Salary: $19.17 Hourly
Location : Champaign City Building, IL
Job Type: Intern
Department: Planning
Opening Date: 08/07/2026
Closing Date: 8/30/2026 11:59 PM Central
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit: NBU
Position Overview
Are you ready to bring your classroom knowledge to life? The
Planning Intern works alongside professionals in our Planning and Development Department to help shape sustainable, livable communities through data, design, and policy. This is an opportunity to gain professional planning experience and turn your ideas into impact while attending your university or college degree program.
Job Responsibilities
Planning Interns work on a variety of planning projects within the Planning and Development Department. Interns assist with surveying community conditions related to planning and zoning, preparing maps, graphics to support current and long-range planning projects, assisting with community outreach and zoning enforcement, and providing general customer service support in the Planning Department.
The position is in-person and part-time during the 2026-2027 academic year if mutually agreed. The position will begin October 2026.
Required Qualifications
- Current enrollment in a university or college-level degree program.
- Understanding of fundamental concepts and practices of urban planning, urban development and municipal zoning.
- Effective interpersonal and customer service skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with a team.
Preferred Qualifications
- Current enrollment in an accredited university or college level urban planning program.
- Understanding and ability to use Adobe Creative Cloud software applications like Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop to create planning-related graphics, maps and videos.
- Understanding and ability to use ESRI ArcGIS for data analysis and cartography.
- Understanding and ability to use SketchUp Pro to create 3D graphics and site models.
The salary is $19.17 per hour.
Applications must include a
cover letter, resume, and portfolio of recent work examples and must be submitted online by no later than Sunday, August 30, 2026. If attaching your portfolio to the application, please limit portfolio pdf file size to 15MB otherwise you may submit the web address at which the portfolio is hosted.
Other Information
Contact the Human Resources Department at (217) 403-8770 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. if you require an accommodation to complete this application or during any phase of the application, interview, or employment process. The following locations offer free Internet access and assistance: Champaign Public Library, Champaign Public Library Douglass Branch, and the Illinois WorkNet Center.
The City of Champaign is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to promoting a work environme nt and a community that values and supports diversity and inclusion. Women, minorities and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
The City of Champaign's mission is to provide responsive, caring, cost-effective service in partnership with our community. The following values guide our work: Personal Integrity, Responsibility, Respect, Teamwork, Results. The City of Champaign is committed to promoting a work environme nt and a community that values and supports diversity and inclusion. Learn more about the city's mission and values at
This position is eligible for paid leave. Leave is accrued at .025 hours for each hour worked on a bi-weekly basis up to a maximum of 40 hours. This leave can be used for any reason but is not payable upon separation from the City. It can be used with permission and authorization of your supervisor.
01
Are you currently enrolled in a university or college-level degree program?
02
2. If you answered "yes" to question 1, please provide the following information regarding your program; otherwise enter N/A.• Degree Type (i.e. Associate, Bachelor, Masters, Certificate):• Major or Subject:• Anticipated Graduation Date (Month and Year):
03
Briefly describe your academic or professional experiences which give you a background in urban planning, urban development, or municipal planning and zoning. If you have no experience, please enter N/A.
04
Please describe your experience providing customer service. This may include experiences in any previous job or volunteer role even if not planning related. If you have no experience, please enter N/A.
05
Please describe your experience working collaboratively as a member of a team, in either an academic or professional setting. If you have no experience, please enter N/A.
06
Do you have experience using Adobe Illustrator or a similar vector graphics software?
07
Do you have experience using Adobe InDesign or a similar desktop publishing software?
08
Do you have experience using Adobe Photoshop or similar raster graphics editor?
09
Please describe your experience creating graphics, maps, and/or videos. If you have no experience in this area, enter N/A.
10
Do you have experience using ESRI ArcGIS or a similar geospatial mapping platform for data analysis and cartography?
11
If you answered "yes" to question 10, please describe that experience. Be certain to include the name of the platform used, the types of projects you completed, and whether you utilized the software for data analysis, cartography, or both.
12
Do you have experience using SketchUp Pro or a similar modeling software to create 3D graphics and site models?
13
If you answered "yes" to question 12, please describe that experience. Be certain to include the name of the software used and the types of graphics you created.
14
A cover letter is required to complete this application. Have you uploaded your cover letter?
15
A resume is required to complete this application. Have you uploaded your resume?
16
A portfolio of recent work examples is required to complete this application. You may attach a pdf portfolio limited to 15MB to this application or provide the online URL where your portfolio is hosted. Please enter the web address at which your portfolio is linked. If you attached it to this application as a document upload, please enter "attached to application" instead.
Required Question