Public Affairs Intern

About the Role

• The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) seeks a Public Affairs Intern to support community outreach and engagement efforts.
• This internship provides training in a broad range of public affairs strategies and activities.
• The position reports to the Public Affairs Specialist leading community outreach and engagement, with additional assignments from other communications project and program leads.
• Expected start date: January 2027.
• This is a temporary, non-benefited position working 30 – 40 hours per week for a total of 950 hours over a 6-9 month period.

Key Responsibilities

• Represent Midpen at community events and workshops.
• Develop content for social media and digital communications.
• Collaborate with community partner organizations.
• Assist in the planning and execution of public events.
• Assist with general communications tasks as assigned.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Possession of a valid California driver’s license.
• Experience with event management.
• Experience with social media platforms and tools.
• Experience with website content management systems.
• Experience with email marketing platforms.

Qualifications

• Current enrollment in an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree program, or trade school in a relevant field, or a recent graduate (within the last 12 months).
• Background in public affairs, communications, public relations, marketing, policy and government, journalism, community relations, event management, customer service, or a similar field.
• Beneficial: Experience, knowledge of, or an interest in natural history and sciences, environmental studies, parks and open space, or interpretation.

Working Conditions/Schedule

• Location: Midpen’s Administrative Office in Los Altos, CA.
• Hybrid work environment: Divided between on-site work, at-home office work, and some outdoor/off-site work.
• Minimum 2-3 days per week on-site.
• Occasional evening, weekend, or holiday work as needed for special events.
• Required to work most weekends between April and June, specifically April 17 & 18, April 24 & 25, and May 22 & 23.

Application Requirements

• Fully completed CalOpps employment application.
• Cover letter.
• Resume.
• Supplemental question responses.
• Application deadline: Sunday, November 8, 2026.
• Virtual Interviews planned for Thursday, November 19, 2026.