What are the responsibilities and job description for the GIS Analyst Intern position at City of Seattle?
Position Description
Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.
The Spatial Analytics Team at Seattle City Light supports reliable, safe, and equitable electric service by maintaining accurate spatial data and providing geospatial tools that help engineers, planners, and field crews serve customers and the broader community. The GIS Analyst Intern will report to the Spatial Analytics Team Supervisor and will contribute to key deliverables, including developing and improving GIS datasets, creating analytical maps, and completing a focused project that enhances data quality or mapping workflows. Over the course of the internship, the intern will produce tangible outputs such as updated spatial layers and documented processes. This role is vital to City Light’s mission because high-quality geospatial information directly supports infrastructure planning, system reliability, environmental stewardship, and the utility’s ability to provide transparent and accessible services to the communities it serves.
Job Responsibilities
Required Qualifications:
Education: Enrolled in an accredited certificate, 2-year or 4-year undergraduate educational program during their internship.
Preferred Areas of Study: Enrolled in an academic program with focus on GIS Technologies, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Urban Planning, Land Use Planning, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field.
Undergraduate students will need to maintain a 2.0 GPA or above throughout the internship.
Desired Qualifications:
Schedule: Intern will work up-to 20 hours/weeks while school is in session. Up-to 40 hours/week during school breaks. Work hours can be scheduled between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.
Salary: Undergraduate students will be paid $22.56 - $22.56 an hour.
Application Process
To complete your application, submit the online form with the following attachments:
Internship Duration and Hours: Year-long: The timeframe of this internship will be one year in duration, with either a May (semester schools) or June (quarter schools) 2026 start date. Working hours are up to 40 per week during the summer, and a max of 20 per week during the academic year.
Hybrid Work: The City has the expectation that interns will be readily available to report to onsite at work in Seattle in accordance with the current Mayoral mandate of a minimum of 3 days per week. Additional in-person work requirements are based on business need and determined by the hiring authority.
Interns must have a Washington State address and live in Washington State at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment.
Benefits: Interns do not receive benefits but can obtain a subsidized ORCA pass and accrue sick time that can be used after 90 days of employment.
Other Benefits Includes
Professional and educational development
Who May Apply: This position is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications. Seattle City Light values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Seattle City Light encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA , people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences. Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/about-us/careers.
Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.
The Spatial Analytics Team at Seattle City Light supports reliable, safe, and equitable electric service by maintaining accurate spatial data and providing geospatial tools that help engineers, planners, and field crews serve customers and the broader community. The GIS Analyst Intern will report to the Spatial Analytics Team Supervisor and will contribute to key deliverables, including developing and improving GIS datasets, creating analytical maps, and completing a focused project that enhances data quality or mapping workflows. Over the course of the internship, the intern will produce tangible outputs such as updated spatial layers and documented processes. This role is vital to City Light’s mission because high-quality geospatial information directly supports infrastructure planning, system reliability, environmental stewardship, and the utility’s ability to provide transparent and accessible services to the communities it serves.
Job Responsibilities
- Support development of GIS datasets and mapping products by collecting, cleaning, and organizing spatial data related to electrical infrastructure, ensuring accuracy and alignment with project goals.
- Perform day-to-day spatial analysis tasks using ArcGIS Pro or related tools.
- Participate in a focused GIS improvement project, such as updating data workflows, improving attribute schema, culminating in a summary of findings and recommended enhancements.
Required Qualifications:
Education: Enrolled in an accredited certificate, 2-year or 4-year undergraduate educational program during their internship.
Preferred Areas of Study: Enrolled in an academic program with focus on GIS Technologies, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Urban Planning, Land Use Planning, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field.
Undergraduate students will need to maintain a 2.0 GPA or above throughout the internship.
Desired Qualifications:
- Coursework or training in GIS principles, cartography, or spatial analysis.
- Experience using ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and ArcGIS Enterprise.
- Basic skills in Python, SQL, or other scripting tools used for geospatial automation (coursework or projects acceptable).
- Knowledge of utility systems, infrastructure mapping, environmental datasets, or asset management concepts—through coursework, research, or prior projects.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills, with attention to detail when working with spatial data.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document methods and present findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
- Ability to work collaboratively within a team environment and manage tasks independently.
Schedule: Intern will work up-to 20 hours/weeks while school is in session. Up-to 40 hours/week during school breaks. Work hours can be scheduled between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.
Salary: Undergraduate students will be paid $22.56 - $22.56 an hour.
Application Process
To complete your application, submit the online form with the following attachments:
- Resume
- Cover letter explaining how your coursework, activities, and experience qualify you for this internship.
- Your unofficial transcript - including current coursework, next term registration (if available at the time of application).
Internship Duration and Hours: Year-long: The timeframe of this internship will be one year in duration, with either a May (semester schools) or June (quarter schools) 2026 start date. Working hours are up to 40 per week during the summer, and a max of 20 per week during the academic year.
Hybrid Work: The City has the expectation that interns will be readily available to report to onsite at work in Seattle in accordance with the current Mayoral mandate of a minimum of 3 days per week. Additional in-person work requirements are based on business need and determined by the hiring authority.
Interns must have a Washington State address and live in Washington State at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment.
Benefits: Interns do not receive benefits but can obtain a subsidized ORCA pass and accrue sick time that can be used after 90 days of employment.
Other Benefits Includes
Professional and educational development
- Meaningful and educational opportunities that compliment your academic program.
- Establish effective networking relationships with professional staff, which may be beneficial to future career development.
- Access to City sponsored trainings and professional development modules.
- Diverse array of work experiences, responsibilities, and opportunities to help make Seattle a great place to live, work, and play.
- Working for the city builds your career and your community.
- Commuting benefits including ORCA passes, car share discounts, and ride matches.
- Paid sick and safe leave (after 90 days of employment).
- Access to the City's Flash Mentorship program.
Who May Apply: This position is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications. Seattle City Light values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Seattle City Light encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA , people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences. Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/about-us/careers.
Salary : $23