Careers Internships
OPR is a dynamic and rewarding place to work. Apply for an internship to join our team of mission-driven professionals.
With a diverse policy, planning, and research portfolio, OPR is a dynamic and rewarding place to work. If you are interested in joining a team of talented, committed, and mission-driven professionals, monitor this page for open positions that match your skills and expertise.
About the Internship
The California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) & the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) are offering a paid, 10-week summer internship opportunity. Interns will work closely with a supervisor on a variety of projects that advance the Governor’s policy and planning priorities. Interns will have hands-on opportunities to learn about California State government and policy implementation. Interns will gain skills in policy research and writing, land use planning, local government outreach, interagency coordination, legislative analysis, and more.
Example Intern Projects
- Health and Equity: work on various projects to advance racial equity in California
- Housing and Transportation: conduct research to support housing and transportation programs and planning
- Climate Resilience: assist in developing a cohesive and coordinated response to the impacts of climate change across the state
- Economic Development: engage with state policymakers to align funding and policy to the shift to a carbon-neutral economy
- Community Assistance: help California’s most under-resourced communities build capacity to secure funding for projects to promote climate change resilience
Compensation & Logistics
Through this internship program, OPR and SGC strive to provide opportunities for people representing California’s diverse communities to apply their skills and expertise to meaningful projects. Our paid internship structure aims to reduce barriers for potential interns. We also welcome partnerships with educational institutions and scholarship programs that can place paid interns at agencies like ours.
OPR and SGC’s paid interns will work for 10 weeks at 20–40 hours a week depending on availability. The start and end dates of the internship are semi-flexible. Interns may either work a hybrid schedule based in OPR’s office in Sacramento or may work fully remotely.
General Qualifications
Candidates should be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program. The OPR/SGC Summer Internship Program is seeking to build a diverse cohort of interns from a variety of academic and lived experiences. Ideal candidates may come from a range of academic backgrounds, including tribal colleges, community colleges, and other colleges and universities located in the state of California.
Ideal candidates are self-motivated; can balance multiple projects at once and meet due dates; are highly professional and responsible; have strong verbal and written communication; have great analytical and organizational skills; demonstrate a commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion; demonstrate a strong interest in one or more SGC/OPR subject areas; and are able to contribute to a work environment that celebrates diverse backgrounds, cultures, and personal experiences. Bonus skills: experience with GIS/modeling/mapping tools, graphic design/web design/multimedia skills, communications/outreach skills, or background in legal or legislative analysis.
How to Apply
Please see this job posting and provide a cover letter indicating your availability whether you prefer to work a hybrid schedule out of the office in Sacramento or work fully remotely. Applications will be accepted until May 14, 2023. Qualified applicants will be invited for an interview.
To review the job posting and apply, select “Governor’s Office of Planning and Research” from the “Categories” section on the University Enterprises, Inc. (UEI) jobs portal.
View Postings at the UEI Jobs Portal
Please email any questions to internships@opr.ca.gov.
About OPR & SGC
As the State’s comprehensive planning agency, OPR formulates long-range goals and policies spanning numerous issues, including land use; state and local planning; climate change risk and resilience; equity; renewable energy; transportation; health; and military affairs. OPR also serves important functions in the administration of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). SGC advances healthy, thriving, resilient communities for all by implementing policies through grant programs related to affordable housing, sustainable communities, transit-oriented development, infrastructure, conservation, health, and racial and social equity.