Community Development Intern - Paid

Skokie; Skokie (IL); On-site; USD 28,000 - 32,000; Part time

Job summary

The Village of Skokie, IL, seeks a part-time, paid intern to assist the Community Development department onsite at Skokie Village Hall. You will gain hands-on experience in planning, permitting, and community outreach, supporting the department's Strategic Plan and cloud-based software transition.

Ideal candidates are detail-oriented with strong research, writing, and communication skills, and prefer coursework in urban planning or public administration.

Qualifications

• Strong research, writing, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience working with diverse communities preferred.
• Undergraduate or graduate studies in urban planning or public administration preferred.

Responsibilities

• Research planning, zoning, and economic vitality topics.
• Manage data collection to support outreach to local businesses.
• Translate findings into clear materials for community members and assist with public meetings.

Skills

Research skills

Writing skills

Communication

MS Office

Education

Urban planning coursework

Public administration coursework

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Job description

Paid Internship - Village of Skokie, IL

Community Development Dept.

OverviewThe Village of Skokie seeks a part-time, paid intern to support our busy and dynamic Community Development department.

Skokie, located 16 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and 12 miles east of O'Hare International Airport, provides high-quality services to over 67,000 residents, 24,000 households, and 2,400 businesses that call Skokie home.

Under general direction, you will gain hands-on experience in planning, economic vitality, permitting and inspections, as well as other key operational areas within the Community Development department. You will also contribute your talent to a number of exciting projects related to the Village’s Strategic Plan, a development review process, and a cloud based software transition. We are excited to welcome an enthusiastic and detail-oriented intern to support and contribute to this vital and important work!

Ideal Intern

• Passionate about community development and supporting great places to live, work, and play;
• A problem-solver with a proven ability to work well both independently and within a multi- disciplinary team;
• Detail-oriented with strong demonstrated research, writing, and communication skills;
• Comfortable using Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook);
• Experienced in working with and supporting diverse communities

Preference for applicants with undergraduate or graduate coursework in urban planning/studies, public administration, or related disciplines. Graphic design skills and experience writing in plain language are a plus, but not required. Performs other work-related duties, as required.

Key Responsibilities

• Research: Support the department in researching topics related to planning, zoning, economic vitality, and other aspects of community development. Research may include analysis of the impact of statewide legislation on Village policy, creating resource guides for local small businesses, and municipal code analysis.
• Data Management: Provide support in data collection and management efforts designed to enhance the Village’s outreach to local businesses and other stakeholders.
• Outreach and Communications: Translate research and data analysis into clear, concise documents for community members, with a focus on clarity and accessibility, creating materials that demystify community development. You may also support event planning/coordination and public meetings, directly engaging with local stakeholders.

The internship requires you to be onsite 100% of the time. Remote work/work from home is not available.

The hourly pay range for this position is $20.24 - $23.43, depending on qualifications.

You are expected to work at least 20 hours a week, Mon - Fri. A flexible work schedule of days and/or hours may be considered.

This limited-term internship has an anticipated start date in October, 2026. This position may extend into 2027.

The internship will take place at Skokie Village Hall, 5127 Oakton St., Skokie, IL. Village Hall is accessible by public transportation, and is located about 5 blocks from the Oakton-Skokie CTA Yellow Line train station. Skokie is also served by the PACE suburban bus system.

The Village of Skokie is an Equal Opportunity Employer