Public Engagement Intern II-III

City of San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo (CA)

Hybrid

USD 25,000 - 30,000

Part time

5 days ago

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Job summary

The City of San Luis Obispo is offering a paid internship for students pursuing communications, marketing, public relations, or related fields. Interns will support the Public Communications Manager with content creation, outreach, volunteer coordination, and event support across in‑office, remote, and field environments.

Ideal candidates are enrolled in relevant programs and have strong written/spoken English, organizational skills, and an interest in civic engagement.

Qualifications

Bilingual outreach experience, Spanish desirable but not required.
Excellent written and verbal communication.
Highly organized and reliable with ability to multitask with minimal supervision.
Interest in civic engagement, elections, public service, and community outreach.
Graphic design skills with basic design principles.
Comfortable engaging with the public professionally.
Enrolled in or recently completed coursework in public policy, public administration, political science, communications, journalism, marketing, sociology, or urban studies.
Familiarity with social media platforms, graphic design tools, or data analysis/visualization tools.

Responsibilities

Assist with communications and content development, including news releases, website content, flyers, mailers, toolkits, and social media content.
Support bilingual (English/Spanish) communications efforts and culturally responsive outreach.
Coordinate meetings, respond to emails, review social media comments, and flag for review.
Support volunteer recruitment, training logistics, scheduling, and communications.
Coordinate with community partners such as schools, civic organizations, and neighborhood groups.
Support event and meeting logistics for pop-up events and community meetings, and prepare materials for presentations.
Assist with tracking outreach metrics such as event participation, website traffic, social media engagement, and community feedback.

Skills

Bilingual outreach

Written communication

Verbal communication

Organizational skills

Civic engagement

Graphic design

Public engagement

Social media

Data visualization

Education

Public policy

Political science

Communications

Sociology

Tools

Social media tools

Graphic design tools

Data analysis

Job description

Position Overview

The City of San Luis Obispo is seeking a creative, dependable and hardworking college student to assist with a range of strategic public information and public engagement tasks for at least three months, and up to 1 year.

Interns will report the City's Public Communications Manager and gain first-hand experience in communicating on behalf of a local government organization.

This is an excellent opportunity for students studying communications, marketing, public relations, public policy, public administration, political science, or community engagement.

Schedule & Work Environment

The intern will be expected to work 20 - 25 hours per week, with some evening and weekend hours may be required for community events and meetings on an as-needed basis.

This role includes a combination of in-office work, remote tasks, and field-based outreach throughout San Luis Obispo.

Desired Qualifications

Experience with bilingual outreach (note: Spanish language skills are highly desirable but not required)

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

Highly organized, dependable, and able to manage multiple tasks with little supervision.

Strong interest in civic engagement, elections, public service, and community outreach.

Graphic design skills with a strong understanding of basic graphic design principles.

Comfortable engaging with the public in a professional and inclusive manner.

Currently enrolled in or recently completed coursework in any of the following or related fields:
- Public policy or public administration
- Political science
- Communications, journalism, or marketing
- Sociology or urban studies

Familiarity with social media platforms, graphic design tools, or data analysis or visualization tools.

Key Responsibilities

Under the direction of the Public Communications Manager, key responsibilities of the intern include but are not limited to:

Communications & Content Development
- Assisting with executing the City’s content strategy 2027, which includes
  - Creating, editing, publishing, and distributing outreach materials, including news releases, website content, flyers, mailers, toolkits, and social media content.
  - Supporting bilingual (English/Spanish) communications efforts, including culturally responsive outreach.
  - Coordinating and attending meetings, responding to emails, reviewing social media comments and flagging them for the Public Communications Manager to review.

Volunteer Communications
- Assisting with volunteer recruitment, training logistics, scheduling, and communications.
- Supporting coordination with community partners such as schools, civic organizations, and neighborhood groups.

Event & Meeting Support
- Supporting pop-up events, community meetings (virtual and in-person), and neighborhood outreach efforts.
- Helping prepare materials for presentations to community groups, schools, and neighborhood organizations.
- Assisting with meeting logistics, sign-ins, material distribution, and post-event follow-up.

Evaluation & Reporting:Assisting with tracking outreach metrics such as event participation, website traffic, social media engagement, and community feedback.

Academic Credit & Compensation

This is a paid internship, and interns are also eligible for course credit where applicable. The City is open to coordinating with academic institutions to meet internship requirements.

JOB SUMMARY

The Intern classification series is used Citywide to introduce the City to students as a potential employer and to provide practical work experience to local students. Duties are defined by the internship level and the departments to which the Intern is assigned. Interns may advance in both level and pay based on education and operational needs.

Intern II

Interns at the II level are freshman or sophomore year college students, community college students, or vocational school students who have completed high school. They are able to evaluate information gained in accordance with established policies and procedures and assist professional staff in ongoing project work.

Intern III

Interns at the III level are junior or senior year college students, or degree-holders working on their secondary degree. They are only eligible to work in a position related to their field of study. They participate in project work in an increasingly responsible role and may participate in the analysis of problems and in the preparation of reports under the supervision of professionals.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of

Common computer systems and applications.

Ability to

Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, at all levels, including colleagues, the public, and other agencies.

Understand, interpret, and apply instructions, rules, and regulations.

Carry out oral and written instructions.

Communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing.

QUALIFICATIONS

In order to qualify for the Intern classifications, a student or recent graduate must:

Have the legal right to work in the United States.

Be enrolled in an accredited institution or a school licensed by a state agency, or have graduated from such an institution or school within the last six months.