement, customer discovery, HR technology, startup operations and commercial strategy.
You will also leave with something Nap OS itself is built to create: a verifiable, project-based record of the commercial work you actually did, which becomes part of your professional portfolio. Strong performance could lead to further project opportunities, extended responsibilities, or future opportunities with Nap OS as the company grows.
Why Nap OS
Nap OS is tackling a genuine problem: talented people are told they need experience before they can get experience. We are building a system where people prove capability through real work, and where employers discover talent through demonstrated ability.
You would be joining at an important stage of that journey — helping build the relationships between universities and employers that make the whole thing work.
Tell us you are interested. We will get in touch with you.
No long application form and no cover letter. Leave your details, tell us a little about yourself, and we will come back to you about next steps.
We will use your details only to contact you about this role. Applications close 18 September 2026 — one position is available.