Student Intern (Part-Time) - Airport

Job Description:

Student Intern (Part-Time) - Airport

Description

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

The City of San José is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants for all job openings will be considered without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful under any federal, state or local laws. The City of San José is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at 408-535-1285, 711 (TTY) , or via email at CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov .

About the Department

Fueled by a culture of innovation, San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) is the Bay Area's easiest and most dependable Airport due to its medium size, simple layout, temperate climate and location. SJC is located just minutes from downtown San José-the Bay Area’s largest city and the Capital of Silicon Valley. SJC is a self-supporting enterprise owned and operated by the City of San José. In 2023, SJC welcomed more than 12 million passengers and was rated the Best Midsize Airport in the U.S. by Wall Street Journal . SJC currently offers nonstop service to more than 40 domestic and international destinations. The Airport’s two fixed-base operators, as well as several corporate aviation tenants, serve the business aviation needs of Silicon Valley; corporate and general aviation traffic represents more than a quarter of aircraft operations at SJC. In 2024, SJC celebrated 75 years of connecting the Bay Area with the world. For more information and to connect with SJC on social media, visit? flysanjosé.com .

Position Duties

Be a part of SJC

San José Mineta International Airport (SJC) is now accepting applications for its 2025 Summer Internship Program. SJC is looking for talented, diverse, and innovative future professionals who are eager to work in a public sector setting. The San José Mineta International Airport Internship Program is designed to help students gain professional public sector work experience related to their academic area of interest. This paid internship is a great opportunity to build networking, communication, and analytical skills. In addition, internships at SJC are project-based and can help steer students into a possible career direction.

As a Student Intern at the Airport, you will learn and gain practical experience in multiple areas of airport operations and management. You will also be exposed to various airport industry careers while enriching your personal and educational goals.

SJC Internships provide learning based opportunities that combine Airport business needs with a student's educational focus. Student Interns will perform project-based, para-professional level work specific to the division's core service and will be required to exercise initiative in applying education and/or skills, work semi-independently, and be resourceful and systematic in their approach to project related assignments and tasks. Summer internships are typically 10-12 weeks.

Get Valuable Training and Professional Experience

San José Mineta International Airport hosts student interns annually, from majors that include aviation, finance, graphic design, information technology, accounting, urban planning, political science, public administration, and many others. Applicants must be a currently enrolled in college to apply. Interns at SJC have flexible hours to work around their class schedules. Depending on their roles, interns generally work between 20-30 hours per week.

SJC currently has Student Intern opportunities in the following divisions: Airport Operations, Marketing and Communications, and Airport Technology Services (ATS).

Airport Operations

This division is responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of the Airport to ensure safe and efficient operations such as operation of the airfield, general aviation facilities, emergency planning and coordination, Airport Operations Center, badging and security coordination, parking facilities, shuttle operations, ground transportation, roadway/curbside enforcement programs, and Automatic Vehicle Identification system.

We are looking for 4 interns for Airport Operations: One for Terminal Management, one for Airside, and one for Security Compliance and one for Landside Management.

Terminal Management:
Asset Management

• Inventory all stanchions and panels in the terminal buildings. Create spreadsheets and make recommendations for improvements.
• Work with GIS to update base maps that depict terminal queues, proprietary kiosk placement, and airport-owned self-service kiosk placement.
• Gather data to track all monitors in and outside the terminal, under our control and present findings. Create spreadsheet, take photos, work with Amadeus on identifying when screens were approximately installed and what their useful life is. Develop approximate cost estimates to replace monitors each year over the next few years.
• Inventory and update of tenant office signage, on the ramp, in the ATO corridors, airport-wide.

2. ASQ Surveying - support the Customer Experience and Service Supervisor with meeting quarterly targets for departures surveys. Shifts may vary and may include weekends.

3. Airport Lost & Found Office Support - at a frequency determined by the Customer Experience and Service Supervisor, conduct collection/pick-up of lost and found items throughout the terminals and gain an understanding of the Lost & Found process.

4. Wayfinding Review - assist the team in reviewing wayfinding plans as we prepare for major sporting events in 2026.

In addition to 1 or all 4 of these projects, the Intern would be exposed to different aspects of Terminal Management, Customer Experience and Service, as well as some limited exposure to the rest of Airport Operations.

Airside:

• Assist with Airport Emergency Plan Updates
• Assist with Airport Certification Manual Updates
• Assist in Construction Liaison Support

Landside:

Ground Transportation (GT) Program Permit Renewal Assistance

The biannual Permit Renewal process for all SJC Ground Transportation Operators occurs this year. If placed in this role, under the direction of the Airport Operations Ground Transportation Supervisor, the intern will:

• Update GT operator information in the PropWorks and Gatekeeper systems and permit folders
• Assist with renewal paperwork processing, including communicating to operators in person, over the phone and via e-mail
• Inspect and tag GT operator vehicles for use at SJC
• Process GT permit closures
• Track open GT operator invoices
• Perform audits on current operators to ensure compliance with SJC GT Rules and Regulations

In addition to the above items, the Landside Operations intern would be exposed to other areas of Landside and the other sections within Airport Operations as time allows.

Security Compliance :

The Security Intern would be working with the Airport Operations Security Compliance Team that ensures that the airport remains compliant under Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 49, Part 1542. Security Compliance comprises of the following areas: Airport Operations Center, Airport Badging and Permitting Office and Physical Security.

