NWA Regional Planning Commission GIS

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION

1311 Clayton St., Springdale, Arkansas, 72762

• (479) 751 7125 • http://nwarpc.org

GIS/Planning Internship

Position: GIS/Planning Intern

Pay Rate: $20.00/hour

Hours: 12 hours per week flexible (September 7, 2026-December 7, 2026)

Location: 1311 Clayton St. Springdale, AR

This position is in-person at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission Office

Deadline to apply: August 21, 2026

About Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC):

The Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) is the regional Council of

Governments (COG) and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Northwest Arkansas. NWARPC

consists of 39 units of government in Benton, Washington and Madison Counties in Arkansas and

includes a portion of McDonald County in Missouri, as well as other public agency partners such as the

Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), the Missouri Department of Transportation

(MoDOT), transit agencies, Beaver Water District, University of Arkansas, and Northwest Arkansas

National Airport (XNA). Visit https://www.nwarpc.org/ to view examples of NWARPC’s work.

Internship Position Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated GIS Intern to support our planning activities and daily operations.

The selected candidate will work alongside our GIS/planning team to develop, update and maintain

spatial databases, build interactive web maps, and analyze demographic and transportation trends.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Data Management: Digitize boundaries, update land-use databases, update

transportation/roads datasets and manage various asset inventory data.

• Mapping & Cartography: Produce high-quality maps and graphics for planning and technical

reports, public meetings, and stakeholder presentations.

• Web GIS: Assist in configuring and maintaining ArcGIS Online (AGOL) web maps, StoryMaps,

and data dashboards.

• Spatial Analysis: Support scenario planning, demographic analysis, and transportation modeling

projects.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Currently enrolled in an undergraduate (Junior/Senior) or graduate program

studying Urban Planning, Geosciences, GIS, Public Policy, Environmental Studies, Civil

Engineering, Computer Science or related fields. May accept recent graduates within one year

of completing their program of study.

• Technical Skills: Hands-on experience with ESRI ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and Spatial Analyst.

Additional GIS software experience is a plus.

• Data Proficiency: Familiarity with Excel, spatial data manipulation, and integrating disparate

datasets (e.g., Census, local assessor data).

• Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex

spatial data into accessible information for the public.

• Requirements: Must possess a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation for occasional

field data collection or municipal visits.

Preferred Qualifications

• Basic knowledge of Python for ArcGIS or web-mapping applications (HTML/CSS/JavaScript).

• Experience with regional planning, zoning codes, or transportation datasets.

Please apply by submitting your resume, cover letter, and contact information for three references to

Madison Kienzle at mkienzle@nwarpc.org.

Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission is an Equal Opportunity Employer.