Climate Communications & Outreach Intern

Climate Communications & Outreach Intern

The City of Kenmore is seeking a Climate & Sustainability intern interested in gaining experience in climate action messaging, outreach, education, and implementation. This intern will primarily assist with outreach in the community, social media, and various education efforts to support the City’s emissions reduction goals. The intern will help develop messaging, staff outreach events, build relationships within the community, and more. Examples of tasks the intern may work on include creating short-form videos for outreach, tabling the farmers market and City concerts, planning and implementing a Green Jobs Fair, assisting in the facilitation of the Climate Action Advisory Committee, and assisting in the next Climate Action Plan (CAP) update. This list is not exhaustive. The internship is limited to the 2026 calendar year and ends December 31, 2026. The intern may typically work up to 20 hours per week, however, hours may vary depending on school schedule. The intern may choose to increase hours up to 40 over the summer months. This position requires monthly evening availability and occasional weekend availability.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

The intern will assist in the implementation of the City’s Climate Action Plan. Duties and responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Attend/table engagement events
• Develop engagement materials, activities, and events
• Develop and schedule social media content on various topics
• Attend meetings with community partners
• Connect with schools, businesses, and other community groups to develop areas of collaboration
• Assist in policy and program research as needed
• Assist in grant and report writing as needed
• Other climate program tasks as assigned

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• General knowledge of climate and sustainability issues/fundamentals
• Ability to effectively communicate climate topics to diverse communities, age groups, and abilities
• Ability to build relationships with individuals from diverse communities, age groups, and abilities
• Ability to conduct research, summarize, and present conclusions on various topics
• Ability to complete project tasks within specified timeframes
• Ability to break down objectives into appropriate initiatives and actions
• Ability to work independently or as contributing member of a team, work productively and cooperatively with other teams and external customers, and convey a positive image of the City and its services
• Experience using Microsoft platforms (Windows, Teams, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills

Physical Demands:

• Sufficient hand-eye-arm coordination to use a keyboard plus arm/hand movements to retrieve work materials and operate a variety of general office equipment.
• Visual acuity to read words and numbers.
• Auditory ability to carry on conversations over the phone and in person.
• The employee may be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry up to 25 pounds.
• Driving ability in order to transport oneself in and around Kenmore and King County.
• Occasional outdoor work may be required which will require exposure to varying weather and terrain conditions.

Education And Experience:

• Open to all 2 and 4 year undergraduate and graduate students with a major in Communications, Environmental Science, Public Administration, or a similar program of study.
• Must be 18 years of age upon hiring.
• Any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

Licenses And Certificates:

• A valid Washington State Driver’s License is required to drive to various locations to perform work throughout the City of Kenmore or King County. If selected for this position, a good driving record with a three (3) year driving abstract would be required.

Additional Information

Work environment: Duties are performed primarily indoors in an office environment located at 18120 68th Ave NE, Kenmore, WA 98028. Some work can be expected to be performed in the community indoors and outdoors.

Hours of Work: Typical hours may be scheduled between 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Intern will typically work 20 hours per week, but this may increase or decrease depending on school schedule. Position requires attendance at monthly evening meetings and requires occasional weekend hours for events.

Teleworking: The City of Kenmore expects that interns will be readily available to report to onsite work in Kenmore when operational needs require. Interns must have a Washington state address and live in Washington state at the time of hire and for the duration of employment. A hybrid teleworking agreement may be developed with the agreement and approval of the supervisor after successful completion of the first month of employment.

Washington Residency: Applicants must reside in Washington State at the time of employment to fulfill job requirements and comply with state employment regulations.

Other Items and Advantages of Working for the City of Kenmore

This position is eligible for the Washington State public employee retirement plan, and sick leave benefits consistent with Washington Paid Sick Leave (WPSL) laws. This position is not eligible for paid holidays, vacation, healthcare benefits, or 401(a) retirement plan benefits. Kenmore is located on the north shore of Lake Washington and has over seven miles of waterfront along the lake and the Sammamish River. Kenmore is a first-ring suburb of Seattle and is equi-distant to downtown Seattle, downtown Bellevue, Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, and Boeing and Paine Field in Everett. City Hall is in the heart of Kenmore’s downtown and is within walking distance of many local businesses, restaurants and parks! The City of Kenmore is committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. We seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Our Service Vision is Propelling Kenmore Upward: We create a thriving community where all people love where they live.

Key skills/competency

• Climate Action
• Communications
• Outreach
• Social Media
• Community Engagement
• Environmental Science
• Public Administration
• Research
• Policy Analysis
• Event Planning