ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

The Community Development Department (CDD) is the planning agency for the City of Cambridge. Our mission is to foster a livable, sustainable, just, and equitable community. Encompassing the Housing Department and four programmatic divisions – Arts Council, Community Planning, & Design, Economic Opportunity & Development, and Zoning & Development – we engage and collaborate with community partners, other government agencies, businesses, and residents to make Cambridge a desirable place to live, work, learn, play, and innovate.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Community Development Department seeks an intern with an interest in sustainable transportation, Complete Streets design, outreach, and public transit. Assisting project managers – ongoing transportation design development. The internship provides opportunities for exposure to departmental planning and review meetings and supporting community engagement. This intern will report to a senior Transportation Planner in the Community Development Department and support the following work on:

• Bicycle, Pedestrian and Transit programs, MBTA coordination meetings, public transit outreach and bus stop amenitities

• Engagement and outreach for transportation and mobility education, planning studies and infrastructure design projects; for example, the Fitchburg Crossing design and/or redesign of Mass. Ave in Central Square Other projects may include future work with the Cambridge Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Transit Advisory Committees and other projects as feasible

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Examples of tasks include, with supervision and assistance:

• Writing and managing content for webpages and email newsletters

• Organizing meetings and events such as reserving and confirming virtual, hybrid, or in-person meeting locations, preparation of meeting materials, and collecting RSVPs

• Taking notes or entering data and feedback from written surveys, meetings, and workshops

• Designing outreach materials such as meeting flyers, bus routing diagrams, conceptual street, or bus network designs

• Distributing outreach materials, attending community events, and participating in engagement activities

• Conducting field work such as surveying bus stop locations, distributing public meeting information to businesses and residents, carrying out intercept surveys

• Researching, analyzing, and synthesizing transit and demographic data such as Census or American Community Survey data and bus boarding, alighting, and load factor data

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience:

• Required proficiency in Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, Outlook and Powerpoint

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• Strong interest in transportation planning

• Excellent writing skills and comfort with public non-jargon “plain English” communications

• Creativity and exceptional attention to detail

• Ability to remain flexible and thrive in an independent, fast paced and dynamic environment with good time management skills

• Ability to organize and present data in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint

• Ability to do simple manipulation of design documents in Adobe Creative Suite, e.g. InDesign

• Ability to create visuals in Microsoft PowerPoint to display and communicate concepts for an audience of public officials or community members

• Desirable proficiency in Microsoft PowerBI, Adobe Creative Suite products including Photoshop and InDesign, SketchUp. Knowledge or willingness to learn ESRI ArcGIS

• The City of Cambridge's workforce, like the community it serves, is diverse. Applicants must have the ability to work and interact effectively with individuals and groups with a variety of identities, cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Standard office environment with fluorescent lighting, computers, standard office equipment, and air conditioning. Moderate noise level with a shared workstation in an open floor plan. Some outdoor work required for site visits and community engagement events and activities.

We prefer a regular weekly work schedule. Weekly hours will average under 19.5 hours/week and could be flexible with more hours in the summer and fewer during other times of the year. With supervisor approval, we can accommodate some minor changes to schedule, week to week. This position may be eligible for a hybrid work schedule after training under the City’s Telework Policy depending on operational needs.

START DATE & DURATION: Start date is as soon as possible. We desire a candidate with availability and a commitment to working at least until spring 2026 or after. Additional hours may be available during summer, with slightly fewer hours during the remainder of the year.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

Please upload the following documents to complete your application:

• Resume
• Cover Letter