Get real world experience with us! King County Metro’s Mobility Division is seeking four interns to work as “Student Transit Champions,” educating the public about transit services and products. The internship will be eight weeks, July 8 through August 30.
This position works with three groups within King County Metro: Transportation Demand Management (TDM), Marketing, and the Marine Division. The TDM team works to remove or reduce barriers to transit and sustainable transportation options through a variety of tools, including outreach, education, marketing and incentives. The Marine Division operates Water Taxi ferry service on two routes in Puget Sound. The Marketing group manages the Metro brand and develops campaigns that support agency goals (providing safe, equitable, and sustainable mobility, and prioritizing service where needs are greatest)
We are seeking four undergraduate students with an interest in educating the public about sustainable transportation options including the Water Taxi, Metro Flex, and Free Youth Transit Pass. The Water Taxi provides high quality service on two routes from the Seattle Waterfront, one to West Seattle and one to Vashon Island, and will be adding midday service to Vashon Island this summer. Metro Flex is an on-demand app based neighborhood transit service that provides rides within multiple King County neighborhoods. Free Youth Transit Pass allows youth 18 and younger to ride transit for free.
This role is a good fit for students looking for communications, marketing, and outreach experience, with a focus on sustainable behavior change.
INTERN EXPERIENCES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
• Educate the public about the Water Taxi, Metro Flex service, Free Youth Transit Pass, and other transit services and products.
• Staff information booths at farmers markets, fairs, and other summer events.
• Share Water Taxi information and wayfinding at and near the Seattle waterfront to encourage ridership, especially on big event days.
• Create content, activities, and a measurement strategy for Water Taxi social media, in coordination with Metro staff.
• Present lessons learned and recommendations to Metro leadership.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Students must meet one of the below criteria:
• Currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student
• Has been accepted into an undergraduate institution for the Fall 2024 quarter/semester as a full-time student (i.e. between high school and college)
• Is not currently enrolled but will resume enrollment in Fall 2024 as a full-time student (i.e. between years of college)
• Interest in marketing Water Taxi services, Metro Flex, and other transit services with goals of increasing awareness and ridership
• Interest in interacting with the public, hotel concierges, and tourist/travel organizations
• Experience with public interaction
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage and strike up conversations with strangers
• Demonstrated people skills through past work or volunteer experience
• Ability to successfully work with a dynamic team contributing to performance goals
• Ability to work in an outside environment and engage and interact with the public throughout the day
• Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully with a diverse group of individuals from a variety of different positions and backgrounds.
• Passionate about equity and social justice
• Interest in or knowledge of public transit, sustainable behavior change, or related topics
Desired Qualifications:
• Strong social media skills
• Experience in marketing
This work will provide the opportunity to learn/build skills in:
• Public outreach principles, including developing inclusive outreach strategies and materials, engaging potential transit riders, and managing communications with diverse audiences
• Innovative social media engagement and developing effective strategies to get desired results and reaching potential customers
• Marketing and sales principles
• Building relationships with downtown Seattle hotel concierges, tourists, and other potential customers
• Team building amongst the intern team
• Communicating the benefits of transit to the public
• Fundamentals of the maritime industry
PAY, BENEFITS, SCHEDULE, AND LOCATION
Pay
Undergraduate interns will be compensated at $20.0157– $25.485 per hour.
Benefits
Interns receive a free ORCA transit pass for unlimited rides on King County Metro and Puget Sound region transit services. These classifications are not eligible for retirement, holiday or vacation pay.
Work Schedule
Students may work up to 40 hours/week. Event schedules and specific staffing assignments will vary, and students are anticipated to work approximately 30-35 hours/week. Working hours will include a mix of weekdays, weekday evenings, and weekends, depending on event schedules.
Work Location
The work will be performed through a combination of teleworking and onsite work. Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours, when not conducting outreach or staffing events. This could include working onsite as needed.
Interns must reside in Washington state during the period of this internship. This position will report to 201 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104, with outreach and event staffing occurring at locations throughout the county. Unless accomplished via the provided ORCA card, commuting to onsite work will be at the expense of the employee
HOW TO APPLY
All applications received by 11:59 PM on May 12, 2024, will be reviewed, and the most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in an interview. Final offers are contingent on the successful completion of reference checks. Proof of enrollment in an undergraduate program for Fall 2024 quarter/semester will be required for student internships at the time of hire.
Applications received after 11:59 PM on May 12, 2024, will be placed in a second-round hold, and those applicants will be contacted only if hires are not committed during the first round of screening and interviews.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Union Membership: These positions are not represented by a union.
If you are interested in pursuing a position on this posting, please follow the application instructions listed above. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you have questions, please contact MetroYouth@kingcounty.gov.