Management Intern Program
Make a difference in America’s fifth largest city. • Develop management skills in the best run city in the U.S.
Advance your career through a network of more than 165 alumni. • Gain unique exposure to city operations.
Be part of a tradition nearly 60 years old. • Build a life in the "Gateway to the Southwest" with 300 days of sunshine a year.
Be part of a city thriving on innovation, excellent service, community engagement and sustainability.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The city of Phoenix Management Intern Program is a nationally recognized program that has been training future municipal leaders since 1950. This will be the 60th class of the program. More than 165 former participants have achieved success in all levels of government as well as in the private sector. If you are interested in a rewarding and challenging public service career, this is an excellent opportunity to apply to work in an award-winning, world-renowned municipal corporation in one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States.
Our full-time program is similar to a one-year, paid fellowship. The current recruitment is open to talented individuals holding a master’s degree or those who will satisfactorily complete all coursework for a master’s degree by June 29, 2009. City employees are encouraged to apply.
The program is designed to attract, develop, and retain talented individuals with an interest in a local government management career. This program gives selected participants the opportunity to observe firsthand the efforts of a large city government working to resolve some of its most pressing issues. Our program is unparalleled in terms of the opportunities participants will have to meet and network with executives and managers. Successful participants are highly recruited by departments to fill available city jobs, and many of our top-level executives began their career with the city in this program.
THE YEAR-LONG PROGRAM
A Wide Range of Experiences
Caption redrock:Mayra Baquera, class of 2008-09, discusses the city’s water supply with City Manager Frank Fairbanks (center) and Deputy City Manager David Cavazos (right, class of 1987-88).
If selected, you will learn about every facet of a large, urban, complex city operation from the ground up. During this exciting, and fast-paced year, you will:
- learn about city operations through tours, ride-alongs, meetings and observations such as riding in a police helicopter and meeting directly with the city’s executive team and department heads.
- work on a variety of assignments and projects that affect our community of 1.63 million residents.
- gain exposure to innovative best practices in an our award-winning organization through your rotations in the City Manager’s Office, the Budget and Research Department and a department that provides direct service to the community.
- participate in the process of setting city policy by staffing City Council meetings.
- use your research and writing skills by studying an issue, recommending solutions and drafting a management report.
- work directly with residents and city staff on service delivery to the public.
Some of the projects completed by past participants include:
- Coordinated the city’s 2008 Earth Hour event with the World Wildlife Fund and city departments
- Assisted in developing the city’s Sustainability Action Plan
- Analyzed best practices for apprehending real time graffiti vandals,
- Developed performance measures for management operations of city facilities
- Established benchmark guidelines for departments’ use of alternative fuels
- Drafted policies and procedures for installing and using closed-circuit television systems for buses and light rail
Professional Development
Selected participants have numerous opportunities to work and meet with executives, managers, supervisors and employees in our 17,000-strong organization. Participants will have the opportunity to attend local and regional professional conferences during the year, and to network with government professionals from throughout the United States.
Additionally, if selected, you will join our community of more than 165 program alumni who work in diverse fields throughout the U.S. The current positions held by some of our alumni include:
- City Manager
- Communications Director for Public Employees Retirement Association
- Deputy City Manager
- Deputy County Manager
- Director of a County Community and Economic Opportunity Department
- Executive Director of a League of Cities
- General Manager
- State Emergency Administrative and Financial Manager
- Corporate Senior Vice President
- Senior Manager of Public Affairs with America’s top Fortune 500 company
- Senior Vice President of a Major Airline
- Vice President of the Nation’s Seventh Largest Insurance Company
Participants will receive an extensive orientation on city operations, programs and services. There will be opportunities to take a number of training classes on a wide variety of topics throughout the year. Participants will have access to professional development funds and tuition reimbursement from the first day of the program.
Salary and Benefits
The salary range for the 2009-10 fiscal year is $36,526 - $54,397. City employees selected for the program who are in a higher salary range will remain at their current rate of pay throughout the program.
The city’s comprehensive benefits package is considered one of the top reasons people are attracted to our organization. Benefits include:
- medical and dental insurance
- city-sponsored training
- a free bus and light rail pass
- 11 ½ legal holidays
- housing discount programs
- tuition reimbursement
- a defined benefit retirement program
For details, visit http://phoenix.gov/jobs/supvr.html
AFTER THE PROGRAM: BUILDING A CAREER
Caption royalblue:Aaron Mertz, class of 2008-09, discusses the new recycling campaign with Deputy City Manager Rick Naimark (center, class of 1986-87) and Executive Assistant to the City Manager Lisa Takata (right, class of 1987-88).
