Technology & Automation Intern

Description

Want to work for a Company that puts you first?! At Optima Office our people are the most important asset. Optima Office was voted as a BEST PLACE TO WORK since 2020 by the San Diego Business Journal, as well as fastest growing company by inc 5000!! Let us show you why!

Optima Office is a female owned company that provides Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO and COO services along with Human Resources Support. We serve over 300 companies across the United States but are mostly focused on the West Coast. We are a fast-growing company who continues to add clients and team members at a steady pace. In 2022 we were the 10th fastest growing company in San Diego.

Our Vision as a company is to have the highest retention with our clients and employees in the industry. Happy Staff = Happy Clients has been our founder’s motto for a decade. Half of the company’s profits get paid out as bonuses to the team and for fun company events.

We have a huge emphasis on work-life balance and provide a flexible environment which allows our team to choose their own schedule. Over half of our 100 employees are working parents who value flexibility and family time.

“I love working for Optima! I am super happy with my decision to work for Optima and am thankful for the opportunities they have provided me!” - Robbie W, Client Services

“What a treat it is to work with several different clients, industries, and team members! It means a lot to work for a company that is genuinely caring and supportive to its employees, and I look forward to being part of the Optima Office family for years to come.” - Sr.

Accountant

Check out some more testimonials and reviews at https://www.optimaoffice.com/testimonials

What to Expect Starting at Optima Office as an Intern,

• Flexibility – you will have the ability to work a hybrid schedule, working on-site as needed.
• Work/Life Balance – whether you’re spending time with family or enjoying a new hobby, we believe a healthy work/life balance is beneficial. We believe in optimizing our time at work so that we can spend quality time with our friends and family outside of the office.
• You Come First – we are passionate about setting our employees up for success. We have a career development program along with a robust training platform.
• Purpose Driven – we enjoy partnering with like minded individuals.

Optima Office is the place for you if…

• You are adaptable - you can adjust on the fly.
• You are technically strong – you have experience in technology and automation and can be relied upon by colleagues for accurate and timely work.
• You are a pro-active communicator who has a sense of urgency with response time.
• You are kind and collaborative – you are a team player who works well with others.
• You are a self-starter – you take initiative and are proactive in accomplishing your goals.
  

Position Summary

The Technology & Automation Intern will work directly with the CATO to design, build, document, and deploy workflow automations within our Microsoft 365 environment, and to research and evaluate automation platforms that may support both internal operations and client-facing services. This is a hands-on role with defined projects, measurable success criteria, and meaningful exposure to how technology drives efficiency in a professional services firm. The intern will be expected to work independently within a structured framework of weekly check-ins, written project scoping, and documentation standards.

Responsibilities

• Business process discovery: Interview process owners, map current-state workflows, and capture baseline time and cost measurements before any automation is built
• Automation development: Design and build workflow automations using Microsoft Power Automate, SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, Microsoft Graph API, and PowerShell
• Platform research: Research and compare automation platforms (e.g., Power Automate, Azure Logic Apps, N8N, Zapier, Make, Copilot Studio) on cost, connector coverage, security, maintainability, and AI capabilities; present findings and recommendations
• Documentation: Produce written process maps, scoping documents, build documentation, and handoff guides for every project so that work can be maintained and extended by others
• Impact measurement: Quantify before-and-after time and cost savings for each automation using a defined measurement methodology
• Communication: Communicate progress, blockers, and assistance needed in weekly check-ins and brief written status updates; escalate promptly when stuck

This is a hybrid position that requires 3 days in our San Diego office

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Statistics, Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field
• Hands-on experience with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including Power Automate, SharePoint, and Teams
• Working knowledge of PowerShell scripting and REST APIs (Microsoft Graph API experience strongly preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to scope, build, and complete a technical project end-to-end
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical work to non-technical stakeholders
• Self-directed work habits with sound judgment about when to ask for help

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to Power BI, SQL, or Python for data analysis and reporting
• Experience with AI tools and prompt engineering in a business workflow context (e.g., Copilot Studio, Claude, OpenAI APIs)
• Experience in a client services, MSP, or multi-client environment
• Familiarity with Azure administration concepts (Entra ID, app registrations, least-privilege access)