Capital & Planning Division - Student Intern Program, Summer 2027 – Open Space Planning & Project Management - Recreation & Park Dept. (5380)

Location: San Francisco, CA, us Department: Recreation & Park Commission Employment Type: {'id': 'intern', 'label': 'Intern'}

Company Description

Application Opening:  November 6, 2026; Closing:  January 15, 2027

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department is seeking student interns in planning, landscape architecture, engineering, and related disciplines, to support our Capital and Planning Division for a year-long (or longer) part-time internship. This is a great opportunity to work during the summer and the following school year as an integral part of our Division.

Amid a dynamic and ever-evolving urban landscape, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department stewards one of the premier urban park systems in America. San Francisco recently became the first city in the United States for which 100% of its residents live within a ten-minute walk of a park. Considered by San Franciscans to be one of the City’s most popular and effective public agencies, our Department manages and maintains more than 225 parks, playgrounds, and open spaces in San Francisco, including two outside of city limits: Sharp Park in Pacifica and Camp Mather in the High Sierras. Our 4,100- acre system includes over 25 recreation centers, nine swimming pools, five golf courses and numerous athletic facilities, including sports courts, ball diamonds, soccer fields and gymnasiums. Included in the department’s responsibilities are Golden Gate Park, Coit Tower, the Marina Yacht Harbor, the Palace of Fine Arts, and TPC Harding Park golf course.

More than 2,000 talented individuals are part of our team, from gardeners, foresters, and recreation leaders to park rangers, custodians, electricians, painters and more. Our core mission, as it has been throughout our history, is to provide opportunities for San Francisco residents and visitors alike to gather, play, learn, relax, and enjoy nature in the city.

Please visit https://sfrecpark.org/419/Who-We-Are to learn more about the department’s core values, Racial Equity Initiative, leadership team, Strategic Plan, history, budget and more.

Job Description

Students in Graduate Degree Programs studying the following are encouraged to apply:

Architecture

Engineering (Architectural, Civil, Environmental, Structural, Transportation and Water Resources Engineering)

Geography

Planning or Urban Planning

Project Management

Landscape Architecture

Environmental Design

Sustainability

Environmental Studies

Public Policy

Interns will gain on-the-job experience under the guidance of experienced professional planners, landscape architects, architects, and engineers, and while participating in various activities in the assigned discipline. The internship runs from Summer 2027 to Summer 2028 or longer.  Applicable only to the Project Management internship: this position may start in Fall 2027 and not in Summer 2027. In addition, this position is subject to budgetary constraints. The Planning internship will start in Summer 2027. The Planning Unit will be hiring one Planning intern and the Capital Unit will be recruiting for one Project Management intern.  Interns are eligible to work part-time for 6 months post-graduation or 6 months after they stop taking classes.

The compensation will be $37.95 per hour.

Work Schedule

The City and County of San Francisco is a hybrid work environment, and full-time staff work in the office 4 days per week. Intern candidates must be able to report to work in person in San Francisco a minimum of twice a week during the school year. Candidates are expected to work 16-20hrs/week during the school year and can work up to 32hrs/week during school vacation periods. Intern hybrid schedules may be approved to align with class commitments, however, this is subject to departmental discretion and the average hours worked per week.

Application Deadline: Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately as this recruitment may close at any time, but no earlier than Friday, January 15, 2027.

We are offering two types of intern positions in two separate teams within our Capital & Planning Division, our Planning team and our Project Management team.

Capital and Planning Division

The Capital & Planning Division is responsible for delivering a portfolio of over 80 Capital Improvement Projects with a value of over $600M to San Francisco City parks. In addition to improvements to existing recreational facilities in the city, the division is also responsible for the identification, acquisition and development of new parks and facilities, and aligning the delivery of new parks and park improvements with San Francisco City goals and policies, and residents’ needs.

Together with community members and park advocates, the Capital and Planning Division strives to create and renovate parks that solve social problems and enhance community resilience.

The Planning Unit

The Planning Unit, within the Capital and Planning Division, plans for the future of our open spaces and works on a wide range of projects that support open space improvements, development, and park acquisitions, as well as a variety of land use issues related to the City’s park system. The unit works on environmental compliance, land use planning, urban design, code enforcement, historic preservation, park improvement plans, acquisitions, grant writing, transportation demand management and public outreach as relevant to park properties. The unit is comprised of six planners, an analyst and three interns.

Planning Intern Roles & Responsibilities

Perform site review, research and data analysis, and preparation of reports related to property acquisition, park improvement projects and natural resources.

Prepare informational and analytical maps and graphic materials using ArcGIS software and the Adobe Creative Suite.

Prepare presentations and staff reports to citizen advisory groups and the Recreation and Park Commission; assist project managers at community meetings; conduct user intercept