Wake County Planning Department Intern
Hours Per Week: (Average 20-30)
Internship Duration: September 2008 – May 2009

Wake County is a rapidly urbanizing county located in central North Carolina. It is the second most populous county in the state: its 2007 resident population exceeded 830,000 – an increase of over 205,000 residents since the April 1, 2000 Census count. In light of the unprecedented growth in Wake County – on average 106 new people established roots in Wake County last year – Wake County Commissioners sought to re-engage a discussion on growth issues with elected officials of the County’s 12 municipalities and the Board of Education.

During the initial meeting of the Growth Issues Task Force, on June 19, 2008, members selected critical growth issues on which to focus their efforts, including a high quality educational system, increased mass transit opportunities, and local government joint planning and cooperation. Wake County Planning Department leads and coordinates programs and special projects pertaining to these issues, such as student growth forecasting and demographic trends analysis; strategic planning support for Wake County services and programs including public safety, human services and regional transportation; and inter-local growth management planning.

Please visit www.wakegov.com/planning for more information.

The intern selected will join a team of 20 people tasked with addressing these and other growth and development issues. The intern will work on a range of analytical assessments pertaining to population growth and comprehensive planning. Projects will require research and analysis, creating and manipulating databases, assisting with report writing and presentations. The position reports to the Long Range Planning Administrator and will be housed in the Wake County Planning Department offices, 5^th Floor, Wake County Office Building, 336 Fayetteville Street, Downtown Raleigh, NC.

The candidate must have completed a Bachelors degree and be currently enrolled in a Masters (Planning or Public Policy), MPA, or MS program, preferably in a masters program with analytical research and quantitative methods curriculum. The candidate must be familiar with and able to use various PC software packages. Experience with Excel, Access, SPSS and demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills. The ideal candidate must be willing to work in highly collaborative environments and establish effective working relationships with numerous internal and external clients.

Submit resumes to sharon.peterson@co.wake.nc.us by Noon, September 19, 2008