Job Details

Salary Range
17.13 - 30.98Job Summary
Job Details

Position Title: Internship in Economic Prosperity & Housing - serving downtown parking operations and new parking - related initiatives.

Pay: $19 per hour without benefits or paid time off. Interns log hours daily.

Part time / Temporary: The length of internships ranges from 200 hours over a few months to part time hours over one year depending on Department need and resources. (Schedule arranged with supervisor.)

Intern Duties

Duties introduce work practices, products and standards to develop proficiency expected of an entry-level professional. Training, supervision and teamwork is provided to interns until independent work is achieved at or near the end of the internship. Interns may be assigned a variety of work to meet Department needs. Short-term assignments typically produce a completed project, document or product.

The following intern duties typically require working in teams with permanent staff within and beyond the host department:

Collect, organize and input data in software systems - such as inputting field survey data into Excel and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases. Work requires:

• Handheld devices, phones and tablets in the field and in the office.
• Walking multiple city blocks and driving a city car.
• Seeking and confirming expert advice from city staff and city GIS experts to organize and manage data collection with accurate & consistent terminology.
• Preparing and filing a summary of work so colleagues and subsequent staff know how to use it.

Research several data sources - such as County Assessor records, City development approvals, and data stored in the department on all aspects of parking, events, and posted parking prices, and signage. Work includes:

• Document data sources and collection methods.
• Develop footnotes to clarify limitations of the data.

Array and analyze data using Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, Power BI. Prepare some analyses for use in PowerPoint decks, Adobe or Canva for presentation or communication to internal or external audiences. Work may include:

• Data profiles.
• Event and parking occupancy projections.
• What-if scenarios such as basic financial pro formas on parking demand and revenue.

Organize and prepare materials and schedules for events and meetings including business correspondence, announcements, schedules and directions. May require:

• Coordinating among internal colleagues and external partners.
• Delivering outreach to event organizers, performers and volunteers.
• Translating materials using City language tools.
• Preparing video communication for remote audiences in relevant languages.

Plan and organize work using Smartsheet forms. Write, edit, organize, present and keep files of work and final work products.
Qualifications

Duties to Prepare Job Search Tools for Post Internship Employment

Participate, learn and contribute to teamwork among colleagues.

Welcome and participate in opportunities to build networks and teams for assignments and for your professional future.

• Accept invitations for meetings that show the variety of department and city work.
• Develop networks with professionals including the opportunity to ask for career advice from your city colleagues.

Learn dynamics and protocols of the organization and professional environment. Keep notes on how professional roles and expectations differ from university student roles.

Develop skills and work results, add them to your resume and your portfolio.

Work with your supervisor to plan conversations on career fields of your choice and how intern duties help you prepare for them. Draft:

• Questions and identify people you can interview about their work, company, expertise.
• 'Elevator speech' explaining how you are prepared for the future position you seek.
• A list of ways this internship experience prepares you for future work.

Organization Context

Four divisions of the Economic Prosperity and Housing Department are listed below with recently approved City Council action plans shown in parenthesis. You are encouraged to research the department on the City website.

Small business and entrepreneurship support (Economic Development Strategy) Real estate and redevelopment projects (Downtown Redevelopment Assessment) Affordable and rental housing programs (Rental Registration Program) Parking Services (Downtown Access, Mobility and Parking Plan)

Ideal Applicants

Experience and Education:

• Experience or desire to gain experience in economic prosperity & housing activities and initiatives within a public sector organization.
• Equivalent to a Bachelor's Degree in any related field.

Will be committed, curious, ready to ask questions, and enthusiastic to learn more about workplace environments and expectations, local government priorities and functions including economic development, redevelopment, and the roles of private and public parking. A history of volunteer work, community service, and bilingual skills are advantages.

Will welcome learning about local government:

• Standards of public service, equity, and use of public resources.
• The educational and experience City staff need for public service
• The variety of (a) public services, (b) individual, community, and business customers, and (c) community and regional partners involved in City work.

Will want to learn quickly in a new and changing setting and embrace diverse information and systems. Applicants will want to reflect and discuss ways the internship supports their future work.

How to Apply for an Internship

Interns are selected through this City recruitment or through the Future Leaders Program operated by Workforce Southwest in cooperation with Washington State University, Vancouver and CREDC.

Location & Hours

5th floor of City Hall at 415 W 6th Street across from Esther Short Park.

• The office is staffed 8 am - 6:30 pm, 7 days a week. Interns work in-person.
• Interns plan their schedule with their supervisor, typically 6-hour days.
• Five-day-a-week schedules are preferred but may not be required.
• Some weekend work is required to survey events and parking. Other weekend work may be an option depending on department resources.
• Vacations are allowed and encouraged with advance planning.

Conditions

Desks offer sitting or standing positions. Desks may not be assigned but are available. Field work can sometimes be done entirely on foot, and sometimes in a city vehicle. Interns are expected to dress protectively for out-of-doors. Dress in the office is business casual.

Lunch

The office offers a refrigerator, minimal kitchenware a sink and a microwave. Most staff bring their lunch from home. There are also vending machines for snacks and nearby food establishments.

Job Posting End Date
February 28, 2026