Communications and Engagement Intern

City of San Rafael; San Rafael (CA); Hybrid; USD 33,000 - 51,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan

Paid sick leave

Job summary

The City of San Rafael is seeking a Communications and Engagement Intern for the Fire Department. This part-time, temporary role (about 30 hours/week) supports external communications, digital content, and public engagement initiatives.

The internship is capped at 1,000 hours in a fiscal year and pays $21.20–$32.89 per hour with no benefits aside from retirement and sick leave. Under supervision, the intern will create social media content, newsletters, and website updates; assist with public

Qualifications

• Fluency in English and Spanish preferred for outreach and content creation.
• 1 year of experience in communications, public engagement, or related work.
• Pursuing or completed degree in communications, journalism, graphic design, or public relations.
• Proficiency with MS Office, Canva, and social media platforms.

Responsibilities

• Design, write, and edit content for websites, social media, newsletters, flyers, presentations, and press materials.
• Document Department programs through photography, videography, and brief interviews.
• Develop and schedule engaging social media content across platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor).
• Maintain the Department's website and digital newsletters.
• Coordinate community events calendars and project trackers; track metrics.
• Support outreach at events, meetings, and gather community feedback.
• Analyze newsletters, social media, and web analytics to inform strategy.
• Collaborate with partners to produce information materials and order needs.
• Assist translation coordination for bilingual content when available.

Skills

Public communications

Social media management

Writing and editing

Content creation

Bilingual English/Spanish

Education

Communications degree or related field

Tools

WordPress

Mailchimp

Canva

Adobe Creative Suite

Video editing

Job description

• Communications and Engagement Intern - San Rafael Fire Department

Communications and Engagement Intern - San Rafael Fire Department (20771196)

The City of San Rafael is a charter city founded in 1913. The mission of the City is to enhance the quality of life and to provide for a safe, healthy, prosperous and livable environment in partnership with the community. The City has a staff of 441 regular FTEemployees and an annual budget of $172million. City departments include the City Manager’s Office, Management Services, Finance, Community Development, Community Services, Fire, Library, Police, and Public Works.

The City of San Rafael was voted one of the 2022 Best Places to Work in local government by ELGL, a nationally recognized organization. The City was recognized for our cross-departmental work that is key to advancing community programs and projects. Employees from all departments worked together, allowing us to break down silos, and model our culture initiative, Together San Rafael.

A strong emphasis on innovation, equity, and a commitment to our employees are a vital part of creating a wonderful community and for the trust we instill and have for providing ongoing learning opportunities to all staff are just some of the perks that make San Rafael the Best Place to Work.

Non-Discrimination Policy
The City of San Rafael values a diverse, inclusive workforce and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, all potential employees are required to provide proof and/or be verified of U.S. Citizenship or authorization to work in the United States.
Disaster Service Workers
California Government Code Title I, Sections 3100 - 3109, declare all public employees to be Disaster Service Workers, subject to such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law. More information can be found here .
Reasonable Accommodation
The City of San Rafael will make reasonable accommodations at any phase of the application and interview process, to accommodate persons with disabilities. If you have a disability for which you require an accommodation, please advise Human Resources upon submittal of your application. For examination accommodations, please contact Human Resources at least seven (7) calendar days before the test date, at [phone].

Part-Time/Temporary (Averages 30hours per week)

$21.20 - $32.89 per hour

(salary dependent upon experience/qualifications)

No Benefits Available

THE CITY is focused on enhancing our community members’ quality of life through well-designed services and a positive workplace culture. San Rafael is the economic and cultural heart of Marin County, and its high quality of life is centered on its commercial districts, engaged neighborhoods, active lifestyle, and natural environment. San Rafael (population 60,000) is a full-service city with a city council/city manager form of government with 12 departments, more than 400 employees, and an annual budget of $208 million. The City’s vision is to be a vibrant economic and cultural center reflective of its diversity. The City Council is engaged and seeks to strengthen the urban and commercial areas as well as sustain the beautiful natural environment.

