SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The graduate-level intern will assist the Northeast Corridor Commission with its planning initiatives. The Commission was established by Congress in the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 to coordinate agencies that share the region’s core rail network. The Commission is administratively hosted by Amtrak.
The Commission seeks a current graduate student to support its planning initiatives, including the CONNECT NEC Program, the five-year NEC Capital Investment Plan, and any associated infrastructure reporting activities. The intern will work closely with a collaborative team and will have the opportunity to shape project work in coordination with Commission staff. The intern will be responsible for the preparation of public materials (including maps, data visualizations, written material for plans and reports, and website content), data collection, and other tasks as assigned. The intern will also lead and complete a summer-long project. Successful candidates will demonstrate a willingness to undertake unfamiliar initiatives and strong enthusiasm for the Commission’s work.
The internship is a full-time, paid position during Summer 2023 based out of the Commission’s Washington, DC office, which operates with a hybrid schedule. The internship has the potential to continue as a part-time opportunity (15 hours per week) during the subsequent school year.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
The intern will support the following project-based work:
Work with members of the Capital Working Group to collect data from NEC project sponsors;
Use Microsoft Excel and PowerBI to organize and analyze data;
Write and/or edit content that is meant for non-technical audiences; and
Create easy-to-understand tables, graphics, and data visualizations in Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and/or Microsoft PowerBI.
In addition, the intern will work in collaboration with Commission staff to develop, lead, and complete a summer-long project, such as:
Undertake a research project on topic(s) related to the NEC planning and reporting;
Write case studies or explainers to help educate non-technical audiences;
Create tools to help staff standardize the look and feel of documents, tables/ charts, and dashboards; and/or
Update and enhance existing maps that are widely used in public materials.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Must be actively pursuing a graduate degree in public policy, urban planning, engineering or program management at an accredited educational institution.
Strong skills in written, verbal, and graphic communication of quantitative and qualitative information, including the ability to clearly express technical concepts to broad audiences.
Strong attention to detail with both data organization/ analysis and graphic design.
Comfort with using Microsoft Excel to organize and analyze data. Experience with using or willingness to learn Microsoft PowerBI is a plus.
Comfort with Adobe Creative Cloud, particularly Illustrator and InDesign
Must have excellent written and oral communication skills.
Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Ability to stay organized and maintain attention to detail under tight deadlines
Experience collecting, evaluating, and interpreting quantitative data.
Experience using ArcGIS or other similar mapping software.
COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERPERSONAL SKILLS:
Must have excellent oral and written communication skills.
The Commission is administratively hosted by Amtrak. Please submit an application through Amtrak Careers website, Position ID 90353307.