Navigating Norfolk: A Guide to Internship Opportunities in the City Government

The City of Norfolk offers a variety of internship programs designed to provide students and graduates with practical experience in local government. These programs are a valuable opportunity to gain professional skills, build a network, and contribute to the Norfolk community. This article explores the Executive Internship Program and various departmental internships available, highlighting the diverse fields and projects offered.

The City of Norfolk Executive Internship Program

The City of Norfolk Executive Internship Program is a ten-week program that provides work-based learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students with a desire to work in local level government. The competitive internship program is designed to offer students the opportunity to gain practical work experience, develop a professional network, and apply the knowledge gained in the classroom. Interns are placed in a department that best fits their field of study and career interest. The program allows students to make important contributions to the City through meaningful hands-on work assignments and projects. Interns are afforded professional development and networking opportunities through a variety of events and workshops that allow students to connect with various corporate interns and summer associates working in Norfolk. Students will gain insight into the functions, operations and public policies of local government preparing them for a rewarding future career in public service. The Executive Internship Program is a ten-week paid program beginning May 18th. Any missing documentation not submitted by the deadline will unfortunately disqualify your application for consideration for the position.

Internship Opportunities by Department

The City of Norfolk offers a wide array of internships across various departments, catering to different academic backgrounds and career interests. Each department provides unique experiences and opportunities for interns to contribute to the city's operations.

Human Resources / Safety and Total Absence Management

The Human Resources' Total Absence Management and Safety division oversees occupational safety and manages all absences from the workplace. They ensure compliance with various regulatory requirements such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission (VWCC), the Family and Medical Leve Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and more. This division has an important role in supporting the workforce through challenging moments in life and ensuring that operations run smoothly.

This position will support the organization's efforts to ensure that workplace environments are safe, compliant, and well-maintained. This internship is hands-on, requiring a mix of office and field work. The intern will work closely with safety staff and departmental stakeholders, assisting with a variety of projects such as noise sampling, AED maintenance and tracking, safety inspections, accident investigations, chemical cataloging, the development of professional documents and job aids, FMCSA Clearinghouse queries, facilitating training and safety engagement activities, and more, all to promote a proactive culture of safety.

Preferred Majors: Human Resources Administration, Environmental Health, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Safety, Public Services Administration, Business Administration

Neighborhood Services - Rental Improvement Program

The Department of Neighborhood Services promotes the social, physical, and economic resilience of Norfolk communities by engaging residents, neighborhood organizations and businesses and working with them to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. Neighborhood Services promotes and supports civic participation, community partnerships, accessibility to city services, and seeks to preserve and enhance the character of Norfolk's neighborhoods.

The position will support both components of the Rental Improvement Program: Norfolk Eviction Prevention Center and Rent Ready Norfolk through client engagement and data collection. Neighborhood Services promotes and supports civic participation, community partnerships, accessibility to city services, and seeks to preserve and enhance the character of Norfolk's neighborhoods.

The position will assist with the coordination, execution, and management of the Norfolk Unity in the Community Back to School event at the Norfolk Scope. This annual event provides backpacks filled with school supplies, health screenings, and a wide range of information from community vendors to Norfolk students from pre-K to high school.

City Planning - Historic Preservation

City Planning handles land use, zoning, and permit applications, houses the historic preservation program, and long-range/ comprehensive planning for Norfolk. The Historic Preservation Division manages the Architectural Review Board and reviews applications for changes in the city's local historic districts and for projects requiring design review by the Architectural Review Board. It also manages the City's historic and architectural survey program (SurveyNFK) and is a resource for other City Staff and the public that have questions about historic resources and preservation.

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This position will be responsible for completing a survey and a brief context report of a historic cemetery in Norfolk. This position will also provide some support for day-to-day activities of the Historic Preservation Division, such as learning to review applications for Certificates of Appropriateness, present to the Architectural Review Board, and provide other support for ongoing division initiatives.

Preferred Majors: History; Urban Planning; Public History; Historic Preservation

City Planning - GIS

The Department of City Planning is responsible for developing and implementing short and long-range plans, studies, goals, and policies, as developed with the community and approved by the City Council, that reflect the needs and interests of residents and the city. The department’s mission is to analyze, prioritize and plan for the equitable, resilient, balanced, and sustainable use of the city's land and other resources to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations.

This position will work with the City Planning Department GIS Team to build out a GIS layer and attributes of approved site plans. The GIS Team has been tasked with creating polygons of all approved site plans and adding certain attributes to the corresponding polygon. The project would involve researching and digitizing approved site plans and creating an online mapping layer to display the data.

Preferred Majors: Geography, GIS, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Environmental Science, Computer Science

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Norfolk Police Department - Community Affairs

The Norfolk Police Department is dedicated to protecting and serving the city of Norfolk. Through commitment and professionalism, accountability, and community partnership, the department works proactively to prevent crime and respond effectively to emergencies and build trust in the community.

The internship is for the Community Services Division which provides students with hands-on exposure to community focused policing initiatives that strengthen relationships between the Norfolk Police Department and the public. Interns support outreach programs, crime prevention efforts, and special events while gaining insight into how community engagement contributes to public safety. Interns will also have the opportunity to shadow other police divisions such as patrol, investigations, e911, and other specialty units.

