Planning Intern

Job Description

Planning Intern | City of Manhattan

The Tone:
This is a seasonal internship at City of Manhattan, located in Manhattan, KS. The City of Manhattan is dedicated to providing essential municipal services and fostering community development. This role offers students invaluable hands-on experience in urban planning, directly contributing to research, analysis, and policy processes that shape the city’s future and support informed decision-making.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Seasonal
• Location: Manhattan, KS
• Pay: $17 hourly
• Mission: Provide students with practical experience in urban planning, research, and administrative support to advance critical land use and policy planning processes.
• Tech Stack: ArcGIS Pro

What You’ll Actually Do
• Research & Analysis: Perform comprehensive research, synthesize diverse data points, and create clear charts, tables, graphs, and reports for presentation to the Senior Planner and department management.
• GIS Mapping: Work proficiently within ArcGIS Pro to generate precise and professional maps tailored to specific project assignments and department management requests.
• Meeting Support: Draft accurate and comprehensive minutes for important public meetings, including those of the Planning Board, Historic Resources Board, and/or Board of Zoning Appeals, to ensure proper documentation.
• Administrative & Planning Tasks: Carry out basic office functions such as data entry and file management, alongside contributing to development and zoning administrative tasks to support departmental efficiency.
• Special Projects: Actively participate in a variety of assigned special projects, most notably contributing to the crucial and ongoing task of updating the City’s Comprehensive Plan.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Current enrollment in a university curriculum focusing on community and regional planning, public administration, geography, or a similar relevant academic field.
• Experience: No specific prior work experience is required; this role is designed to provide valuable on-the-job learning in land use and policy planning processes.
• Skills: Demonstrated ability to perform research and synthesize data, proficiency in creating visual data representations, strong written and verbal communication abilities for presenting well-organized thoughts, and a capacity for cooperative teamwork within a governmental setting.
• Bonus: Proven proficiency with ArcGIS Pro software.