City Planning Intern

City Planning Intern

$20 per hour

(Hybrid)

Closing Date: May 30, 2024

The City of Falls Church —“The Little City”—is a special place: a small independent city in the national capital region with a strong sense of history and community. It prides itself on its schools, neighborhoods, and parks. It respects its past while welcoming new development. Because of the City’s desirable location within the Washington, D.C., region and its high quality of life, the City is experiencing interest in infill development and redevelopment of older commercial and residential sites. The City’s Planning staff is often on the forefront of the community conversation regarding the future of the city and redevelopment. The Planning team is responsible for a broad array of responsibilities, and team members often balance multiple responsibilities, which provides regular opportunities for continuing education and professional development.

The City of Falls Church Community Planning and Economic Development Services (CPEDS) team is recruiting for a seasonal intern. The position will include a range of responsibilities including but not limited to development review, long range planning, transportation planning, and environmental planning. Potential projects could include:

• Assisting with the “Chapter 8: Community Facilities, Public Utilities, and Government Services” Comprehensive Plan update
• Conducting a survey of accessory structures on the City’s Historic Inventory
• Development of a historic walking tour of the city
• Other Duties as Assigned: Data collection and visualization; records research and management; report preparation; and miscellaneous administrative tasks

A successful candidate will have an interest in community engagement, policy development, and graphics and GIS. This position will operate under direct supervision and report to the Senior Planner for Comprehensive Planning.

Qualifications:

• Desire to take on new projects and a commitment to professional development.
• Knowledge of urban planning philosophies, principles, and practices.
• Communication skills and the ability to present information in written, graphic, and spoken form. Ability to work within and across departments, maintain effective working relationships with associates and members of the general public.
• Critical thinking skills including policy analysis, research methodology, and data analysis.
• Technical skills including computer literacy in common office software, and ability to review site plans, maps, and sketches.
• Ability to prepare project maps or sketches in one or more of GIS, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Cloud, or other computer software.
• Enrolled in an accredited college or university with major course work in urban planning or related field. Achieving Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree in the field of urban planning or related field.

Hours: Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with options for hybrid telework. Evening or weekend attendance at neighborhood meetings, City Board or Commission meetings, and other community engagement required.

Salary: $20 per hour. This is a temporary position without any fringe benefits.

Equal Opportunity Employer: The City of Falls Church does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age or disability.

Reasonable Accommodation: During the selection process, applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodation with the agreement of the Human Resources Division. Requests should be directed to the Human Resources Division.

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