Location: SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street, San Francisco
Hours per week: 20 hours per week (minimum)
Commitment: 3 months
Start date: Starting no later than March 3
Reports to: Food Systems and Urban Agriculture Program Manager

GENERAL SUMMARY

SPUR is seeking an intern to support our research on improving food access in the Bay Area. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with extensive research skills, a passion for city and county policy, and in interest in laying the groundwork for a future advocacy initiative. The Food Systems and Urban Agriculture intern will support the work of the Program Manager. The intern will be responsible for in-depth research on food access policy in multiple cities, conducting interviews with experts, analyzing data for an upcoming report, and writing summaries of their research to be incorporated into the final research report. Additionally, the intern will be asked to help with the logistics of task force meetings and on various food systems projects on an ad-hoc basis. The intern is expected to be organized, detail-oriented, self-directed and professional.


Internship Responsibilities
• The bulk of this internship will involve research and analysis, including arranging for phone and in-person interviews of issue experts as well as literature reviews.
• Synthesize research into memorandum or report format
• Attend meetings, including bi-weekly task force meetings and monthly Policy Board meetings, and take notes
• Generally support the Food Systems and Urban Agriculture Program Manager in reaching goals of the program

Preferred knowledge, skills and abilities
• Strong research and writing skills
• Familiarity and interest in food systems policy and the legislative process
• Experience with self-directed research, including literature reviews, conducting interviews, basic data analysis, summarizing findings, and synthesizing information into a narrative format for a general audience

Qualifications
• Some graduate level studies in policy, planning, or related fields preferred. Exceptional candidates with a bachelor’s degree (and no graduate level studies) will also be considered.

Duration of Internship
The internship is three months long beginning no later than March 3, 2014.

Benefits
Internships at SPUR are unpaid. However, interns will enjoy SPUR membership benefits, including free admission to all forums and tours and a one-year subscription to SPUR’s magazine, The Urbanist. As a thought leader in urban planning policy, SPUR has been a valuable stepping stone for interns to prestigious graduate schools and careers in real-estate, public policy, architecture, and urban design.

Work Location
The intern will be provided space to work on the 3rd floor of SPUR’s San Francisco offices with internet and phone access for use at their discretion. The intern will provide their own laptop computer. The intern will be expected to work at SPUR’s office at least one day per week on a regular schedule and at specific times as directed by the program manager. At all other times, the intern may work from any location of their choosing so long as they are available by phone and e-mail with a consistent schedule.

About SPUR’s Food Systems and Urban Agriculture Program
SPUR’s Food Systems and Urban Agriculture Program provides research, education, and advocacy targeted at building awareness among our members, the public, and policymakers that we translate into policy supporting the sustainability of the regional food system. In the past year, the program published Locally Nourished , a report that explored how a stronger regional food system benefits the Bay Area. Additionally, the program hosts more than twenty public events each year on issues ranging from wholesale distribution infrastructure to the opportunities and challenges of reforming school food. For more information, see: http://www.spur.org/food-systems-and-urban-agriculture

About SPUR
SPUR is one of North America’s preeminent urban planning and public policy organizations. Through research, advocacy and public education, SPUR promotes good planning and good government with a focus on the San Francisco Bay Area Region. SPUR is a member-supported nonprofit organization.

Application
To apply, send your cover letter and resume to John Means, Research and Volunteer Coordinator, with the position title in the subject line, to internship@spur.org.