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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INTERN 

2026 COLLEGE SUMMER INTERNSHIP

Administration Department 

15 - 25 hours per week 

$16.90 - $18.84 per hour – Bachelor’s program

$19.56 – $21.74 per hour – Master’s program 

The City of Gilroy is an equal opportunity employer and supports workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Join our team! 


ABOUT THE POSITION

The City of Gilroy is recruiting an undergraduate or graduate-level City Emergency Management College Summer Intern for the summer of 2026. This internship will provide a significant opportunity to gain experience and exposure and accumulate skills that are used daily in city government emergency management programs that make substantial impacts to the community. The Emergency Management Team works year-round to ensure that community is prepared for disasters through planning, training, outreach, and coordination with local and regional partners. Joining our team means contributing to meaningful work that directly supports community reliance and preparedness. 

Working under the supervision of the Emergency Services and Volunteer Coordinator, the Emergency Management Intern will assist with planning, preparedness, outreach, and administrative functions that support OEM programs and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) readiness. Work includes both office-based and field support activities. 

 

ABOUT THE TEAM 

The Emergency Operations Division is a part of the Administration Department. This is a close-knit group with a strong sense of camaraderie, with a passion to serve Gilroy, and are invested in the community’s future and success. We leverage our individual experience and expertise for collaborative problem solving and we enjoy discussing, learning, and planning new programs and how they can be strategically implemented. You will work in an environment that is energizing and multifaceted and where you will be challenged daily. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to meaningful public safety initiatives while building valuable, career launching experience! 

 

VOLUNTEER WORK SCHEDULE 

Internships can start as early as May 26, 2026 and end as late as September 30, 2026. This paid internship is offered at 15 - 25 hours per week with flexible scheduling. The assigned manager will work with the Intern to identify a work schedule during standard work hours as described below. The office start and end date of the internship will be determined at the time of hire. Work hours are generally Monday – Friday between 8:00am – 5:00pm. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO: 

• Assist with reviewing and updating emergency planes, annexes, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) 
• Support EOC readiness activities, including equipment checks, document organization, and checklist updates
• Maintain resource lists, contact databases, and situational awareness tools
• Assist with Emergency Management Volunteer coordination and management 
• Help develop outreach materials and coordinate community education events 

POTENTIAL PROJECTS: 

• Emergency Volunteer Center planning
• Commodity Point of Distribution (POD) planning
• EOC readiness improvement initiatives
• Community preparedness and resilience programs

The Policy Advisor for Public Safety is responsible for tracking and shaping policies related to law enforcement, emergency response services, probation, juvenile justice, and criminal justice reform. The Advisor works to ensure that public safety systems in District 1 are rehabilitative, transparent, equitable, and aligned with community needs. This position reports to the Director of Policy. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Monitor board items and legislative actions related to the Sheriff’s Department, Probation, District Attorney, and emergency response.
• Draft board letters, amendments, talking points, and constituent updates.
• Draft talking points and speeches that communicate the elected’s policies, priorities, and vision to constituents, stakeholders, and community leaders
• Serve as liaison with community safety coalitions, violence prevention groups, and first responders.
• Provide support to the elected at community events coordinating scheduling, logistics, and constituent engagement.
• Conduct research and communicate policy ideas in support of the elected’s legislative agenda.
• Develop strategies that promote rehabilitation, accountability, de-escalation, diversion programs and reduce recidivism. 
• Track jail conditions, behavioral health service integration, and reentry programs.

The Policy Advisor for Land Use and Environment Group (LUEG) leads the Supervisor’s agenda in areas including the Tijuana River sewage crisis, environmental policy, transportation, housing, climate adaptation, agriculture, and regional planning. This person plays a key role in the Supervisor’s priorities for equitable development and environmental justice. This position reports to the Director of Policy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Analyze and advise on policies related to planning, permitting, housing sustainability, and transportation.
• Draft policy proposals, board letters, environmental reviews, and public updates.
• Draft talking points and speeches that communicate the elected’s policies, priorities, and vision to constituents, stakeholders, and community leaders.
• Monitor the County’s Climate Action Plan, general plan amendments, and mobility investments.
• Conduct research and communicate policy ideas in support of the elected’s legislative agenda.
• Provide support to the elected at community events coordinating scheduling, logistics, and constituent engagement.
• Engage with academic researchers, environmental advocates, housing developers, and regional planning agencies.

