Welcome to CUPPA Careers!

The College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at UIC is the University of Illinois System's home for the study of public policy and contemporary urban challenges. We are CUPPA.

In the heart of Chicago, we offer degrees in fields of study that can change your life and change the world. CUPPA students and alumni are uniquely skilled to build and transform sustainable urban neighborhoods and communities and to address the challenges presented in the 21st century. Find our more about our Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees at cuppa.uic.edu.

Follow our job postings below and our national job tweets at @CUPPACareers. For student internships and student opportunities, head to the CUPPA Student Opportunities Blog

Have a job or internship to post? Send an email with the title, location, job description, and contact information to cuppa@uic.edu

Senior Associate for Opportunity Youth Strategies, Thrive Chicago

Who: Thrive Chicago serves as the local backbone in Chicago of the national 100,000 Opportunities Initiative (www.100Kopportunities.org). The 100K initiative aims to be the largest employer-led coalition in the country focused on Opportunity Youth and is currently active in eight cities.

What: As an integral member of Thrive’s dynamic and growing team, the Senior Associate for Opportunity Youth Strategies will work with key partners to support Thrive’s OY strategies aimed at reducing the number of Chicago youth not in school or working. The Senior Associate will work closely with the Thrive Director of Opportunity Youth Strategies to drive forward the work in this portfolio, including: Reconnection Hubs, Learn & Earn, Pathways to Careers, and 100K Opportunities. This position will serve as the primary point of contact and project manager for the wide range of stakeholders engaged in these workstreams. Stakeholders include: public institutions, community based organizations, funders, and employers. This skilled project manager will be flexible in supporting the needs of Thrive’s OY workstreams, ensuring the timely and effective completion of deliverables associated with them. This position will also serve as the primary coordinator of Thrive’s 100K initiative activities and liaison to 100K employers in Chicago. The Senior Associate will work with rest of Thrive team to ensure that all these activities align with and leverage the rest of Thrive’s work. Specific responsibilities include:

Immigration Program Coordinator, CRLN (Chicago, IL)

Who: The Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN) uses education, advocacy, accompaniment, and action to mobilize faith communities and leaders to work for immigrant justice and to build Immigrant Welcoming Congregations/Communities. We engage leaders from all social classes, ethnic and faith backgrounds. We have worked with partner organizations for wins on a variety of campaigns, including physical & Expanded Sanctuary and other efforts to stop deportations and to build interfaith power to hold ICE accountable nationally and locally.

Intern & Co-op Student Programs Manager, Northern Trust Corporation (Chicago, Illinois)

Who: Intern & Co-op Student Programs Manager, Northern Trust Corporation.
Join Northern Trust’s exciting College & University Programs team to help recruit top talent to a leading global financial services firm. We are looking for an Intern & Co-op Student Programs Manager who has direct responsibility for the North America intern program and high school co-op student programs, and serves as the global intern program subject matter expert, helping to build a diverse talent pipeline across the company. This is a highly visible role working with Northern Trust managers, Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, and intern candidates.

What: The role includes program planning and execution, candidate sourcing and campus relationship management, and marketing the Northern Trust brand through presentations to students and key stakeholders. Specific responsibilities include:

Policy Specialist, Business Administrative Associate at UIC (Chicago, IL)


Who: University of Illinois System Office of Business & Financial Services, Business Solutions & Support, Policy Specialist (BAA), on the Chicago Campus. The system office seeks a Policy Specialist (BAA) to, support the Policy function by coordinating activities related to Office of Business and Financial Services (OBFS) processes for establishing, developing, and implementing business and financial policies and procedures in support of overall OBFS operations and services, and to ensure their alignment with applicable University guidelines and regulations. Additional responsibilities include:

Space Administrator II, Capital Planning and Project Management (UIC, Illinois)


Who: The University of Illinois at Chicago, Office of Capital Planning and Project Management (CPPM), is seeking to fill a Space Administrator II position. This position will be reporting to the Associate Director in CPPM's Facility Information Management section. The Space Administrator II is responsible for maintaining UIC's comprehensive campus space information system.  The ideal candidate will gather, organize and update the space inventory as well as analyze current condition of floorplan drawings for correctness and accuracy under direct supervision of the Associate Director.
What: 

