Two Internship Positions
The San Francisco Planning Department is currently looking for two enthusiastic interns to work with staff on key planning projects.

Appointment Type
Temporary Exempt (TEX).  TEX position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive civil service examination pursuant to San Francisco Charter Section 10.104 and shall serve at the discretion of the Appointing Officer.  

Duration
The duration of this internship is 6 months to a year (full-time or part time) not to exceed 1040 hours.   Upon completing the internship, there is no implied offer of extension.

Specific information regarding this recruitment process are listed below:

• Application Opening - Thursday, June 30, 2022
• Application Deadline - Sunday, July 24, 2022, 11:55 PM PST
• Recruitment ID - RED12873Y
• Compensation - $31.6875/hour

The Department
The San Francisco Planning Department (CPC) plays a central role in guiding the growth and development in our City. The Department works with other City agencies and the community to help achieve great planning for a great city.   

Our Mission
The mission of the San Francisco Planning Department, under the direction of the Planning Commission, shapes the future of San Francisco and the region by: generating an extraordinary vision for the General Plan and in neighborhood plans; fostering exemplary design through planning controls; improving our surroundings through environmental analysis; preserving our unique heritage; encouraging a broad range of housing and a diverse job base; and enforcing the Planning Code. 

Our Racial and Social Equity Vision 
 We envision an inclusive Planning Department and Commissions that represent and engage the communities we serve. We envision a Department that proactively infuses racial and social equity in both internal operations and external Planning work. Together, we are reimagining what the Planning field is and can be – inclusive, diverse and one that centers racial and social equity both as a practice and as an indicator of success.   

In order to achieve this broader city vision, we must do our part and address racial and social equity within the Planning Department’s policies and practices. 

The San Francisco Planning Department is currently looking for two (2) enthusiastic interns to work full- or part-time with staff on two projects (starting approximately in fall/September 2022). This will be a rewarding and valuable experience for those interested in the planning field and forwarding racial and social equity in government. Interns will help conduct research, collect and analyze data, outreach to vulnerable communities in San Francisco, and draft documents for work related to social and racial equity, community engagement, climate change, cultural heritage, and  other issues. Experience or strong commitment to racial and social equity will be a highly desired skill for any of the positions.

PROJECTS:

The two interns will help support one or more of the below projects depending on interest, skills and part-time or full-time availability.

1.  Community Planning Intern - Equity Council and Cultural Districts

Project Description: The goal of this this project is to support and further community planning within SF Planning by the Equity Council and Cultural Districts. These programs aim to increase community power in planning processes and increase SF Planning’s ability to responsively serve the needs of marginalized and vulnerable communities in San Francisco. These marginalized and vulnerable communities include, but are not limited to, San Francisco’s Black, American Indian, other communities of color, and low-income communities. 

The intern’s tasks will include: 

• Helping plan and implement Equity Council meetings  

• Review and edit CHHESS reports  

• Coordinate communications between SF Planning and the Equity Council and Cultural Districts 

• Identify and analyze data related to displacement and displaced communities 

• Support the improvement the project notification process to better notify and involve vulnerable communities 

• Other administrative and research tasks that support the goals and directives of the Equity Council and Cultural Districts 

This project offers the intern the opportunity to facilitate understanding and collaboration between stakeholders from marginalized communities and communities at risk of displacement; support increased community power and equity in planning; learn how communities and government work together to develop policies, implement programs, and increase accountability; learn about San Francisco’s land use tools, the entitlement process, and community engagement models; and further develop their professional and administrative skills in a large, public sector environment. 

Desired Skills and Knowledge: 
Candidates should demonstrate a passion for advancing racial and social equity in the planning field, strong knowledge and life experience working with marginalized communities in San Francisco (e.g.: Black communities, American Indian/Indigenous communities, disabled people, poor/low-income households, etc.), cultural humility and the ability to communicate with historically/currently marginalized communities, and a commitment to increasing community power in local government and city planning. Candidates should also have some experience planning meetings and/or events, managing communications between multiple contacts at the same time, basic typing and computer skills, and a strong knowledge of displacement and gentrification trends and history in San Francisco. 

Previous experience organizing or advocating for tenants rights, evictions, displacement/gentrification, historic preservation, voting rights, budget justice, economic development, or other related topics in San Francisco is a plus. 

