Student Intern/Graduate Student Intern - Citywide

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

About the Department

Become an Intern with the City of San José
The City of San José, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is one of the nation's best managed cities and one of the top ten cities in which to live, work, and do business. Moreover, San José is the center of cultural, government and economic activity for the region. The employees of the City of San José have embraced the following values: Integrity, Innovation, Excellence, Collaboration, Respect and Celebration.

We are looking for talented, diverse, and innovative future professionals of all fields who are eager to work in a public sector setting.

The City of San José Internship Program is designed to help students gain professional public sector work experience pertaining to their academic area of interest and/or study. This is an exceptional opportunity to build networking, communication, and analytical skills. In addition, internships at the City of San José are project-based and can help steer students into a possible career direction.

The City of San José hosts approximately 80 student interns annually, from majors that include finance, graphic design, information technology, accounting, urban planning, political science, public administration, and many others. Applicants must be a current student enrolled in a college or university to apply and must continue to be enrolled during their employment/service with the City of San José.

Interns at the City have flexible hours to work around their school schedules. Undergraduate interns generally work between 20-30 hours per week and graduate interns work between 25-40 hours per week.

If you have previously applied to the Citywide Intern position and have not been offered a position yet, you must reapply to this job announcement.

Departments that most frequently offer internship opportunities are listed below. For more information on all City departments, click here.

Position Duties

The salary ranges for this classifications:

Student Intern Salary Range - $15.27 - $21.66/hourly (unbenefitted)

Graduate Student Intern Salary Range - $19.62 - 28.98/hourly (unbenefitted)

This amount includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable pay. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

San Jose International Airport(SJC) is now accepting applications for Summer Internship Program. Student Interns at the Airport will learn and gain practical experience in multiple areas of airport operations and management. Interns will also be exposed to various airport industry careers while enriching their personal and educational goals.

The Public Works Department’s mission is to provide excellent service in building a smart and sustainable community, maintaining and managing the City’s assets, and serving the animal care needs of the community. Interns can expect to perform substantive work, develop professional relationships, and help make a positive impact in the City of San Jose. With 9 divisions providing a diverse array of services, the Department offers a unique variety of opportunities across a number of fields of study for students to enhance their academic learning with real world knowledge, receive valuable training while providing public service to the community, and experience a professional work environment where they can develop both work and life skills. Internship opportunities include: Administrative Services, Animal Care & Services, City Facilities Architectural Services, Development Services, Engineering Services, Equality Assurance, Facilities Management, Fleet Management, and Transportation and Hydraulics Services.

The Environmental Services Department (ESD) has established a national reputation for environmental leadership and innovation with award-winning recycling, water conservation, water quality protection, and wastewater treatment programs. Its major initiatives are: healthy streams, rivers, marshlands and bay waters; reliable water, garbage, and recycling services; clean and green air, land and energy policy development; and community education aimed at environmental sustainability. Interns in ESD can work on fun projects, make presentations, create and prepare training materials, do valuable research, use tech savvy skills to help market materials and provide overall team support.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) maintains and operates the City of San José's transportation network of roadways, traffic signals, street lights, bicycle lanes, sidewalks, street trees and landscaping in addition to the public sewer system and storm drains. DOT's goal is to provide a transportation system that is safe, efficient, and convenient for all users, and that supports the City's livability and economic vitality. San José has adopted bold policy goals to be a leading city in the areas of environmental sustainability, innovation and fiscal efficiency. San José's DOT is organized into the following four divisions:

San Jose Public Library is the largest public library system between San Francisco and Los Angeles. A proud recipient of the Gale/Library Journal Library of the Year Award, the library is an acknowledged leader in providing innovative services to meet changing customer needs. The San Jose Public Library enriches lives by fostering lifelong learning and by ensuring that every member of the community has access to a vast array of ideas and information.

Housed within the Office of the City Manager, the Office of Economic Development (OED) leads the implementation of the City of San Jose Economic Strategy by working with other City departments, private businesses, and community partners. OED has four integrated divisions: Business Development, focused on job creation, business attraction, expansion and retention; Business Operations and Real Estate, focused on revenue generation, management of city owned property, and Department administrative support; Cultural Affairs, responsible for arts and cultural development; and work2future, the federally funded workforce development program serving Silicon Valley.

