San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Student Intern Program, Summer 2027 – 5381 Planning Intern (Level 2)

City and County of San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Planning Level 2 Internship is part of the SFMTA Planning and Engineering Internship Program. Interns may be assigned to teams in the Streets Division, the Taxis, Access, and Mobility Services (TAMS) Subdivision, the Transit Division, or the Finance Division. Duties vary by team and may include transportation project planning, community outreach and engagement, data collection and analysis, policy research and development, report writing, geospatial analysis and map creation, presentation and visual preparation, and support for transportation plans and programs. The internship includes mandatory seminars and field trips to learn about Agency operations, as well as a PechaKucha presentation at the end of the summer. The position follows a 40-hour work week, generally Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The work environment is hybrid and traditional; interns may be expected to work onsite up to five days per week and must be based in the Bay Area for the duration of the internship. Work outside the usual hours may be required for fieldwork or outreach events. A flexible schedule may be available with supervisor and division approval. Interns may work up to 1,040 hours in a fiscal year. Most positions end at the end of summer, while some may continue into the school year with approval. This is a temporary-exempt, full-time appointment. The stated annual salary is $40.7750 per hour. The internship is intended for students enrolled in qualifying college or university programs and continuing their studies in Fall 2027, with certain students nearing graduation also encouraged to apply.

Requirements

At application, be enrolled in an accredited university or community college pursuing a degree in City Planning, Environmental Policy, Management, Environmental Studies, Geography, Public Administration, Public Policy, Transportation Planning, Transportation Management, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, an engineering discipline, or a related field.
Be currently enrolled and continuing in an associate, undergraduate, or graduate program, or entering or continuing a graduate program in Fall 2027. Students in their second-to-last or final semester who will soon graduate may also be considered within six months of graduation.
No prior experience is necessary for candidates pursuing a master's degree or higher in a qualifying field.
Undergraduate candidates must have prior planning or relevant internship experience to compete for positions at the 5381 level.
Submit proof of current student status or enrollment, a resume in PDF format limited to two pages, and a cover letter in PDF format limited to two pages. The cover letter must address relevant interests and career goals and provide examples related to the desirable qualifications.
Be based in the Bay Area for the duration of the internship.
Attend mandatory internship seminars and field trips.

Nice To Haves

Interest in public-sector transportation careers, especially public transit, walking, and bicycling.
Understanding of how transportation decisions affect marginalized communities, including people of color, people with low incomes, and people with disabilities.
Experience working with marginalized communities.
Ability to work collaboratively, with examples from school, work, community activities, extracurricular activities, team sports, or volunteering.
Clear and effective communication skills.
Ability to adapt to new situations, changing priorities, or unexpected challenges to meet project goals.
Ability to analyze evidence, critically consider options, and draw conclusions from data.
Knowledge of transportation-planning principles, practices, and techniques demonstrated through coursework or work or internship experience.
Applied knowledge of Microsoft Office, ArcGIS, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, or other software.

Responsibilities

Support community outreach and engagement by attending stakeholder meetings, public meetings, and open houses; staffing public events; and gathering and documenting community feedback through surveys and other methods.
Collect and analyze data, which may involve fieldwork.
Assist with policy development, research, report creation, and grant or funding applications and advocacy.
Conduct geospatial analyses and create maps using ArcGIS; develop maps, graphics, and spatial analyses for planning work.
Support long-range transportation plans, service planning, capital planning, and project delivery.
Evaluate transit, bicycle, and pedestrian plans for accessibility impacts and research best practices for shared mobility accessibility.
Assist with programs serving seniors and people with disabilities, shuttle stop planning, and improved taxi stands and signage.
Track data for shuttle, scooter-share, and bike-share permittees; build or update public dashboards; combine data from multiple sources; and write memos.
Assess the potential impacts of program rule changes and transportation decisions on underserved or disadvantaged communities.
Prepare presentations and project visuals.
Participate in mandatory internship seminars, field trips, and end-of-summer PechaKucha presentations.