Internships

Are you a recent college graduate who wants to learn about local government, work near our nation’s capital, make new friends, and gain resume-enhancing work experience?

Arlington County is an exciting, innovative local government located in Northern Virginia. Our internship program seeks bright, highly motivated individuals for an exciting one-year Internship in a variety of positions across the County. These positions offer a career opportunity to qualified individuals with little or no previous professional work experience to help them prepare for a career in a variety of fields of work.

Management Intern Cohort Program

Over the course of a year, Management Interns work under the mentorship and supervision of senior staff members to gain valuable on-the-job training and real-world work experience. These Internships provide new college graduates and currently enrolled graduate students with in-depth, hands-on learning opportunities in areas critical to supporting local government initiatives while participating in an educational cohort where they are provided opportunities to learn and network alongside their peers. 

See positions here 

The professional development training cohort spans the length of the internship and includes:

  • Career Development Training Courses
  • Networking Luncheons with County Leadership
  • Field trips to facilities around the County to find out more about local government operations
  • Volunteer Opportunities
Additional Internship Opportunities

Depending upon the needs of the organization, Arlington may offer seasonal or part-time internship vacancies in addition to the Management Intern Program. Keep checking our postings for these opportunities.

GIS & Planning Internship (Part-time/Temporary)

  • Job Schedule: Part time (up to 20 hours/ week)
  • Salary Range: $23.00-$28.00 Hourly
  • Locations: 2100 Clarendon Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22201, US
  • Job Category: DPR Planning and Development

Job Description

The Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) seeks a qualified GIS & Planning Intern to support the completion of the County’s Privately Owned Public Space (POPS) inventory. This position will support the documentation, data management, and mapping of Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS).

The intern will work under the supervision of the DPR Landscape Architect on the Long-Range Planning Team and will contribute to an ongoing County initiative to improve the accuracy and accessibility of Privately Owned Public Space data through Geographic Information System (GIS)-based tools.

Responsibilities:

  • Assist with the field verification, documentation, and assessment of Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS) within Arlington County;
  • Collect, compile, and organize inventory data, including public space attributes, amenities, access conditions, and physical characteristics;
  • Input, edit, and maintain spatial and tabular data within the County’s GIS platforms;
  • Support the development and refinement of GIS layers associated with the Privately Owned Public Space (POPS) inventory;
  • Conduct quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) reviews to ensure data accuracy, completeness, and consistency;
  • Prepare maps, exhibits, and summary materials for internal departmental use;
  • Research of site plan condition language associated with each documented public space;
  • Coordinate with DPR staff and other County agencies to support data collection and verification efforts;
  • Assist with the public facing Privately Owned Public Space (POPS) website content;
  • Support project leads with committee meetings, including logistics, preparing meeting materials, including maps, analyses, presentations, and drafting meeting summaries; and
  • Perform related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Current enrollment in, or recent completion of, a bachelor’s or graduate-level program in Urban Planning, Urban Design, Geospatial Analysis, Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Environmental Studies, or a closely related field;
  • Experience with GIS software applications, such as ArcGIS Pro and/or ArcGIS Online; and
  • Experience with Microsoft Excel or similar data management tools.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience with field data collection and site inventory;
  • Working knowledge of parks planning, or land use planning principles;
  • Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage and organize datasets effectively;
  • Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills;
  • Demonstrated research and analytical skills; and
  • Time management skills with the ability to manage concurrent tasks.

Employment Term:

This internship will have a term of up to 6 months and may include a combination of fieldwork and office-based assignments.

Application Submission Information:

  • Please send your resume and 1 (one) writing sample, which could be a Cover Letter to Hannah Park, hpark@arlingtonva.us.
  • Candidates may also choose to submit up to 3 (three) additional Work/Academic Samples (i.e., mapping, graphics, inventory, etc.) from their portfolio.
  • Deadline: All applications are requested by Friday, November 13, 2026. 
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