The Security Compliance Intern will be working on the following projects:

• Poster Program
• Terminal Signage on doors replacement
• If needed, Working with the Senior to updating documents.
• Cyber Lock Audit
• Train with a senior for Prohibited Items Audit
• Camera Audit
• Quarterly Door Alarm & Camera Swing Audit.
• Updating Quick Reference Guild (QRG)
• Updating Security Control Panel (SCP) binders
• Updating the Airport Security Plan (ASP)

The Intern may be exposed to other security activities and conduct smaller Security Compliance tasks

Applicable majors include but are not limited to: Aviation and Aviation Management.

Airport Marketing and Communications

This division provides Airport customers with a wide variety of quality choices for traveler services; attract new air service and airlines to provide business and leisure travelers with options; identify and develop sources of non-airline revenue; communicate effectively with passengers, the public, and the media.

The Marketing and Communications Division is seeking one passionate intern to help with:

• Writing:
  • Press releases, talking points, media alerts, blog posts
• Media monitoring:
  • Compilation of weekly coverage report
• Internal communications:
  • Draft & distribute weekly internal newsletter
• Assist with event management, as needed. This could include new restaurant launches, new airline routes, etc.
• General newsroom tasks:
• Photo/press release distribution
• Updating media lists

Applicable majors include but are not limited to: Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Business Administration, and Hospitality Management.

Aviation Technology Services (ATS)

Airport Technology Services (ATS) provides specialized technology solutions for airports, enhancing operations, security, and passenger experience. This includes systems for air traffic management, baggage handling, flight information displays, communication networks, and airport security. ATS helps streamline airport processes through automation, data integration, and advanced monitoring systems, ensuring efficient and seamless airport operations.

ATS is looking for a college intern to help upgrade and improve the chatbot experience across our website. This role will focus on enhancing chatbot functionality, user experience, and integration with our systems. If time permits, the intern will also contribute to web design updates.

Responsibilities:

Upgrade chatbot features, including conversation flow, responses, and UI elements.

Improve chatbot integration with website and third-party tools.

Analyze chatbot performance and suggest enhancements.

Assist in website design and usability improvements (if time allows).

Familiarity with chatbot platforms (e.g., Dialogflow, BotCopy, etc.) is a plus.

Basic knowledge of web development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) is preferred.

Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work independently.

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Below is a list of things that the intern will work on to improve the chatbot separately from the job description:

1. User Experience (UX) & Interface

Better Natural Language Understanding (NLU) - Improve how well the bot understands user queries.

More Conversational Flow - Reduce robotic responses; make it sound more human-like.

Multi-Turn Conversations - Enable it to remember context within a session to handle follow-up questions better.

Custom UI Elements - Add buttons, quick replies, carousels, or rich media for easier navigation.

2. Functionality & Features

Voice Input & Output - Allow users to speak instead of typing.

Multilingual Support - Cater to a wider audience by handling multiple languages.

3. Performance & Speed

Faster Response Time - Optimize processing speed to minimize delays.

Error Handling & Fallbacks - Provide useful responses when the bot doesn't understand a query.

Indexing - Update knowledge base and improve indexing with faster queries.

Infrastructure - Improve current structure designs.

4. Data & Analytics

Conversation Analytics - Track interactions to identify drop-off points and improve engagement.

A/B Testing for Responses - Test different message styles to see what works best.

User Feedback Collection - Ask users how helpful the chatbot was.

5. Integration Capabilities

Suggestion Features - Recommendations, tracking, and purchases.

Appointment Scheduling - Let users book appointments directly through the chatbot.

Forms submission - Allow passengers to submit lost and found forms directly on the chatbot ... etc.

Maps & Location Services - If relevant, integrate with MapBox or ArcGIS to provide location-based assistance.

Applicable majors include but are not limited to: Computer Science, UX/UI Design, Web Development, or a related field.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES (Illustration only - not all duties are included. The essential functions of the job may vary from position to position and will therefore be established prior to employment appointment.)

Assists with the following:

• Conducts surveys and compiles data for general or departmental use.
• Analyzes and prepares reports and participates in budget preparation and review, and personnel systems administration.
• Reviews records, identifies discrepancies and researches information.
• Performs related work.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Any combination equivalent to completion of high school and current enrollment in an accredited college or university in undergraduate program.

Licenses and Certificates:

Possession of a valid driver's license authorizing operation of a motor vehicle in the state of California may be required in performing job duties.

Other Qualifications

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Knowledge and ability to use computers and its related applications.
  
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with others.
  
• Ability to carry out oral and written instructions.
  
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
  

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

Part-time positions(less than 40 hours per week) are required to participate in the City’s PTC 457 Deferred Compensation Plan per Federal regulations. Employees are required to contribute 3.75% of gross earning and the City contributes a matching amount of 3.75%. The funds contributed by the City are 100% vested upon initial deferral and will be held in in a stability of principal investment. This plan is in lieu of social security and does not include any healthcare benefits or contributions.

Part-time employees may elect to contribute additional retirement savings through the City’s Voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan. Additional Information on both plans can be found on the City’s website.

Closing Date/Time: 3/7/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$15.32 - $21.88 Hourly