The Policy Advisor for Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) leads on all matters related to the County’s social services, public health, behavioral health, and child and senior welfare programs. This individual tracks policies, advocates for equitable investments in District 1, and helps design board actions that enhance public health, general welfare, and access to medical care and social support systems. This position reports to the Director of Policy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Analyze HHSA initiatives and county programs related to the safety net, public health, behavioral health, homeless service, housing development, child welfare, and services for seniors and people with disabilities.
• Draft policy memos, board letters, and recommendations to address systemic inequities.
• Draft talking points and speeches that communicate the elected’s policies, priorities, and vision to constituents, stakeholders, and community leaders.
• Serve as a liaison to County departments, community-based organizations, and health justice advocates.
• Conduct research and communicate policy ideas in support of the elected’s legislative agenda.
• Coordinate with the Director of Community Engagement to elevate on-the-ground feedback.
• Provide support to the elected at community events coordinating scheduling, logistics, and constituent engagement.
• Track state and federal funding streams relevant to HHSA priorities.

The Multimedia Designer is responsible for shaping the visual identity and public-facing content of the Office of Supervisor Paloma Aguirre. This creative role includes capturing and producing photos and videos, managing graphic design, and overseeing the visual design and functionality of the Supervisor’s website and digital communications. The ideal candidate has strong creative and technical skills and is committed to community-centered storytelling. This position reports to the Director of Communications. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan, capture, and edit photography and video content for events, announcements, and social media.
• Design flyers, infographics, reports, and branded materials for public distribution.
• Maintain and update the website's visual layout, graphic assets, and visual consistency.
• Collaborate with the Communications Director and Digital Communications Specialist to ensure brand alignment across platforms.
• Archive and catalog media content for future use.
• Assist with livestreaming, lighting, audio, and other media production tasks at press conferences and events.
• Assist with rapid-response visual content during breaking news, emergencies, or policy rollouts.
• Create culturally competent and community-informed visual content that reflects the diversity of the district.

The ideal candidate for Plan Check Engineer with our Office of Building Safety will possess strong technical background in structural engineering and/or building life safety in a wide range of residential and commercial projects.  This candidate will be proactive, customer service-oriented, and a team player and demonstrates effective communication skills.  Analytical skills, initiative, independent judgment, along with strong time management and attention to detail, are key attributes for success in this role.

TO VIEW JOB ANNOUNCEMENT, CLICK JOB ANNOUNCEMENT URL BELOW.

The Digital Media Manager is the lead writer and content strategist for the Office of Supervisor Paloma Aguirre. This position is responsible for developing and executing written content for social media, newsletters, speeches, digital platforms, press releases, and official statements. The Digital Media Manager ensures consistent voice, tone, and message alignment across all platforms and works closely with the Media Content Producer to deliver cohesive digital storytelling. This position reports to the Director of Communications. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Draft, edit, and publish content for newsletters, social media, and the official website.
• Write press releases, talking points, public statements, and speeches.
• Develop and maintain a content calendar in alignment with office goals and public engagement efforts.
• Support rapid response communications during high-profile or crisis events.
• Collaborate with the Media Content Producer to pair visual and written content effectively.
• Track analytics on digital engagement to track performance and adjust content strategies accordingly.
• Ensure all written content reflects the values and voice of the Supervisor.
• Monitor trends and conversations in local media to inform messaging and identify opportunities for engagement.
• Assist with translation and adaptation of bilingual content for cultural accuracy and tone.

The Department: 

Silicon Valley Power (SVP) currently provides over 40 percent of Santa Clara’s electricity from carbon-free renewable resources. In addition to using green energy from large-scale wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric projects outside of the area, SVP employs innovative ways to locally produce electricity by capturing and burning methane gas from a closed city landfill and using power from solar generating systems on city-owned garages and vacant, unusable land. It is the mission of SVP to be a progressive, service-oriented utility, offering reliable, competitively priced services for the benefit of Santa Clara and its customers. Being competitive in the marketplace with a continuous focus on customer service, SVP can provide economic value to the City of Santa Clara and its customers while maintaining low residential rates and offering competitive rates for all customers.

The Position: 

Silicon Valley Power (SVP) is seeking dynamic, engaging and qualified engineers for several vacant Electric Utility Engineer positions in various divisions. 

For SVP Operations Division, this position will be assigned engineering work associated with communication and electrical power engineering. This individual will assist with the programming of industrial multiplexer networks. The individual should have a strong interest in industrial high-speed data networking.

