Graduate/Law Student Intern - Transportation Policy and Research

Graduate/Law Student Intern - Transportation Policy and Research (Hybrid/ San Francisco, CA), San Francisco

• General Information

  • Job Title:

    Graduate/Law Student Intern - Transportation Policy and Research (Hybrid/ San Francisco, CA)

  • Location:

    • San Francisco, CA, 94102

    • United States

  • Base Pay:

    $20.50 - $25.50 / Hour

  • Employee Type:

    Student Assistant

  • Job Category:

    Part-time, Off-campus , California Public Utilities Commission

  • Manage Others:

    No

• Description

  The Transportation Licensing and Analysis Branch (TLAB) of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is seeking to hire a law student or master’s candidate with background and interest in transportation as an intern to provide implementation, analytical, and research support on issues related to passenger transportation in transportation network company (TNC, like Uber and Lyft) services, autonomous vehicles (AVs), and electric vehicles (EVs).

  Under direction of senior analysts in the division, the TLAB intern will have an opportunity to work on 1) Next Era of Transportation Regulation for the Commission and 2) Clean Miles Standard Implementation.  

• Requirements

  Conditions of Employment	This is a part-time, temporary, non-benefited, student position. Employment in all positions with University Enterprises, Inc. is dependent upon the mutual consent of University Enterprises, Inc. and the employee. This means that either University Enterprises, Inc. or the employee can, at any time, terminate the employment relationship at will, with or without cause.   Depending on the type of position you are applying for, a pre-employment background check consisting of one or more of the following may be conducted: employment history, professional references, criminal check: educational verification (degree, license, or official transcript) or DMV clearance. Applicants will be required to pass required pre-employment checks to the satisfaction of University Enterprises, Inc. (UEI) and the hiring Agency or Department.   UEI does not allow students to hold more than one UEI Job at a time, or work in more than one account per pay period. UEI employees who are considering leaving their current UEI Student assistant position for a different UEI student assistant positing should inform their supervisor in writing and provide at least a week’s notice.   UEI is not a multi-state employer. UEI only employs candidates who live and work in the state of California. If selected for the position you must reside in California and all work must be performed in the state of California.
  Prerequisites	Must be a college student attending classes during the regular term (fall, spring, and winter, if applicable) at an accredited college or university. Students must be enrolled in at least: six-semester units or nine quarter units for undergraduate students; four-semester units or six quarter units for graduate students.  Students declared major must match the major(s) listed in the job posting.
  Majors/Fields of Study	Law, public policy, transportation planning, city & regional planning, environmental sciences, environmental policy, engineering, economics, and other related fields.
  Work Schedule	Flexible workdays and work hours, Monday – Friday, between 8 AM – 5 PM. The final work schedule will be determined by the supervisor.
  Additional Work Schedule	Student Assistant and Graduate Assistant employees generally work up to 24 hours per workweek (Sunday – Saturday) during the academic year and up to 40 hours per workweek during breaks; (winter, spring, and summer).
  Minimum Qualifications	General familiarity with the structure of and relationship between state, federal, and/or local rules and regulations pertaining to transportation, energy, and/or planning issues. Interest in policy, regulations, or transportation issues. Ability to listen to others and communicate in an effective manner, including the ability to communicate complex ideas, thoughts, and facts in writing and orally. Ability to reason logically and creatively and utilize a variety of analytical techniques to resolve complex policy issues. Given its multidisciplinary and cross-programmatic nature, the intern will be expected to be resourceful and to work collaboratively across the Transportation Analysis team and with other divisions across CPUC.
  Preferred Qualifications	Intermediate Microsoft Office experience is preferred. Including, but not limited to, Excel, SharePoint, and PowerPoint. Experience with researching existing regulation (Lexis Nexis knowledge is helpful). Familiarity with the Public Utilities Code, Public Utilities Commission General Orders, and/or the political and social issues affecting the CPUC. Ability to look at situations from multiple perspectives and create outcomes-oriented solutions or recommendations using novel methods or processes. Demonstrated ability to work independently and to take initiative to accomplish assigned projects by established deadlines.
  Duties and Responsibilities	The following duties are performed under close supervision with time divided between two potential projects conducting research and analysis that may shape the policy and implementation future:   Project 1: Next Era of Transportation Regulation for the Commission   Examine existing statutes for existing authorities. Coordinate with and seek input from internal experts, across divisions at CPUC, and externally. Identify duplicative/conflicting/unclear authorities and summarize impacts and potential solutions. Analyze whether emerging transportation issues (e.g., widespread autonomous vehicle capabilities) can be efficiently resolved within the existing regulations. Provide recommendations for potential regulation changes needed to achieve policy objectives, and how they can be accomplished through Commission action.   Project 2: Clean Miles Standard Implementation   Assist lead analyst with research and analysis on issues related to the implementation of the Clean Miles Standard. Seek input from internal and external experts to inform research and analysis. Prepare briefing and/or recommendation documents on the issues researched. Communicate findings to internal stakeholders.
  Physical Requirements	Sit for extended periods; frequently stand and walk; manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination; corrected hearing and vision to normal range; verbal communication; use of office equipment including computer workstations, telephones, calculators, copiers, printers, and scanners with or without reasonable accommodation.
  Working Conditions	Work is primarily remote with occasional work performed in an office environment.
  Application Instructions	Please complete all fields of the employment application. Include your educational history in the “Educational Experience” section and any employment history in the “Employment Experience” section of our application.   In addition to your resume, please upload the following documents:   Written response to the following Supplemental Questions   Supplemental Questions Are you a graduate student attending classes during the regular term (Fall, Spring and Winter, if applicable), at an accredited college or university and enrolled in at least 4 semester or 6 quarter units? Is your major/field of study one of the following—Law; Public Policy; Government; Public Administration; City & Regional Planning; Transportation Policy, Planning, or Engineering; Political Science; Environmental Science, Policy, or Engineering; Economics; and other related fields? Please describe, using examples, your familiarity working with or researching state, federal, and/or local rules and regulations. Please describe, using examples, your familiarity with or interest in transportation policy in particular within the passenger transportation industry (e.g., charter-party carriers, transportation network companies, autonomous vehicles).   Apply by: May 5, 2023 (to be reviewed on a rolling basis)

   

   

• Summary

  The CPUC regulates privately owned electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, railroad, rail transit, and passenger transportation companies, in addition to authorizing video franchises. Our five Governor- appointed Commissioners, as well as our staff, are dedicated to ensuring that consumers have safe, reliable utility service at reasonable rates, protecting against fraud, and promoting the health of California’s economy.

   

  The Transportation Licensing and Analysis Branch (TLAB) performs transportation carrier licensing and policy/data analysis functions under the Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division. The TLAB Analysis Section, in which this position sits, provides technical and advisory support to Commissioners, Administrative Law Judges, and all levels of agency management on transportation policy matters and program implementation, focused on transportation network companies, autonomous vehicles, and emerging modes of transportation. The TLAB Licensing section analyzes carrier applications, manages changes to carrier operations, communicates with carriers, and issues authorities, certificates, and permits to carriers that meet state requirements. The Analysis and Licensing Sections routinely coordinate on staff responsibilities, such as the review of permit applications for autonomous vehicle passenger service, website updates, and regulatory research. The Clean Miles Standard is a program that will oversee the implementation of the required reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles driving on TNC platforms (most likely through vehicle electrification). 

• Additional Information