City Council Intern

CITY OF ROCHESTER

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT

City Council Intern

The City of Rochester is seeking a motivated, organized, and creative individual to serve as City Council Intern, a new part-time position supporting special projects and initiatives on behalf of the Rochester City Council. This is an excellent opportunity for a student or early-career professional to gain hands-on experience in local government, community engagement, public health promotion, and digital communications. This is a part-time temporary position until Dec. 20, 2026. 

Position Summary

This position works under the direction of the Rochester City Council, with day-to-day coordination and administrative support provided through the City Manager's Office. The intern will manage discrete, Council-directed projects from planning through completion, with a primary focus on launching a community-wide wellness initiative, supporting re-design and maintenance of the City's website, and assisting with community outreach efforts. This is an ideal role for someone interested in exploring a career in local government, public health, communications, or public administration.

Reports To

Rochester City Council, through a designated Council liaison. The intern will coordinate regularly with the City Manager's Office and relevant department staff to carry out assigned projects.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Community Wellness Initiative

• Assist City Council in developing and launching a community-wide wellness initiative, including program goals, timeline, and success measures.
• Identify and build relationships with local partners such as schools, businesses, health systems, and community organizations to support wellness programming.
• Help plan and coordinate wellness events, challenges, and educational programming for residents.
• Draft promotional and educational materials, and track participation and outcomes to report back to Council.

Webpage Development for Wellness Initiative/Council Projects

• Support ongoing content updates of the City's webpage for Council initiatives.
• Assist with adding new pages, forms, photos, and features that improve resident access to City information and services as directed by Council and City staff.

Community Outreach

• Assist with outreach efforts connected to Council priorities, including social media content, newsletter articles, flyers, and event promotion.
• Represent the City at community events and meetings as assigned, and help gather resident feedback.
• Attend City Council meetings and study sessions as needed to stay informed of project direction and priorities.

General

• Prepare brief progress updates and materials for City Council on assigned projects.
• Conduct research and benchmarking on best practices from other municipalities as needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by City Council or staff member.

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in, or a recent graduate of, an undergraduate or graduate program in public administration, communications, public health, marketing, web design, or a related field.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work diplomatically with elected officials, staff, residents, and community partners.
• Basic experience with website content management systems (e.g., WordPress or similar), familiarity with social media platforms preferred.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office; graphic design experience (e.g., Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud) a plus.
• Self-starter who can manage multiple projects independently, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines with limited direct supervision.
• Availability to attend occasional evening City Council meetings or community events.

Work Schedule and Compensation

Hours

10 hours per week; flexible daytime schedule with occasional evening hours for Council meetings or events.

Pay Rate

$18.00 per hour

Status

Part-time, temporary, non-exempt – until Dec. 20, 2026

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and three (3) work-related references, along with a City of Rochester employment application (available at www.rochestermi.org/jobs), to Human Resources at hr@rochestermi.org or 400 Sixth Street, Rochester, MI 48307. Candidate screening may include an application review, interview, and reference check. Selected candidates will be subject to a background check prior to appointment.

The City of Rochester is an Equal Opportunity Employer.