  • Work closely with campus college/department space managers/business managers and university project managers in gathering necessary information to update the Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) system per Postsecondary Education Facilities Inventory and Classification Manual (FICM) standards
  • Record space reassignments, space moves, leases, floor plan changes and space utilization changes in the CAFM system per FICM standards.
  • Assist in conducting the annual Space Survey, Facilities and Administrative Rate (F&A) Survey and other facility-related surveys.
  • Lead a space auditing program and conduct periodic space walk-throughs.
  • Perform Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) calculations for calculating Rentable Square Feet for leased spaces.
  • Prepare facility and space utilization reports for committees, leadership and university/state/federal entities as required.
  • Assist in implementing policies governing the utilization of the University-controlled space.
  • Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Program Associate for Transportation for NWMC - 2 position (Illinois)


 Who: The Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC), a council of government representing forty-three municipalities and one township in the north and northwest suburbs, is seeking a motivated, responsible, energetic individual for the position of Program Associate for Transportation. 

What: The Program Associate for Transportation coordinates transportation planning and programming activities on behalf of NWMC members, assists with project management on regional studies, provides assistance to members in preparing transportation grant applications for federal and state programs and acts as a liaison for members to various federal, state, county and regional transportation agencies. The responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

·      Represent the needs of NWMC members to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and other transportation and planning agencies.
·      Manage the Surface Transportation Program (STP) for the North Shore Council of Mayors, including oversight of project funding and implementation.
·      Monitor transportation programs including the Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality Program (CMAQ), the Transportation Enhancement Program (ITEP), Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), Local Technical Assistance Program and the Community Planning Program to ensure municipal access and understanding.
·      Assist with managing various NWMC led planning initiatives, such as the NWMC Bicycle Plan, including consultant hiring, plan development and implementation.
·      Disseminate information to NWMC membership via NWMC Transportation Newsletter, weekly briefings and other written and verbal means.
·      Prepare agendas and minutes for various committees and task forces.
·      Perform other duties as assigned by Executive Director, Deputy Director and Transportation Director. 

Associate – SB Friedman Development Advisors (Chicago)

Who: SB Friedman Development Advisors is a development consulting firm with a mission to guide and enable our clients to create high-quality places through the practice of real estate economics, development finance and urban planning. We assist in the planning and implementation of complex public-private real estate development projects. We work closely with our clients to evaluate development potential and financial and business impacts; project market and financial feasibility; identify innovative public-private development solutions; and prepare implementable development strategies. The firm works nationally, with a focus on the Midwest. Clients include various cities, suburbs, metro planning organizations and other public bodies, not-for-profit institutions, and private developers.

What: Associates are responsible for research, quantitative and qualitative analysis, data synthesis, presentation of findings, and preparation of deliverables (presentations, technical memoranda and reports). Associates are assigned to multiple projects at one time. Candidates should have demonstrated ability to sift, organize, analyze and synthesize various data in a timely manner, ask thoughtful questions and draw reasonable conclusions and/or recommendations from the analysis.

Assistant to the City Manager (Champaign, IL)

Who: City of Champaign, City Manager’s Office

What: The City of Champaign seeks qualified candidates on a local government management career trajectory for the position of Assistant to the City Manager in the City Manager's Office. It is expected the successful candidate may pursue other career advancement opportunities after 3-5 years in this position.
The position is an ideal opportunity for an aspiring City Manager to gain exposure to and get a start in public administration and operations at the local government level. The position provides professional support to the City Manager and City departments, manages assigned programs, coordinates projects, and provides customer service to the public. Responsible for conducting research, making policy and ordinance recommendations, analyzing processes to identify efficiencies and support innovation, grant research and administration, making public presentations, assisting with public communication, including preparing press releases and handling media inquiries, and responding to citizen complaints, as well as serving as the City Manager's representative as requested. The ideal candidate should demonstrate a commitment to an advanced career in local government management through their education and professional experience.

Policy Analyst – NYC Office of the Mayor (2 positions)

Who: NYC Office of the Mayor, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services advances New York City’s efforts to coordinate system transformation across the City’s public healthcare system, expand access to social services for all, and ensure that agencies that oversee the City’s most vulnerable populations, including children in foster care and families living in homeless shelters, are run compassionately, equitably and effectively.

What: Two Policy Analyst positions available, working in the NYC Mayor’s Office at City Hall within the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services. Job responsibilities include:

  • Conduct quantitative and qualitative research and provide recommendations to team members on policy proposals and initiatives focused on homelessness, child welfare, public benefits, domestic violence, intergenerational poverty and social determinants of health. 
  • Assist in overseeing and monitoring projects and policy initiatives to ensure that goals and timelines are met, coordinating with all appropriate City agencies and HHS team members. 
  • Serve as a liaison between human services agencies and the Office of the Deputy Mayor, to monitor projects and assist in handling day-to- day needs; 
  • Coordinate with agencies and other partners relevant to homelessness, supportive housing, child welfare, workforce development and public benefits to research proposed initiatives, meet project goals and timelines, and review agency and interagency work product; 
  • Provide administrative support and coordination to the human services team, including preparation of correspondence and briefing memoranda, background research and information, meeting planning and assistance, and staffing the Deputy Mayor. 

