About the role#
The Student Design Trainee Program offers hands-on experience for students pursuing degrees in engineering, science, and planning. You will work alongside professional engineers to support the infrastructure, water, and wastewater projects that serve the San Francisco Bay Area. This is a full-time, paid summer internship for 2027.
What you'll do#
- Support in-house teams in engineering, project management, and construction management.
- Assist with the design and conduct of bench-, pilot-, and full-scale studies for water treatment processes.
- Review and analyze water quality data to provide operational and monitoring recommendations.
- Help develop treatment optimization guidelines, system targets, and operational criteria.
- Assist with preliminary engineering design, 3D modeling, and technical report preparation.
- Maintain and organize engineering drawings, reports, and project files.
- Review specifications and technical references for capital improvement projects.
- Collect water samples and monitor quality across transmission and distribution systems.
- Maintain and calibrate field and laboratory instruments, including preparing chemical standards.
- Support sewer maintenance, wastewater planning, and pollutant source control efforts.
- Prepare electrical engineering designs and plans using software like AutoCAD.
- Conduct routine field visits to construction sites, pump stations, reservoirs, and treatment plants.
- Perform data entry, manipulate large datasets, and use GIS for asset management.
What you'll need#
- Enrollment in an accredited university or community college in a related field, such as Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, or Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Biology, or Urban Planning.
- You must be returning to an undergraduate program or entering/continuing a graduate program in Fall 2027.
- Recent graduates within the past six months are also eligible.
- Experience requirements vary by classification:
- For 5380: No previous work experience required.
- For 5381 undergraduate: Internship experience equivalent to at least one summer.
- For 5381 graduate: No previous work experience required.
- For 5382 undergraduate: Internship experience equivalent to at least two summers.
- For 5382 graduate: Internship experience equivalent to at least one summer.
- Submission of verification of qualifying education with your application.
- A valid California driver's license.
Location & details#
- Work is on-site at various locations, including San Francisco, Sunol, San Bruno, Moccasin, Burlingame, and Millbrae.
- This role involves travel to remote sites, including watersheds, treatment plants, and construction zones.
- You may need to climb ladders, enter reservoirs, and carry field testing equipment.
About City and County of San Francisco
The City and County of San Francisco operates as a government agency based in San Francisco, California. It manages local infrastructure including streets and parks alongside public transportation systems. The organization provides public health services and maintains public safety through departments like the fire service. It employs over 10,000 people to serve the residents of the city and the Bay Area.
How to get in at City and County of San Francisco
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