Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham
Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.
Hiring Range: $17.40 - $19.58 per hour
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
The Budget and Management Services Department works to solve Durham’s biggest challenges. We are innovators, managing City resources like they’re our own, guiding the City’s future through strategic planning and encouraging a culture of innovation and continuous improvement through special projects, partnerships and trainings. If innovating to solve challenges drives you, too, join our team in Durham!
The City of Durham’s Budget Department is seeking a public service motivated, community-oriented intern to assist with an innovative program combining robust public engagement and graphic ideation. The Participatory Budgeting Program (PB) engages with ordinary residents to help determine project and funding to benefit their communities. Graphic development of ideas is critical to communicating ideas about projects to the public. Interns will be asked to help residents refine their ideas for improvement projects and help them articulate them through mapping and concept images.
This is a part time position (approx. 15-20 hours per week) responsible for working with PB staff on supporting PB Cycle 3. This position reports to the Budget Management Services Assistant Director. The proposal development phase within the program will last approximately four to five months and the graphics will be used to inform residents, City Staff and City Council. The intern will gain a new understanding of the public sphere and interact with all levels of City Staff including Transportation and Urban Planners, Urban Designers, Architects, and Landscape Architects. A highly competitive candidate will have experience with conceptualizing visuals that are easily understood, have strong oral and written communication skills, and be curious about local government and community engagement.
• Develop technical skills and assist the project team with drawings and drafting in the creative design process.
• Assist with project planning, budgeting, scheduling, and developing drawings and specifications for concept through the proposal development phase.
• Collaboration with residents and key stakeholders through participatory design.
• Perform field reviews and analysis of proposed project sites and study areas and prepares written documentation of observations and conditions.
• Must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an accredited university or college pursuing a degree in City/Community Planning, Urban Design, Architecture, or Landscape Architecture.
• Able to work in-person at City Hall a minimum of one day per week.
• Prior experience in the public sector (e.g., nonprofit, NGO, government, education) is also a bonus but not a requirement.
• Able to attend some evening meetings to engage residents.
• Experience level with MS Office applications such as Outlook, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Strong oral, written and design skills.
• Self-starter.