San Rafael’s Organizational culture framework is an initiative called "Together San Rafael". City employees are our greatest asset, and we seek talented individuals with diverse backgrounds who are creative, curious, and excited about a challenge. We are a results-driven team focused on the needs of community members. The "Together San Rafael initiative is focused on modernizing City services and increasing the engagement of employees. This initiative recognizes the interconnectedness of the customer and employee experience.

THE POSITION

The City of San Rafael is seeking a motivated, civic and safety-minded Communications and Engagement Intern to support equitable outreach and engagement through the Fire Department's external communications, digital content, and public engagement initiatives. This temporary, part-time role is ideal for individuals interested in learning more about local government and public communications.

Under the direction of the Deputy Director of Emergency Management, the intern will assist with day-to-day communications tasks such as social media content creation, newsletter writing, website updates, and public information campaigns. This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands‑on experience and contribute to real-time public service storytelling and information sharing. This is a part-time/temporary position, limited to 1,000 hours worked within a fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) that receives no City benefits. This position will work for up to 30hours per week (days/hours may vary).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (may include but are not limited to the following):

• Assist in designing, writing, and editing content for a variety of communications platforms including websites, social media, e-newsletters, flyers, presentations, and press materials.
• Help document Department programs and events through photography, videography, and brief interviews.
• Support the development , scheduling, and implementation of social media content across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor.
• Help maintain and update the Department's website and digital newsletters.
• Track and support community events, themed days, weeks, and months to develop content and contribute to internal calendars and project trackers.
• Participate in community outreach efforts, including tabling at events, supporting public meetings, and gathering community feedback.
• Track analytics and metrics from newsletters, social media platforms, and web traffic; monitor media coverage and social media engagement; compile analytics reports to inform communication strategies.
• Work with internal and external partners to capture content, develop informational material and order various products (signs, swag items, etc).
• Support translation coordination and multilingual content production, if bilingual (Spanish-English) skills are present.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, curious about public service, a strong communicator, and excited to learn in a hands‑on environment. They are a self-starter who is creative and innovative, can write clearly and adapt to a range of topics and formats.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Basic principles and practices of public communications, social media management, and/or media relations.
• Writing and editing for clarity, style, and grammar.
• Social media platforms, email marketing tools, and content management systems (e.g., WordPress, Mailchimp, Meta, Hootsuite).
• Basic graphic design tools (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Suite) and video editing platforms (preferred).
• Cultural competency and sensitivity in engaging diverse communities.
• Highly preferred: fluent, professional-level Spanish and English (both written and spoken).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS DESIRED

• Fluency in English and Spanish (written and verbal) is highly desired.
• At least 1 year of experience in communications, public-engagement, media, or related work (internships included).
• OR currently enrolled in or recently completed a degree or certificate program in communications, journalism, graphic design, public relations, public administration, or a related field.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Canva, and social media platforms.

WORK SCHEDULE

• This is a hybrid, temporary position limited to a maximum of 1,000 hours per fiscal year (July 1 thru June 30).
• Part-time, averages about 30 hours per week based on time of hire.
• Some flexible scheduling is available, with occasional evening or weekend hours required for community events.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

City of San Rafael application is required. Resumes do not substitute for the city application. Candidates should detail related education and experience on the application. The examination process may include the following application appraisal and oral board interview examination. The passing point for the oral board examination final score will be 70%. Note: Prior to appointment, the candidate may be required to pass a background check/fingerprinting and may require a clear DMV record.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

The City of San Rafael will make reasonable accommodations in the exam process to accommodate disabled applicants. If you have a disability for which you require accommodation, please contact us at [phone] before the test date. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. Such accommodation must be requested by the applicant.

The City of San Rafael offers the following benefits for this position. The salary range for this position is $21.20 - $32.89 per hour:

• This position receives no benefits with the exception of a retirement plan and paid sick leave.
• As a temporary employee, you may not work more than 1,000 hours in a fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).
• You are entitled to receive sick leave in accordance with California's Paid Sick Leave Law (AB 1522).
• Participation in a retirement plan is mandated by Federal Law and you will be enrolled in the Public Agency Retirement System (PARS):
  • Employee contributes 3.75% of salary
  • City of San Rafael contributes 3.75% of salary

• Tuesday, September 22, 2026: Finalist Interviews

It is recommended that you plan your calendar accordingly.