For SVP Engineering and CIP projects Division, this position will be assigned engineering work associated with electrical power engineering, substation design and Transmission and distribution systems. The individual may manage or will assist in managing Capital improvement Projects (CIP) to support growth of the electric utility. The candidates should have strong background and interest in electric systems. 

For System Planning and Asset Management Division, this position will be assigned to perform and maintain distribution system model, participate in integrated SVP system planning and other SVP groups to deliver distribution system results and reports, identify and implement projects that are necessary to support load growth and improve reliability of the distribution system. This position will work closely with customer/developers on their projects, will coordinate with various City departments and support SVP’s field and operation staff as necessary. 

Additional Information: 

Applications must be filled out completely (e.g. do not write “see resume, NA, or personnel file.”). To receive consideration for the screening process, candidates must submit a 1) Cover Letter and 2) Resume. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application packets may be submitted online through the “Apply Now” feature on the job announcement at www.santaclaraca.gov. This position is open until filled: Applications will be reviewed on a bi-weekly basis for consideration to the position.   If you are interested in applying you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, before the position is closed.

THIS RECRUITMENT MAY BE USED TO FILL MULTIPLE POSITIONS IN THIS, OR OTHER DIVISIONS OR DEPARTMENTS BESIDES THE POSITIONS LISTED ABOVE.  IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EMPLOYMENT IN THIS CLASSIFICATION, YOU SHOULD APPLY TO ENSURE YOU ARE CONSIDERED FOR ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY UTILIZE THE APPLICANTS FROM THIS RECRUITMENT.MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS DOES NOT GUARANTEE ADMITTANCE INTO THE EXAMINATION PROCESS.  ONLY THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WHO DEMONSTRATE THE BEST COMBINATION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN RELATION TO THE REQUIREMENTS AND DUTIES OF THE POSITION WILL BE INVITED TO TEST OR INTERVIEW. APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR POSITIONS ADHERING TO ALL APPLICABLE CITY POLICIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO CMD 033- EMPLOYMENT OF RELATIVES.

The annual salary range for this position is $185,797.44 - $236,936.04.  This position may be filled at or near the minimum of the salary range. 

Minimum Qualifications:

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements: 

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with: 
  a) Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering and two (2) years experience doing electric utility engineering work,

or

b) Bachelor's Degree in Engineering and three (3) years experience doing electric utility engineering work and experience using AutoCAD and Microsoft office (i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Mathlab)
 

Acceptable Substitution: 

• A Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited college or university may be substituted for one (1) year of experience

• An Engineer-in-Training Certification with ten (10) years of experience in electric utility engineering work can be substituted for the degree in engineering and the required experience indicated above

License/Certifications: 

Possession of an appropriate, valid Class C California driver's license is required at time of appointment and for the duration of employment.

Desirable Qualifications: 

• Registration as an Electrical, Mechanical or Civil Engineer in the State of California
• Experience using ESRI based Geographic Information System (GIS)
• Experience using system modeling and load flow software; Aspen one-liner software, GE PSLF, and DEW ISM

Special Conditions: 

May work unusual hours in emergency situations, or while acting as supervisor, or at other than the regular job site.

Other Requirements:  

Must be able to perform all of the essential functions of the job assignment.

Follow this link to view the entire Class Specification, which includes more information on Typical Duties and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

Candidates must attain a passing score on each phase of the examination process to qualify for the Eligible List. A department interview may be required prior to appointment.

Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of Santa Clara will not sponsor, represent, or sign documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application. 

PERMANENT CITY EMPLOYEES PREFERENCE POINTS: Current permanent employee candidates who receive a passing score on the examination will have an additional five (5) points added to their final score.

The City of Santa Clara is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of Santa Clara is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at (408) 615-2080 or HumanResources@santaclaraca.gov. 

This is a full-time 2-year opportunity to put your public administration education into action! The City is seeking a qualified individual for the position of Management Fellow*. We are looking for an individual with strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills and an interest in a career in public service to join the City Manager's Office. You will join a fast-paced, dynamic team environment, gain exposure to the process of City decision-making and operations and receive mentoring from the Assistant City Manager and other organizational leaders. You will receive guidance and coaching from the Deputy City Manager. You will also receive access to learning and networking opportunities with the NextGen Regional Management Fellows Program of Silicon Valley and other professional development organizations. 

*This is a limited period assignment currently authorized through June 30, 2026, with the potential for renewal on a year-to-year basis with City Council approval.  This is an at-will position and, as such, employment may end at any time without notice and for any reason.