2.  Community Planning Intern - Fillmore/Western Addition

Project Description: This position offers an opportunity to integrate authentic community engagement to advance community-led planning and policy development. The intern will be responsible for advancing and strengthening our existing relationships and building new partnerships between SF Planning and neighborhood leaders and organizations. Potential projects and tasks include: 

• Conducting a vacancy storefront assessment along the Fillmore Corridor;  

• Working closely with stakeholders (small businesses, artists, residents, faith-based institutions, etc.) to engage community members in visioning and implementation for a temporary street activation project;  

• Co-develop, through an iterative and collaborative process with community members,  materials and trainings that break-down complex planning, program and policy concepts using accessible language and design; 

• Delivering community presentations and conducting research as needed to advance local priorities including but not limited to supporting the implementation of a cultural district; increasing foot traffic along the Fillmore corridor; strengthening local capacity to respond to housing and economic development projects.  

Ideal skills and goals: The ideal candidate demonstrates a passion for advancing racial and social justice work in the planning field; has a strong knowledge and familiarity with the Fillmore/ Western Addition neighborhood and its history; is eager to learn and build off previous writing, research and other technical skills; has the ability to facilitate meetings or willingness to learn; has previous experience working in partnership with socio-economically diverse communities and people; and demonstrates an understanding of community organizing and community power-building principles. Residents of the Fillmore / Western Addition are strongly encouraged to apply. 

3.  Environmental Planning Racial and Social Equity Intern 

Project Description: The intern will support the environmental planning division in centering racial and social equity into their day-to-day work. The intern will assist the division in preparing one to a few major tasks, which may include: 1) preparation of a report on past appeals of the SF Planning Department’s California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) determinations to the SF Planning Commission and SF Board of Supervisors. Any person may file an appeal as a backstop to prevent environmental damage and/or as a threat, negotiating, or delay tactic on a project. The report may include research and analysis into who typically participates in appeals; topics of concern raised in appeals; and type, staff hours spent, and outcome of appeals. The report may also provide recommendations for internal practices and legislative updates to address any racial and social disparities and advantages from the appeal process; 2) assist teams in applying a racial and social equity impact analysis approach and standard operating procedures for engagement to active projects under review. This may include working with assigned environmental planners and developers of the projects; 3) assist a team with the preparation of the analysis of a racial and social equity analysis of the Housing Element 2022 Update or solicit and respond to community comments on the analysis; and 4) assist the transportation team in the racial and social equity audit of the transportation impact analysis guidelines. The intern may lead a team meeting on auditing a criterion(a) and prepare a database or maps of data that planners may use for racial and social equity considerations (e.g., transit access maps).  

Desired Skills and Knowledge: The ideal candidates must demonstrate through work, volunteer, education or lived experience an understanding and acceptance of equity, inclusion, and diversity concepts; and have background in or willingness to learn and apply skills such as research documentation, excel/database management, digital mapping, and technical writing. 

4.  SF Citywide Cultural Resources Survey: Community Engagement

Project Description: The intern will support the Community Engagement Framework for the SF Citywide Cultural Resources Survey (SF Survey) by preparing materials for engagement events, collecting stories from community members while staff survey in the field, and assisting with SF Survey’s social media and contact lists. The intern will work closely with staff and the community engagement consultant to develop content that encourages trust-based partnerships with communities and helps build relationships that honor and respect the layers of community knowledge. Work products will include an SF Survey overview presentation to be understood by the general public, template for neighborhood tours, social media content, contact lists, data entry into the SF Survey’s online data management platform (Arches), and intern project presentation.  

Desired Skills and Knowledge: The ideal candidate must be able to demonstrate excellent cultural sensitivity, public engagement, communication, graphic design, and data collection skills. Intern must show interest and experience in racial and social equity, ethnic studies, community outreach, marketing, social media, library science, data management, historic preservation, public history, urban planning, or similarly related fields. 

Minimum Qualifications

Requires completion of two (2) years (equivalent to 60 semester units or 90 quarter units) of education from an accredited college or university.

Verification
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/index.aspx?page=456

Note
Falsifying one's education training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications requirement by the final filing date unless otherwise noted.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment or application process, please contact the exam analyst, Michael Eng, by telephone at 628-652-7522, or by email at [email protected].

CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.