Community and Economic Development Intern

About Maple Grove, MN

Maple Grove is a forward thinking, thriving community in the northwest suburbs of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.  We are home to over 70,000 residents with a projected population of 90,000 by 2040 with 2,500 acres of undeveloped land. The City of Maple Grove is proud to employ over 250 benefit-earning employees, 500 part-time, casual, temporary, seasonal employees, and 100 paid-on-call firefighters to staff our many departments.  We provide public safety, public works, community and economic development, parks & recreation, and many other important public services to a growing community. 

The Position 

Attention college students! The city of Maple Grove's Community Development Intern will gain experience in local community development projects and perform a variety of routine and complex technical and professional work relating to a wide range of issues, emphasizing economic development, planning, communication, marketing work, and special projects. As an intern you will work approximately 25 hours/week during regular business hours; typically Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm; the schedule will include some evening meetings. The position will begin in early June and run through late August. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Economic Development Manager and exercises no supervision.

• Conduct research in support of the City’s community development activities, with an emphasis on economic development and planning.
• Processes planning and development applications and requests.
• Assist in conducting Business Retention & Expansion Visits and entering information into a database.
• Assist in communication and marketing of community development projects, including managing and developing content for social media platforms and website.
• Participate in master planning efforts and other various special planning projects
• Performs other community-development-related duties as requested by department management.

Knowledge of:

• Customer service and public relations and strong skills in both areas.
• Collaborative work ethic.

 Ability to:

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Take initiative and work independently with limited supervision.
• Multi-task, make sound decisions, and prioritize work.
• Conduct research and apply organizational and analytical skills.
• Communicate effectively with the public.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must possess a valid driver’s license.
• H.S. Diploma or equivalent.
• Bachelor’s Degree, or substantial completion of coursework in public administration, public policy, urban studies, or closely-related field.  

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Prior experience or exposure to local government work.
• Experience with Microsoft Office programs and applications. 
• Experience with social media platforms. 
• Recent graduate or enrolled in a graduate-level program related to public administration, public policy, urban studies, or closely-related field. 
• Completion of coursework in marketing or communications.
• Prior experience in communications and/or marketing, specifically developing content for social media platforms and websites.
• Graphic design experience.
• Photography experience.
• GIS experience.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Environmental Conditions:

Maple Grove Government Center, 12800 Arbor Lakes Parkway, Maple Grove. (Most time is spent indoors).  Some meetings at off-site locations. 

Physical Conditions:

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties require maintaining the physical condition necessary for sitting indoors for prolonged periods of time.

Work Schedule:

Approximately 25 hours/week during regular business hours, typically Mondays – Fridays between 8:00 am – 4:30 pm., starting in April through late August.  Some night meetings.   

Salary : $18