The Information Technology Department's (ITD) mission is to enable the service delivery of its customers through the integration of City-wide technology resources. ITD consists of four core service areas:

The mission of the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department (PRNS) is to cultivate healthy communities through quality programs and dynamic public spaces. Through proactive, strategic work plans, the Communications team develops, creates and implements outreach that is creative, articulate and engaging while telling a story of “Building Community Through FUN”.

Interns' skills and talents will contribute to the creation and activation of community-building places, programs and people. Interns will gain experience and build their portfolio as interns provide general support, assist in event production and work on specific programs and projects important to PRNS and the City.

The Planning Division in the Department of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement (PBCE) is responsible for both long range planning--which involves guiding the City’s future by stewarding Envision San Jose 2040 (the City’s General Plan) and preparing Urban Village plans and other area plans--as well as current planning through the review of development proposals. The Planning Division implements policies and plans that determine where and how the City will grow and how that growth will be balanced with the availability of infrastructure and services.

PBCE internship program is designed to offer professional learning opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in the urban planning field. Interns may be assigned to specific projects in the sub-disciplines of urban village planning, development review, zoning, urban design, transportation, economic development, housing, sustainability, historic preservation, Geographic Information Systems, and data analytics. Interns will gain exposure to the operations of a planning department and have the opportunity to work on “real life” projects.

Finance Department- The Finance Department has over 100 employees who are dedicated to serve the needs of our customers throughout the City of San Jose. Our mission is to strategically manage the City of San José’s financial resources for all stakeholders. Our services are provided to the organization and community through four separate divisions which include Treasury, Revenue Management, Accounting, and Purchasing. The range of services includes debt management, investments/cash management, payment processing, billing, accounts receivable, delinquent tax/revenue collections, payroll, accounts payable, financial reporting, risk management, and procurement services.

The Housing Department'smission is to strengthen and revitalize our community through housing and neighborhood investment. Since the Housing Department was established in 1987, the City has been a leader in affordable housing, creating more than 21,000 new housing opportunities for San José residents.
A major function of the Housing Department is its work as a funder. The Department utilizes numerous financing vehicles to bring new affordable housing to fruition and rehabilitate older affordable housing. The Department also funds grants for nonprofits to develop and provide social services, homeless response programs, and community infrastructure. Additional grants support Fair Housing policies, place-based neighborhood efforts, and meal programs for low-income seniors.
The Department oversees a range of other critical programs and initiatives, including rent control and stabilization programs for apartments and mobilehomes, and the City's Ellis Act Ordinance that protects the City's supply of affordable rental housing. And, working in partnership with other City departments and agencies, the Housing Department works to ensure the City has a variety of housing options in every neighborhood.

The Energy Department operates San José Clean Energy (SJCE), San José’s Community Choice Energy program. SJCE has provided residents and businesses with cleaner electricity at lower rates than PG&E since February 2019. The Community Energy Department is dedicated to creating a healthier, more sustainable future for our community and future generations. SJCE interns have performed substantive work for the Account Management and Marketing, Power Resources, and Regulatory and Legislative divisions. Interns develop professional skills and relationships and have a direct impact on the San José community.

Minimum Qualifications

STUDENT INTERN: Current enrollment in an accredited college or university in an undergraduate or graduate program.
GRADUATE STUDENT INTERN: Completion of a Bachelor's Degree and current enrollment in a Master's degree program from an accredited college or university.

LICENSE: Possession of a valid driver's license authorizing operation of a motor vehicle in the State of California may be required for some positions.

Other Qualifications

Selection Process
Applications for Student Interns are accepted on an ongoing basis. As department specific internship opportunities become available, an evaluation of the applicant's education, training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions is conducted by the Department. Candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

Note: The Internship candidate pool is typically refreshed every 6 months depending on Citywide need. You will need to reapply each time you see an Internship Citywide recruitment posted. This is to ensure the City is recruiting from the most up-to-date candidate pool. You will not receive notification of the new Citywide posting, so it is recommended that you regularly check our website for the most current Citywide posting.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

Part-time positions(less than 40 hours per week) are required to participate in the City’s PTC 457 Deferred Compensation Plan per Federal regulations. Employees are required to contribute 3.75% of gross earning and the City contributes a matching amount of 3.75%. The funds contributed by the City are 100% vested upon initial deferral and will be held in in a stability of principal investment. This plan is in lieu of social security and does not include any healthcare benefits or contributions.

Part-time employees may elect to contribute additional retirement savings through the City’s Voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan. Additional Information on both plans can be found on the City’s website.

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• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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