Planning & Sustainability Intern

The Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC or Commission) was created by the State Legislature in 1988 to establish transportation policies and priorities to ensure an equitable allocation of federal, state, and local funds for highway, transit, rail, aviation, bicycle, pedestrian, and other transportation projects in Ventura County. The Commission is also designated to administer and act as the Airport Land Use Commission, Congestion Management Agency, Consolidated Transportation Service Agency, County Transportation Authority, Regional Transportation Planning Agency, Service Authority for Freeway Emergencies, and Local Transportation Authority. VCTC’s vision is “To keep Ventura County moving,” and our Mission is “to create a more connected, resilient, equitable and user-friendly transportation system for Ventura County.” To learn more about VCTC, visit our website at https://www.goventura.org. 

VCTC has established an Intern program designed to benefit both the Intern and VCTC. Interns will learn how to apply skills acquired in the academic environment in a professional setting. Interns will gain an understanding of regional transportation planning and service delivery and/or transit planning and operations.  The program is geared toward students at the college or graduate school level currently studying transportation, transit, urban planning, environmental science, or related fields with an interest in gaining practical experience in a public agency. Recent college graduates are also welcome to apply. 

This is a part-time position. Interns will typically work 16 – 24 hours per week, with flexible scheduling available to meet the individual’s needs. Candidates selected will be able to work up to 960 hours or up to 6 months (whichever occurs first) per fiscal year (July – June). For Fiscal Year 2026/2027, the program will extend between August 1, 2026, and June 30, 2027. Interns in good standing may apply for a second year to participate in the Internship program. One (1) Position will be available in the Planning & Sustainability Department.

Goals and Objectives of the Internship Program:

• Allow individuals to complement their education with practical transportation planning and/or transit operations experience.
• Expose individuals to a professional office environment.
• Expose individuals to a regional transportation planning agency with diverse functions.
• Allow individuals to “test drive” transportation and transit as a possible profession.
• Provide a venue for students to obtain internship credit for graduation.
• Provide relevant experience that allows individuals to better compete for jobs.
• Give individuals challenging tasks and responsibilities that promote personal growth.
• Expose individuals to the interconnected relationships between various governmental bodies.
• Expose individuals to the role of politics in planning and government in general.
• Expose individuals to public administration issues in a government department.

VCTC’s Role:

• Welcome interns and make them feel comfortable so they can do their best.
• Provide the venue for learning.
• Provide supervision, mentoring, and training.
• Based on an intern’s interests, try to arrange suitable assignments.
• Offer feedback on an intern’s performance.
• Sign off on class-related documents indicating that an internship was completed.
• Offer recommendations to prospective employers.
• Grant interns adequate privileges and responsibilities to provide greater insight into the role of staff members at VCTC.
• Provide interns with the opportunities to challenge themselves and work up to their full potential.

The Intern’s Responsibilities:

• Treat the internship like a professional job, for example, using open and honest communication, professional appearance, being reliable, and accountable.
• Articulate to the intern supervisor what he/she hopes to learn from the internship (e.g., general exposure to planning issues or concentrated exposure to one facet of Planning).

General Activities to be Pursued:

• Attend and participate in staff meetings for the assigned department and agency.
• Attend Commission and Committee meetings, such as Transportation Technical Advisory Committee (TTAC), Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee (CTAC)/Social Services Technical Advisory Committee (SSTAC), and Transit Operators Committee (TRANSCOM).
• Meet most, if not all, VCTC staff and learn what they do.
• Meet staff from other divisions/agencies and learn how their work intersects with VCTC.
• Attend other hearings and meetings of interest (Southern California Association of Governments, California Transportation Commission, meetings of transit operators etc.).

Essential Functions by Position:

Planning & Sustainability Intern 

Under the direction of the VCTC Director of Planning & Sustainability, the Planning & Sustainability Intern will directly assist with a wide range of projects related to regional transportation planning and sustainability, including assisting with multimodal transportation planning projects.  The Intern will also assist with various other departmental programs, such as Motorist Aid, Airport Land Use Commission, Santa Paula Branch Line railroad, and/or special projects and events.  

• Assist with public awareness and community engagement activities related to transportation planning projects, such as social media content creation, taking video/photos, creating slides, or participating in pop-up events and community meetings to help improve awareness of transportation planning activities.
• Assist the Planning & Sustainability Department in maintaining files, preparing plans and reports, and coordinating stakeholder and community engagement efforts.
• Provide support to VCTC’s Transit, Government & Community Relations, and Programming Departments, as needed.
• Participate in special projects and perform other duties to ensure the smooth operation of the department, including help at the front desk, assisting with meetings, workshops and events, etc.
• Collect, analyze, interpret, and present transportation and land use data using a variety of tools, including the Ventura County Transportation Model (VCTM) and other sources.
• Complete a variety of tasks to gain as broad as possible exposure to the range of issues dealt with by a regional transportation planning agency.
• Complete several in-depth projects to gain experience in identifying problems, defining solutions, designing programs, researching needed information, presenting the problem and recommendations to others, implementing the solution/program, and evaluating the outcome to determine if the initial objectives were achieved.
• Prepare written work product related to transportation issues that can be used as future writing samples. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

All internship candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications:  

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• Enrolled as a student in a college or university OR a recent graduate of an accredited undergraduate or graduate program (within the last 5 years)
• Relevant coursework, demonstrating an interest and aptitude to work in a related field of study

ADDITIONAL REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Internship candidates must demonstrate the following additional qualifications:

• Ability to use computer software such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Good communication skills
• Ability to handle multiple assignments
• Ability to take initiative and produce completed staff work
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to maintain tact and professional demeanor in the workplace and with the public
• Interns shall not be members of CalPERS 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

The following additional qualifications are desirable, but not required:

• Familiarity with and/or ability to use analytical tools, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and/or transit scheduling software
• Bilingual in Spanish (written and spoken)

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The Intern position is part-time, temporary, non-benefited, and at-will. Intern employees are classified as temporary employees. Interns will be paid an hourly rate based on hours worked. It is important to note that as an at-will employee, there are no rights to employment, and employment may end without cause or advance notice due to program needs. Interns may work up to 960 hours or up to 6 months, whichever occurs first, per fiscal year. Interns must disclose any prior employment by an agency within the CalPERS system. 

Salary:  $18.50 to $21.50 per Hour. 

VCTC does not pay into the Social Security System.  All employees, including temporary employees, are required to participate in the Medicare program and contribute 1.45% of their pay to the program.

Sick Leave – In accordance with California state law AB 1522, part-time employees are entitled to 40 hours of paid sick leave in a 12-month period. Employees accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS

Applications will consist of an application form, résumé, and at least one professional reference (i.e. from an instructor, professor, or past employer, etc.). These submittals must clearly show that the minimum requirements are met. Applicants will be evaluated on related work experience and education qualifications. All statements made on the application are subject to investigation and verification. 

The Intern position is open until filled. To be considered for this opportunity, submit your application that includes the application form, a résumé, and at least one professional reference. The first résumé review date will be July 20, 2026. 

Please submit your application by email to Cecilia Perez, Administrative Assistant, at cperez@goventura.org.  Application submittals should be clearly marked with “VCTC Intern Position Application” in the email Subject line.