About Houston-Galveston Area Council

The Houston-Galveston Area Council is one of the largest regional planning commissions in the country with a diverse service area of 13 counties and more than 7 million people. We are the pulse of our region addressing issues that cross city limits and county lines every single day.

We make decisions that affect our transportation system, ensure the safety and well-being of our seniors, connect people to jobs, help families recover from natural disasters, preserve air and water quality for our children, and so much more. We work to make the region a great place to live, work, and thrive.

The H-GAC Internship Program is designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and your future.

H-GAC is dedicated to developing the talent of up-and-coming college students who strive for academic success and demonstrate leadership. Our internships provide real-life work experiences that are closely related to your field of study, as well as integrating you into our H-GAC culture. In addition to challenging work and making a valuable contribution, you will have the opportunity to be coached and mentored by some of the top leaders in our agency. High performing interns may have the opportunity for future internships or possible full-time opportunities with H-GAC.

Position Summary

The Data Analytics and Research Department at H-GAC is looking to hire three temporary interns. These positions are ideal for college students majoring in Geospatial Science, Geoinformatics, Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, Economics, or Data Science. Interns will work closely with a mentor, gaining hands-on experience and professional training. This role provides a unique opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals and managers with deep expertise in data analytics, visualization, and modeling across socioeconomic, travel demand, and environmental domains. Interns will apply their academic knowledge to contribute to H-GAC programs and projects, directly impacting local communities. Through meaningful assignments, interns will learn how their academic skills translate into a professional setting.

Key Responsibilities:

Interns will have the opportunity to engage in various activities, including but not limited to:

ü Developing geospatial data by creating, digitizing, editing, and removing duplicates from vector and raster-based datasets related to GIS, socioeconomic, environmental, and transportation modeling programs.

ü Conducting research to support the Data Analytics and Research department's program areas, including:

o Analyzing regional socioeconomic trends (e.g., employment/unemployment, real estate activities) and evaluating the applicability of H-GAC's forecast data.

o Collecting and preprocessing remote sensing data (e.g., satellite imagery, aerial images, LiDAR) for geospatial data development and analysis.

ü Supporting the Data Visualization program by developing and updating dashboards, storymaps, and other applications.

ü Working with Enterprise databases (ArcSDE) by reorganizing GIS layers and updating metadata.

ü Creating online and printed cartographic products (map-making) using ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online.

ü Gathering and preprocessing water, air, and land data for H-GAC's environmental modeling efforts.

ü Assisting with database development and entry of traffic count data for transportation models.

ü Supporting event organization and outreach activities for H-GAC's GIS program, such as Regional GIS Day, Geographic Workgroup meetings, and training events.

Key Qualifications:

Ideal candidates should possess some of the following qualifications:

ü Current enrollment or recent graduation with a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Geography, Geospatial Science, Geoinformatics, Urban Planning, Transportation Planning, Environmental Science, Economics, Data Science, or a related field.

ü Basic to intermediate knowledge of geospatial theory, applications, and cartographic design.

ü Proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools such as GIS, Tableau, or Power BI.

ü Experience with ESRI GIS software, including ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, and tools like Dashboards, Storymaps, or Experience Builder.

ü Familiarity with transportation modeling software such as Bentley (Citilabs) CUBE VOYAGER, Caliper TransCAD, Metropia DynusT, PTV VISUM, VISSIM, VISTRO, or Synchro.

ü Knowledge of vector and raster geospatial data and processing techniques, including spatial analysis and image processing.

ü Working knowledge of databases like MS Access, Excel, and SQL.

ü Experience with programming languages such as SAS, Python, or R.

ü Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Houston-Galveston Area Council jobs

Data Analytics & Research Intern