Specific focus and responsibilities for each position is described below:

Assistant Director, Community Development - Wheeling, IL

Who: Village of Wheeling

What: Ensures effective management of the development review process, including coordination between other departments, as projects progress from the planning phase through construction. Develops recommendations for short and long range plans for the growth and development of the community’s land, facilities and services. Coordinates projects such as those identified in the Comprehensive Plan, Strategic Plan, and region-wide planning documents, to ensure effective implementation. Develops recommendations for land use controls, such as zoning regulations, to promote the rational and orderly development of the community as envisioned in the Village’s Comprehensive Plan and other planning documents. Major duties include:

Senior Analyst, Asset Resolution - National Equity Fund (Chicago)

Who: National Equity Fund, Inc. (NEF), a leading non-profit syndicator of low-income housing tax credits.

What: The primary function of this position is to provide analytical and technical support to asset management. Responsibilities include:

  • The Analyst will collect, input, review and analyze: marketing and leasing reports; compliance reviews; periodic and annual operating results; loan and partnership documents; undertake research projects; establish and maintain project files and databases. 
  • Track financial performance of assets by analyzing income statements, balance sheets and related financial reports.
  • Assemble and summarize financial data and reveal underlying operational issues through financial analysis and forensic financial review.
  • Collect, input and analyze construction, lease-up schedule, cost certification and 8609 executions to assure on-time delivery of first year credits and intervene when appropriate.
  • Perform in-depth review and summary of partnership agreements debt documents and governmental agreements to identity key financial covenants, terms and each partner’s adherence.
  • Provide technical assistance in area of project performance and related managerial reports to ensure continuous receipt of reliable information as it pertains to tax credit benefits and NEF’s ability to deliver and report those benefits to investors.
  • Monitor for compliance with Section 42 (LIHTC) provisions.
  • Continually assess project and partnership risk factors.
  • Perform project inspections, follow up to code violations or other health and safety conditions, and determine future capital needs and their financial impact.
  • Assist and support asset managers by creating financial models to assess viable negotiating options with respect to property workouts, repositioning, restructuring and dispositions. 

Planner II – Strategic Long Range Planning (Chattanooga, TN)

Who: The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency (RPA) provides planning services for Chattanooga-Hamilton County in Tennessee, and portions of North Georgia, a region celebrated for its innovation in urban revitalization, public-private partnerships, and citizen-led planning.  The Regional Planning Agency houses the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization and integrates the agency’s transportation and land use planning functions to promote a more holistic and coordinated planning approach.

What: The Planner II is responsible for providing professional expertise in all aspects of the planning and development process, including policy formulation, neighborhood planning, transportation planning, land use and redevelopment.  Duties include developing long-range plans to comply with federal guidelines; administering local zoning; conducting research and analyses; and performing long-range projects related to neighborhood planning, transportation planning, land use and urban redevelopment. Work requires limited supervision and the use of independent judgment and discretion. Duties include (but are not limited to):

Associate Director, Urban Labs - University of Chicago (Deadline 6/22!)

Who: By 2050, the global urban population will nearly double to 6.4 billion. This unprecedented growth in the global urban population creates incredible opportunities but also intensifies the most difficult problems cities face, such as concentrated poverty, crime, poor-quality schooling, and pollution. The University of Chicago founded Urban Labs to help address these challenges. Urban Labs is a set of highly synergistic labs focused on undertaking inquiry and having impact on five essential dimensions of urban life: crime, education, health, poverty, and energy & environment.

Urban Labs partners with cities to identify and rigorously evaluate the policies and programs with the greatest potential to improve human lives at scale. Urban Labs’ evidence-based approach gives policymakers and practitioners the knowledge they need to effectively achieve the greatest social good per dollar spent. In sum, UChicago Urban Labs: Identifies promising solutions to urban challenges; Tests the most promising urban policies and programs; Scales-up the most effective and cost-efficient policies and programs.