More than 165 former interns have achieved success in all levels of government and the private sector. Many of our top-level executives and managers began their career with the city in this program. There are former participants in nearly every city department/function or program from Aviation to Light Rail to Water Services. Examples of positions currently held by alumni within the city of Phoenix include:
- Deputy City Manager
- Executive Assistant to the City Manager
- Assistant to the City Manager
- Equal Opportunity Director
- Housing Director
- Assistant Aviation Director
- Assistant Public Works Director
- Deputy City Clerk
- Deputy Parks and Recreation Director
- Deputy Public Works Director
Successful interns are highly recruited by city departments to fill available city jobs. Though a city job after the internship is not guaranteed., 99 percent of interns who have chosen to continue their career with the city have been able to secure a city position. The management intern position is the entry level to the following career track:
- Management Assistant I ($44,678 - $66,509)
- Management Assistant II ($60,178 - $89,864)
Participants in the 2007-08 class moved to the following positions after concluding the program:
- Airline Affairs Project Manager ($56,264 - $83,886)
- Senior Programs Supervisor II ($45,926 - $68,723)
- Management Assistant I ($43,888 - $65,333)
BECOME A MANAGEMENT INTERN
Requirements
A master's degree or the completion of all coursework towards a master's degree by June 29, 2009.
How to Apply
The recruitment for the 2009-10 internship year closed Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. Recruitment for the 2010-11 year will open in Fall 2009.
The Selection Process
- This recruitment involves a competitive process so we encourage you to put your best effort into your application materials.
- We typically receive more than 110 applications a year from talented individuals of all backgrounds from throughout the United States and the city organization.
- The city usually selects two to three individuals a year. They will work together as a class and on individual assignments throughout the program year.
- Application packets will be evaluated based on all completed materials submitted. This will include successful presentation of requested information and job-related factors such as writing skills and commitment to public service or local government.
- The results of the initial screening process will be sent to your primary e-mail address.
- By February 2009, 8-12 semifinalists will be invited to an interview on March 5 and 6, 2009.
- Selections will be made in March 2009.
ABOUT PHOENIX
Caption saguaro:Nicole Williams, class of 2008-09, dicusses the budget with Assistant City Manager Alton Washington (left) and City Council Chief of Staff Cynthia Seelhammer (right).
Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the United States. Phoenix covers nearly 520 square miles and has a population of more than 1.6 million, ranking it fifth in the United States. While Phoenix is the corporate and industrial center in the Southwest, it has retained its long-time reputation of friendliness and citizen involvement in government.
Vibrant Downtown Core
The city has many new projects and activities in its increasingly vibrant downtown core. Downtown Phoenix features theatres, major sports arenas, a newly expanded Phoenix Convention Center, the new Phoenix Biomedical Campus, and the growing Arizona State University Downtown Phoenix Campus and University of Arizona College of Medicine. Connecting the downtown core to the rest of the Phoenix area will be the new light rail transit system, which is scheduled to open in December 2008.
A Great Place To Live
Our 300 days of sunshine a year provide the perfect landscape for experiencing the rich diversity of things to see and do in Phoenix. We have everything from world-class hotels and resorts to exhilarating adventure, breath-taking golf courses, trendy shopping, modern nightlife and enriching culture. About one in four residents belong to an emerging ethnic group, bringing traditions, beliefs and values that enhance the city’s social fabric. We are home to the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Valley hosted the Superbowl in 2008 and will be home to the NBA All-Star game in 2009.
Council-Manager Form of Government
Phoenix operates under a council-manager form of government. The Phoenix City Council is comprised of the mayor and eight council members, who serve as the legislative and policymaking body of the municipal government.
The city manager works closely with the mayor and council members to assist them in formulating policies and programs. Overseeing more than 17,000 city employees, the manager is responsible for the efficient ongoing operation of all city services as set forth by the City Council. Interns will have the opportunity to work in the City Manager’s Office with the city manager, the assistant city manager and deputy city managers on various projects.
An Award-Winning City
The work of the City Council, city staff and many community volunteers has earned Phoenix both national and international recognition over the years.
Honored for its commitment to excellence, Governing magazine recognized Phoenix as the best-managed city in the United States in 2000. Phoenix received this acclaim for its success in the areas of human resource management, capital management, managing for results, financial management, and information technology management. Phoenix also was recognized by Financial World magazine as the best financially managed city in the United States in 1995.
In addition to its four All-America City titles, Phoenix won the 1993 Carl Bertelsmann Prize, a prestigious international competition that recognized the best-run city government in the world. Phoenix, which shared the prize with Christchurch, New Zealand, was praised for its highly efficient and customer-oriented programs.
In 2008, the National League of Cities and National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials presented the city with the first place award in the Excellence in Diversity category for our Healing Racism community dialogue series for cities with a population of more than 400,000 residents.
Phoenix won national recognition in 2004 as the most accessible-friendly city in the National Organization on Disabilities Third Annual Accessible America Contest. Phoenix was recognized for its focus on disability issues and successful design of accessible programs, services and facilities.
The 2008 Community Attitude Survey showed 88 percent of Phoenix residents were satisfied with the city’s service delivery and 91 percent of residents rated Phoenix as a good place to live.
The 2007 Employee Opinion Survey showed 97 percent of city employees rated Phoenix as a good place to work.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For program questions, contact Julie Flaskerud in the Budget and Research Department at 602-262-4800 (TTY relay 602-534-5500), or by e-mail at budget.research@phoenix.gov. For personnel- or application-related questions, contact the Personnel Department at 602-262-4655.