The summer internship program with our engineering, architecture, landscape architecture, construction management and information technology divisions is for currrenty-enrolled college students and offers an opportunity to gain valuable experience.
*For Architectural students, and Landscape Architectural students, submit a school/work portfolio (PDF only, limited to 10 pages) and include it as an attachment to your application.
San Francisco Public Works has a far-reaching portfolio with a $453 million annual operating budget, an active capital portfolio that exceeds $3 billion and a workforce of 1,700-plus employees. The department operates around the clock, touching every neighborhood in San Francisco. The staff designs and manages the construction of civic buildings and streets; cleans and greens the right of way; maintains civic buildings; manages multi-million-dollar bond programs; trains people for jobs; keeps the right of way free of hazards; paves the roads; repairs bridges and public stairways; expands accessibility; and works at the forefront addressing some of San Francisco’s biggest challenges. With a mission to enhance the quality of life in San Francisco for residents, visitors and business owners, Public Works is committed to providing outstanding public service through an equity lens.
The Bureau of Architecture (BOA) is organized around (5) Main Studios, centered around our city agencies. Each studio will be focused on project building types based on these agencies such as healthcare, fire houses, public safety buildings, recreation & parks, interiors, transportation, public utilities, libraries, homeless shelters, and performing arts. The fact that we have a variety of building types and our work is within the city & county of San Francisco, makes internship a unique experience. As a learning lab, our interns not only get to work on all building types, they also get to be in the field and observe construction, something not often found in architectural internships. BOA’s interns will support our office’s full range of professional services, including programming, master planning, site planning, conceptual design, detailed design, contract documents, and construction administration. Our staff works closely with our city agency departments and community groups to create buildings and spaces that are responsive to the building program, respect the urban context and reflect the uniqueness of San Francisco neighborhoods. Studios are not siloed and allow staff movement across sections to foster cross-fertilization of ideas and sharing of skill sets based on project needs. We can draw upon inter-disciplinary expertise through close collaboration with Public Works engineers and landscape architects, allowing for an integrated design process and a culture of excellence. Creating and Maintaining Beautiful, Highly Functional, Sustainable Facilities is a key strategic goal for San Francisco Public Works.
The Bureau of Landscape Architecture is responsible for providing planning and design services to agencies and departments responsible for the development of the City’s rights of way, parks, playgrounds, plazas, green infrastructure, and open spaces. Interns will assist with production drawings, 3D modeling, renderings, community presentations, and construction administration for a wide variety of public open space projects.
The Bureau of Construction Management provides services to manage and inspect construction contracts performed by private contractors hired by the City & County of San Francisco. The Bureau serves the citizens of San Francisco by ensuring that public improvements will be performed safely, efficiently, and in a timely manner. The standards of care are the same whether the Bureau manages the construction of infrastructure or new construction and renovations of facilities. The Bureau enforces contract and permit requirements, interprets plans and specifications, coordinates construction activities, and resolves field issues. Projects include roadway and utility improvements, traffic signalizations systems, bridge retrofits, wastewater facilities retrofits and upgrades, fire stations, police stations, hospitals, laboratories, schools, libraries, City administration buildings and offices, recreation centers, parks, and playgrounds. The Bureau of Construction Management engineers and inspectors make certain all contractors adhere to applicable codes and regulations. As an agency that interacts with various government departments, the Bureau’s engineers, and inspectors are committed to customer service, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
The Bureau of Engineering interns in the following 5 sections will support engineers in providing a full range of professional services, including program and master planning, engineering analysis and studies, conceptual and detailed design for construction, replacement, and improvements of right-of-way infrastructure projects (roadways, water distribution and wastewater collection system, emergency fire protection system, traffic signals and streetlighting, bridges, retaining walls and tunnels); upgrade and renovation of public buildings (hospitals, schools, laboratories, libraries, recreation centers, parking garages, City administration buildings and offices, and police and fire stations) and public facilities (pump stations, water and wastewater treatment facilities and open space projects).
The Project Controls and Services Section provides specialized services, such as materials testing, contract preparation, site remediation, and contract management, with a focus on buildings, infrastructure, institutional, and transportation projects.
The Bureau of Project Management manages the infrastructure and building capital projects for right-of-way infrastructure projects, public buildings, and public facilities to ensure projects are completed on time, on budget, and to a high level of quality throughout the life cycle of a project--planning, design, construction, and project closeout phases.
The Bureau of Street Use and Mapping (BSM) manages the public right-of-way throughout the City. This includes both the street and its sidewalks, but can also include some alleyways, and some public staircases. BSM is comprised of three sections: Permits, Inspections & Enforcement, and Subdivision & Mapping. Interns will support engineers in the review of permits, inspections, or subdivision mapping.