Hennepin County’s Environment and Energy department is seeking an intern to assist with geographic information system (GIS) work and file review related to contaminated site management and grant project tracking. The department’s Contaminated Lands Unit (CLU) provides technical assistance on internal county projects and financial assistance on external projects through grant and loan programs. These programs help cities and property owners investigate and clean-up contaminated sites (also known as “brownfields”) for redevelopment into community assets, such as new affordable housing. The CLU’s Environmental Response Fund grant program alone has funded cleanup and investigation of 492 projects.  Through this position, the CLU intern will be provided with exposure to municipal government’s role in brownfields redevelopment projects across the county.

Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information visit employee referral program.

Location and hours:
This position is hybrid, and work duties will be performed at the Hennepin County 625 Building at 625 4th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55487, and remote as required. This position requires access to hard copy files; therefore, interns will be required to predominantly work onsite. Remote work from home may be allowed for certain tasks. The internship is intended to start in June 2025 and last 3 months in duration. The intern must be able to commit to a minimum of 320 hours up to a maximum of 480 hours in 2025 (e.g., 40 hours/week for up to 3 months). This internship is intended to accommodate the summer gap between the academic school year (June through August). Exact start/end dates are negotiable to meet your school requirements. The work schedule will be Monday through Friday during standard business hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While this position is designated as hybrid, based on current requirements hires must reside in or be willing to relocate to Minnesota or Wisconsin.

About this position type:
This position is a part-time limited duration, non-benefit earning internship.

This position is internally classified as an Intern II.
Click here to view the job classification specification.

Note: You must attach a resume with your application materials in order to be considered for this position.  

In this position, you will:

• Review project files and reports to inventory site information and identify site locations and extents.
• Use GIS software to spatially locate sites, plot coordinates, and digitize site locations and extents; create shapefiles and maps; and populate shapefile attribute databases.
• Scan and create electronic records of hard copy reports and site files.
• Work with county staff to learn about brownfields programs and the collaborative government process.

Need to have:

• Enrollment for the 2025-2026 fall academic school year in or a recent graduate (within 6 months from graduation) in an associate, bachelor's or master's degree program.
• Completed one or more college-level GIS courses.
• Experience with Ersi ArcGIS software (ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise)
• Experience with Microsoft 365 products (or equivalent) and Adobe Acrobat Reader or Acrobat Pro.

Nice to have:

• Ability to work independently.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and task management skills.
• Interest in environmental site (brownfields) cleanup and redevelopment and local government.

About the department:
The Environment and Energy department protects and preserves the environment to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations.  We engage communities to develop and enact sustainable solutions. We focus on reducing and responsibly managing waste, protecting and preserving ecosystems, delivering clean energy and promoting environmental stewardship.
 
About Hennepin County:
Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work every day to improve the health, safety and quality of life for our residents and communities. All of our jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that reduce disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all and our vision of a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive.

Hennepin County envisions an organization where our commitment to diversity and the reduction of disparities is fundamental in providing excellent service to our community.
   
Your future. Made here.

Watch this video for application best practices and tips.  

This posting may be used to fill current and future vacancies.
 Invitations to interview will be based upon an assessment of education and experience.

If you have any questions, please contact: 
Pajoua Chang
Pajoua.Chang@hennepin.us