DDA Intern

Location: Royal Oak City Hall

Department: Downtown Development Authority

Job Type: Part-Time

About the role

The Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority offers an internship opportunity to join a small, dynamic team of downtown revitalization professionals. Over the internship, the candidate will participate in hands‑on projects that strengthen knowledge of business development, placemaking, and downtown revitalization, gaining a deeper understanding of what it takes to achieve commercial district revitalization results.

Responsibilities

• Research currently vacant properties and develop strategies to fill them with tenants to enhance the business mix.
• Analyze the Downtown Dollars gift card program; sign up new businesses and work with participants to increase sales.
• Support business development through outreach to businesses, writing newsletter content, and coordinating with the social media team.
• Identify funding opportunities to support current and proposed DDA projects, including completing funding for the Fifth Street Pedestrian Improvement (Phase 1 underway).
• Support data entry and maintenance in the Salesforce/District 360 CRM system (business, property, vacancy information).
• Assist with planning and execution of special events: logistics, vendor/partner coordination, on‑site operational support.
• Provide general administrative support: document organization, scheduling coordination, and special projects as assigned.

Requirements

Current college student in senior standing, recent graduate, or current graduate student pursuing relevant studies. Internship period is one semester, with possible extension into the winter semester based on budget availability and satisfactory performance.

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with local businesses and team members.
• Ability to stay organized, manage multiple tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to build relationships and feel comfortable reaching out to businesses.
• Ability to research information and share ideas or findings clearly.
• Knowledge of or interest in downtown development, business development, or community initiatives.

Skills

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Familiarity with social media or design tools is a plus.

Pay

$18.00 per hour

Schedule

Part‑time position with flexible scheduling based on the applicant’s academic schedule; the ideal schedule includes three working days per week. Some hybrid work‑from‑home flexibility may be available at the manager’s discretion.