GIS Analyst Intern

Be part of a creative team in a dynamic & diverse region!

Who We Seek:
Centralina Regional Council seeks a graduate student with experience and interest in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to support a regional data collection and analysis initiative in the position of GIS ANALYST INTERN.

Our Organization:
Centralina Regional Council is an innovative regional planning agency located in Charlotte, NC with a membership that includes 60+ local governments throughout the Greater Charlotte Region. Centralina works with individual communities and leads major projects that transcend local and regional boundaries. Our mission is to lead regional collaboration and spark local action to expand opportunity and improve quality of life. Learn more about our work at www.centralina.org.

The Centralina Team:
Centralina strives to provide an inclusive, creative and supportive work environment for its employees. Centralina’s staff of 50+ individuals serve as subject-matter experts to ensure our organization is able to meet critical business needs and is responsive to the needs of communities across our region. Centralina’s staff of friendly, talented and professional individuals helps ensure Centralina remains a trusted source of data and analysis that informs decision makers and calls attention to important trends. Centralina is a great place to work, learn and grow in your career!

The GIS Analyst Intern will work primarily under the Regional Planning Department. Centralina Regional Planning helps local governments create places of lasting value by developing comprehensive and mutually beneficial solutions, and by engaging the region and local communities to strengthen relationships and bring communities together.

Description of the Work:
In the greater Charlotte region, the Metrolina CommunityViz Model (MCM) has served as a visualization of the interaction between land use and transportation planning and policy for the last decade. Every four years, local governments and transportation planning organizations work together to update the MCM with current land use and population data. Centralina Regional Council facilitates collaboration between communities across the region to develop consistent, verified regional population and employment data in an effort to increase efficiencies, integrate land use policy with transportation decision-making, and capture an accurate picture of growth in our region. Outputs from the MCM are used to forecast future demand on transportation infrastructure and inform the prioritization of transportation projects and funding in rural, suburban and urban communities across the region, underscoring the importance of incorporating consistent and comprehensive regional data.

The GIS Analyst Intern will support the Centralina Regional Planning team in leading the regional process to collect, create and confirm local datasets. The position will involve the collection, organization, categorization and analysis of geospatial data, using up-to-date aerial imagery as a reference. Specific job duties will include:

Assisting with the collection and organization of county tax parcels and other GIS data layers from local governments and outside agencies.
Coding tax parcels for development status (developed, undeveloped, underdeveloped, agriculture, etc.).
Coding tax parcels to one of twenty-five Community Types (form-based land use).
Using geospatial data to create maps for reference and analysis.
Other GIS-related activities.
Depending on the selected intern’s availability, abilities and interests, opportunities also exist to support in-person and virtual engagement activities with regional stakeholders (local land use planners, transportation planners and developers).
Desired Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Qualified applicants will be proficient in several or all of the following areas and demonstrate curiosity and a strong desire to learn:

Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative analysis, research and communication.
Experience manipulating, analyzing, visualizing and interpreting spatial data.
Strong understanding of GIS concepts and functions, and familiarity with ArcGIS.
Detail-oriented and excellent organizational skills.
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
Proficiency in visual communications and storytelling (experience with Adobe Creative Suite is a plus).
Position Details:
The GIS Analyst Intern will have a flexible work schedule, averaging 20 hours per week, between May 2023 and December 2023 (with the possibility of extension through May 2024). This position reports to the Centralina Senior Director and is eligible for compensation of up to $19 per hour based on experience.

Applicants must be able to perform work from the Centralina Regional Council office (10735 David Taylor Dr, Charlotte, NC) for the duration of at least one academic term. For example:

Applicants attending school outside of the Centralina region will be expected to work in-person during the summer and will be able to perform work remotely from school during the semester.
Applicants attending school within the Centralina region will be permitted to begin the internship remotely over the summer with the expectation that they will perform work in-person once in the region for the semester.

Who Should Apply?
Applicants meeting the following criteria are strongly encouraged to apply for this position:

Bachelor’s degree in Geography, GIS, Computer Science, Information Technology/Systems, Planning, Public Policy, Public Administration, Transportation, Environmental Studies, or another related field.
Applicants enrolled in a master’s program in a related field are preferred.
Advanced undergraduate candidates may be considered if able to demonstrate advanced proficiency in GIS.
How to Apply:
Interested individuals are encouraged to send a resume and cover letter to: admin@centralina.org with “GIS Analyst Internship” in the subject line.

Deadline: Applications accepted until March 31, 2023, with rolling interviews. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply early. EOE.