Preferred Majors: Criminal Justice

Budget and Strategic Planning - CivicLab

The Department of Budget & Strategic Planning’s CivicLab helps city leadership and residents understand and harness the city's valuable data, performs advanced data analytics and assists city employees in improving processes using innovative techniques.

This position will be responsible for completing a project that will improve CivicLab’s ability to analyze the effects of affordability, housing availability, and the environmental effects of specific types of land use.

Preferred Majors: Geographic Information Science (GIS), Statistics, Mathematics, Business Information & Technology, Computer Science

Budget and Strategic Planning - Innovation and Evaluation

The Department of Budget & Strategic Planning’s Innovation and Evaluation Team coordinates Agile Team Norfolk innovation training, coordinates work with What Works Cities, facilitates the Resident survey and Employee Engagement Survey, coordinates performance measurement, and leads citywide program evaluation.

This position will develop a protocol and template for Budget and Strategic Planning desk manuals. This project will provide the framework for all staff members to document key job duties to assist in training new staff and ensure that all essential tasks performed by the department are sustained over time. The intern will work with departmental staff, lead development of a desk manual for each position, assist with performance metric training development and delivery, assist with program evaluations being led by various departmental staff, attend meetings in person at various localities around the city and online to listen, learn, take notes and follow up on questions and ideas, complete research online and through talking with staff in other localities, and draft protocol and template for development of desk manuals.

Preferred Majors: History, Public Policy, Public Administration, Human Resources or related field.

Norfolk Public Library - Public Relations & Marketing

The Public Relations & Marketing Department of Norfolk Public Library promotes NPL, including creating print and digital marketing, managing social media, and highlighting programs, events and resources.

This position will involve creating and formatting graphics for use in print and digital marketing. It will also involve program and special event photography and videography, including editing and live posting. In addition, interns will assist with data entry and analytics to assess return on investment of different types of marketing on various channels.

Preferred Majors: Graphic Design, Photography/Videography, Communications

Housing and Community Development

The Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) improves the quality of life for all Norfolk residents and strengthens City neighborhoods through people-driven community and physical transformation by increasing access to quality affordable housing opportunities in thriving, resilient, and connecting communities of choice. The Bureau of Community Development strengthens Norfolk’s neighborhoods by preserving housing quality and improving community conditions. Through the administration of federal community development funds, they deliver targeted initiatives that support low to moderate-income residents and respond to evolving community needs. The Bureau of Housing Development leads strategic housing initiatives that expand access to quality housing for all Norfolk residents. By guiding development projects that align with the City’s housing priorities, they help grow a diverse and sustainable housing stock that meets the needs of the community today and into the future.

This position will assist the Department of Housing and Community Development in various capacities. DHCD's work requires research and data support to understand and report on housing trends, neighborhood priorities, and the rental market. The intern will assist in the use and maintenance of various databases, including property information; assist in affordable housing initiatives; and support grant making staff with compliance and monitoring of subrecipients. This position will help create visuals (charts, infographics, maps) to explain housing trends and DHCD initiatives, as assigned.

Preferred Majors: Public Policy, Public Administration, Human Resources, Urban Planning or related field.

Department of Housing and Community Development - Housing Preservation

This internship position will assist in the development of plans and specifications for rehabilitative and remodeling work on residential structures; make physical assessments of properties; prepare cost estimates of rehabilitation and remodeling work required for competitive bidding; prepare conceptual house designs, review residential structures to determine rehabilitative work required to ensure that structure meets rehabilitation standards and construction code requirements, review plans and specifications with property owners, contractors, and building inspectors, and shadow Design & Rehab Consultants on job-site visits.

Preferred Majors: Public Policy, Public Administration, Human Resources, Urban Planning or related field.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion - Equity in Action

The Department of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is committed to ensuring all that live, work, and play in the City of Norfolk feel welcomed and can thrive. The department has two divisions: Equity in Action and Economic Inclusion. Equity in Action works to advance equity in Norfolk through the programs, policy, and service delivery within city departments. Economic Inclusion works to create opportunities for economic mobility for residents and business owners through one-on-one business support, training, and assistance with city processes.

The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Executive intern will play a key role in supporting the department’s initiatives by managing projects, performing administrative tasks, and assisting with special projects that advance organizational goals related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Preferred Majors: Sociology, Business Administration, Public Administration, Communications, Marketing, and related majors

Department of Information Technology - Cybersecurity

Information Technology's Cybersecurity Team ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the organizations' information assets. Members of the team are responsible for managing and mitigating potential security risks. This includes protecting the City's sensitive customer data, intellectual property, and other confidential information.

The Cybersecurity team's intern will be exposed to all the aspects of cybersecurity protection in place. Under guidance from senior analysts, they will learn about the need for layers of cybersecurity protection and how different tools interact to reduce vulnerabilities and exposure.

Preferred Majors: Computer Science, Information Systems / Technology, Cybersecurity, Information Assurance, Networking

City Clerk’s Office

The City Clerk’s Office is a legislative branch of the city government. The City Clerk’s Office is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the mayor and council's offices. They work with legal to develop ordinances and resolutions for council to approve and handle constituents calls and off-site events when needed.

This position will assist the city clerk and council with constituents calls and off-site events when needed. Some research will be needed when looking into questions that constituents and members of council may have.

Preferred Majors: Business Administration, Public Administration, Communications, Marketing, and related majors

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