Community Development Intern

"Lake Forest, Where Work and Life Come Together Naturally." 

Start your career journey with this exciting internship opportunity with the City of Lake Forest!  We challenge our employees to strive for excellence and we're looking for the next member of our team to serve as a part-time Intern within the Community Development Department.  The objective of the City of Lake Forest's Internship position is to provide a meaningful training ground for individuals to gain work experience and to increase their ability to compete in the workforce in entry-level positions.  If you're passionate about public service, community development & planning, and approach new challenges with an enthusiastic outlook then we look forward to meeting you!

The Intern position is in the Community Development Department and is scheduled to work 10 - 20 hours per week, subject to a flexible schedule approved by the Supervisor.  The incumbent will need to commit to a minimum of six months of employment with the City.

This is a continuous recruitment that is subject to close at any time. The first review of applications will be on May 20, 2024.  Prompt application is encouraged.

Why Join Team Lake Forest? Link to our video: Recruitment Video

Apply Here

The role of the Community Development Department is to develop and implement programs that guide the City's development and growth. The Department is seeking motivated and energetic individuals who, through their academic achievement and employment history, have demonstrated high potential for a career in local government.

The objective of the City of Lake Forest's Internship Program is to provide a meaningful training ground for students to gain work experience and increase their ability to compete in the workforce in entry-level positions upon graduation. As an Intern for the City of Lake Forest, you will receive job experience, practical training, career development, and may be eligible for internship credits. Under general supervision of the Assistant Director of Community Development, the Planning Intern will assist, participate in, and perform work for the Community Development Department.

This is an at will position.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed.  The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the class.

• Performs administrative and basic analytical duties for various divisions of the Community Development Department including assisting the Code Enforcement, Planning, and Building staff as needed.

• Researches and evaluates data and presents facts, conclusions, and recommendations clearly and concisely to department staff, other City departments and agencies, and to the general public.

• Participates in the development and/or revisions of manuals, policies and procedures.

• Conducts and participates in a variety of department studies and special projects including operational and procedural studies, service demand studies, and capacity studies.

• Compiles statistical data; provides recommendations regarding operational and service improvements; and conducts quality control for imaged documents.

• Utilizes various computer applications and software packages, enters data, creates and updates databases and spreadsheets, and maintains and generates reports from a database or network system.

• Responds to requests for information from the public, outside agencies, and organizations, including surveys.

• Assists the public at the front counter, on the phone, and through email and online requests. Answers questions and provides information regarding Municipal Code including zoning, development standards, and approved development proposals.

• Performs plan check review for development projects and homeowner improvements; receives and reviews applications for planning permits for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with codes; reviews applications for building permits for compliance with applicable zoning standards.

• Processes ministerial and administrative project applications and generates zoning confirmation letters.

• Assists other planning staff with the preparation of advance planning projects, reports, maps, studies, and related planning documents.

• Field Investigations: Processes citizen complaints regarding potential municipal ordinance violations. Assists code enforcement officers with on-site inspections to identify and document potential violations of municipal codes related to zoning, property maintenance, signage, and other relevant regulations.

• Documentation and Reporting: Compiles accurate reports detailing code violations, including photographs, descriptions, and relevant information, for use in official records.

• Utilizes software such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Tyler Energov/EPL, Microsoft Office, and other software.

• Performs related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS GUIDELINES

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

Principles, practices and methods of administrative and organizational analysis; public administration policies and procedures; office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases;  effective business communications and correct English usage, including spelling, grammar and punctuation; research techniques, methods, and procedures and report presentation; internet web site practices, methods and techniques; basic principles and practices of report preparation; pertinent federal, state, and local codes, laws, and regulations.

Ability to:

Provide responsible administrative and basic analytical support to assigned area; Learn operations, services, and activities within the area of assignment; participate in various administrative support functions; formulate hypotheses and develop conclusions and prepare reports; operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications; learn and effectively utilize various software applications; utilize good judgment in analyzing situations carefully and adopting effective courses of action; gather, organize, compile, and summarize data; understand and follow oral and written directions; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Licenses/Certificates/Special Requirements:

A valid Class C California Driver's License and the ability to maintain insurability under the City's Vehicle Insurance Policy.

Education/Training/Experience:

Applicants must be a junior, senior or a graduate student in college, or must have a Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree from an accredited university with major course work in public or business administration or a related field.PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical and mental demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this class, the employee is regularly required to work

in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally

stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to

moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand

movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to

verbally communicate to exchange information. Specific hearing abilities required 

by this job include hearing in the normal audio range with or without correction.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to

adjust focus.

Mental Demands

While performing the duties of this class, the employee must be able to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; interpret policies and procedures; use math and mathematical reasoning; learn and apply new information or new skills; work under deadlines with constant interruptions; and interact with the general public, outside organizations, business representatives, employees, and others encountered in the course of work, including occasionally dealing with conflict situations.

Work Environment

The employee primarily works in a standard office setting. Field inspections require the employee to drive to sites throughout the City.