What: The Associate Director will develop and maintain relationships with Health Lab partners, identify ways to leverage the Lab's unique resources, and assist our partners in improving the health and well-being of citizens in Chicago. The Associate Director will report to the Executive Director. Responsibilities include:

Metropolitan Planner - City of Rockford

Who: City of Rockford - Region 1 Planning Council - Metropolitan Planning Organization 

What: The Metropolitan Planner is a position within the Region 1 Planning Council (R1PC), which is comprised of the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the Economic Development District of Northern Illinois. This position works with the Metropolitan Planning Organization (RMAP/MPO) division of the R1PC to administer the federally required transportation planning process and provide transportation planning products to the MPO member organizations. Coordinates with Federal, State, local agencies and the public. Produces planning work tasks typical of a metropolitan planning organization.
The successful candidate will investigate, analyze, document and manage ongoing transportation planning efforts. The successful candidate must possess strong writing skills, prepare recommendations, and perform research, planning and technical analysis for projects. Responsibilities include:

Planner IV (Transportation & Highways) - Cook County

Who: Cook County Offices Under the President

What: Under minimal guidance from the Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, develops, designs, monitors and implements specific and large-scale transportation planning studies, projects and programs. Prepares analyses of proposed transportation policies and projects’ impacts relative to land use, community development and economic development plans. Utilizes a wide range of technical skills and knowledge to maintain control over multi-faceted operations in the external field and department. Coordinates internal/external agencies, vendors and team efforts to ensure the standards of performance and departmental project goals are met. Confers with management to develop strategies regarding on-going assignments. Represents the department in joint local and regional projects, collaborates with outside agencies/vendors, and coordinates the deployment of staff. Serves as the lead on designated assignments and coordinates with departmental staff, the County or other governmental agencies to ensure the timely completion of transportation planning projects. Performs other duties as assigned.

Senior Planner - City of Decatur

Who: City of Decatur, IL

What: Responsible for advanced level professional work in urban planning. Provides technical support and assistance to the Director in the development and implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and the City’s advanced and current planning programs with related research and analysis. Review and process land use and development applications and proposals, as well as variance cases. Prepare and present cases to City boards, commissions, and committees including but not limited to Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. Supervise and manage the work of other planning staff and interns. Major duties include:

Zoning Administrator - LCC Telecom Services

Who: LCC Telecom Services - Rosemont, IL

What: Zoning administrator in the wireless industry. The zoning administrator works to review zoning codes and maps and make recommendation to various wireless providers as to the abilities to erect towers in a given location. Once a site is chosen it is the zoning administrator’s responsibility to put together the application materials, make presentations to local governing bodies and then pull all of the necessary permits.

Public Policy Manager – Uber (Chicago)

Who: Uber – Public Policy Team

What: The public policy team is responsible for working with policy makers and third parties to make the positive case for change.  That’s partly about building lasting relationships in the cities where we operate with elected officials and their staff so they understand the benefits of this new model.  It also about figuring out the best local regulatory framework and then developing campaigns to push reform through.
As Public Policy Manager, you will manage public policy, government relations, and third-party engagement for Uber throughout several states in the Central US, including Chicago and IL. You will report to the Director of Public Affairs in the Central US. Responsibilities include:  

Policy Analyst – American Medical Association (Chicago)

Who: American Medical Association

What: Join the AMA team as the Policy Analyst in Physician Engagement. As part of the team, you will will contribute to the development and effectiveness of assigned Sections and Member Programs in coordination with the Director by implementing projects assigned to the unit, with an emphasis on policy and governance. Other Responsibilities will include:

Policy and Advocacy Manager – YWCA (Part Time)

Who: YWCA Evanston/North Shore

What: YWCA seeks a social justice policy and advocacy manager to launch our newly developed advocacy program. With an entrepreneurial spirit, rigorous work ethic, and a commitment to policy solutions that address the intersectional nature of social justice issues, this position provides leadership and management of YWCA/Evanston North Shore’s policy and advocacy initiatives and takes the lead in collaboratively developing and implementing the organization’s mission-driven policy agenda and stakeholder engagement strategy at the local, state, and federal level. Responsibilities include:

Administrative Analyst – Village of Homer Glen

Who: Village of Homer Glen, Illinois

What: The Village of Homer Glen (pop. 24,591) is seeking motivated candidates to fill the full-time Administrative Analyst position. This position supports various aspects of Village operations, including policy development and analysis, project management and customer service, under the direction of the Village Manager and Assistant Village Manager. The Administrative Analyst is also responsible for providing staff support to the Village’s Parks and Recreation Committee.