Constituent and Policy Support Student Intern for Councilor Kanal presso City of Portland, OR
City of Portland, OR · Portland, Stati Uniti d'America · Hybrid
- Ufficio in Portland
About the Department
Councilor Sameer Kanal's Office is seeking a Constituent and Policy Support Student Intern to join their team!
Internship Duration: 3 months. Duration is flexible based on Council Office's needs.
Available Internships (Tentative schedule subject to change):- November 2025 - January 2026
- February 2026 - April 2026
- May 2026 - July 2026
Job Appointment: Casual, Part-Time
Work Schedule: Flexible hours between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM. This is a part-time opportunity, with a range of 12-20 hours per week, depending on candidate availability and office workload.
Note: This is a casual position with a maximum of 1,400 hours in a calendar year.
Work Location: Hybrid - Student intern will report to City Hall,1 221 SW 4th Ave, Portland, OR 97204. This role may also participate in events within District 2 . Remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington. For more information, click here.
Benefits: These positions are not eligible for benefits.
Language Pay Differential: Employees who speak one or more languages in addition to English and who use their language skill to assist the community, may receive additional pay. More about the process can be found here.
Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to submit a resume and answer supplemental questions for this application.
Candidates that are students who live, work, and/or study in District 2 (D2) are strongly encouraged to apply to this role.Position Summary
The Office of Councilor Kanal is looking for an organized, self-directed student intern to support its team with tasks related to:
Constituent services
Policy research and economic analysis
Council and committee tracking
Various administrative tasks
The Constituent and Policy Support Student Intern will, with guidance, develop and gain:
Ability to maintain records of and respond to constituent issues or request, ensuring they are addressed in a timely manner
Experience communicating with city council staff to clarify issues, gather insights, and discuss how the Councilor's office should respond to certain legislative proposals.
Knowledge and skills with public engagement, specifically how to effectively represent an organization.
Experience in policy development and research.
About Councilor Kanal’s Office
Councilor Sameer Kanal is co-chair of the City Council Community and Public Safety Committee and a member of the Climate, Resilience and Land Use, and Labor and Workforce Development Committees. His policy priorities include holistic and preventative community safety, police accountability, human and civil rights, worker and renter protections, safe and green transportation infrastructure, and good governance. Councilor Kanal maintains a high level of engagement with constituents and at community events and values community input to co-create policy. His team consists of a Chief of Staff, Senior Policy Advisor, Communications Advisor, and Community Advocate. You can learn more here.
Have a question?
Contact Information:
Vanessa Bodien, Recruiter
[email protected]
Position Duties
The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:
Ability to learn to conduct thorough research on complex policy issues, analyze data, and synthesize findings into actionable insights or recommendations.
Ability to learn how to multitask and manage time effectively in a fast-paced work environment that is subject to frequent change.
Ability to work independently on project-focused goals.
Ability to build and maintain relationships with different audiences such as Council Staff, City Employees, Community-Based Leaders, and District 2 (D2) Constituents.
Additional Qualifications:
Must be a student enrolled in one of the following:
High school
Trade school
Training program
Community college
Undergraduate university program
Graduate program
Preferred Qualification
The following qualification is preferred, but not required to apply:
- Candidates that are students who live, work, and/or study in District 2 (D2) are strongly encouraged to apply to this role.
Minimum Qualifications
STEP 1: Apply online between September 24, 2025 and October 1, 2025
Required Application Materials:
- Résumé
- Answer to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)
- If you would like to request Veteran's Preference, please submit your Veteran documents (ex, DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter, etc.) by the closing date of the recruitment.
Application Tips:
- Do not attach any additional documents. Only the documents requested in the job application will be reviewed.
- Your responses to the supplemental questions should directly address each of the minimum qualifications in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement. Please incorporate details that clearly reflect your qualifications, including descriptions and sources of your education, training, and/or experience.
- Your résumé should support the details described in your response to the supplemental questions.
- Please note, all completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
- Emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted.
Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of October 1, 2025
- An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their resume and supplemental questions, weighted 100%.
- Your résumé and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
- You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
- Additional evaluation may be required prior to the establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.
- Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.
- Please note, the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list.
- Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview.
- Please note, the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list.
Step 6: Start Date: Late October 2025
- A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.
Other Qualifications
Click here for additional information regarding the following:
- City of Portland Core Values
- Recruitment Process - Work Status
- Equal Employment Opportunity
- Veteran Preference
- ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations
Did you know? The City of Portland has How to Apply Videos and offers How to Apply Classes once per month. If you have questions after watching the videos you are invited to contact the recruiter listed on the announcement.
