WSS Civil Engineering Intern

Arlington County VA•Arlington, VA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Arlington County’s Department of Environmental Services (DES) is seeking a Civil Engineering Intern to assist the Water, Sewer, and Streets Bureau in its mission of providing high quality infrastructure and utility services in a safe, efficient, clean and productive manner to a wide range of customers. Arlington County is an innovative local government in Northern Virginia seeking motivated candidates for one-year internship opportunities across multiple departments. These roles are ideal for recent graduates and current graduate students with limited professional experience who are looking to kickstart their careers. Interns gain hands-on experience supporting key County initiatives while participating in a structured cohort-based development program. Throughout the year, interns work under the mentorship of senior staff, contributing fresh ideas, improving processes, and leveraging technology to enhance organizational effectiveness, all while familiarizing themselves with a public-sector environment.

Requirements

Recent, 2025 and/or 2026 college graduates earning either a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree in the area of consideration prior to the start date of the Cohort Program (Sept. 2026)
No professional-level work experience (less than one year) in the internship field
Currently enrolled student in a Master’s degree program related to the internship, but must not have significant professional-level work experience in the internship area and must be available to work during designated hours
Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or related field
Applicant must possess, or obtain by time of appointment, a valid driver’s license, and must provide or authorize Arlington County to obtain a copy of official driving record.
Any offer of employment may be contingent upon favorable review of the applicant’s driving record.
Alternatively, the applicant must have the ability and willingness to use alternative methods of transportation to perform assigned duties and responsibilities at locations other than the primary worksite.

Nice To Haves

G.P.A. of 3.0 or above is preferred and applicants may be asked to provide certified official transcripts
Proficiency using Autodesk AutoCAD, Civil 3D, or similar CAD software
Bluebeam proficiency
ArcGIS Pro proficiency
Knowledge of hydrology and drainage design

Responsibilities

Developing water, wastewater, drainage, and roadway designs using tools such as Autodesk Civil3D, including solutions for nuisance drainage issues and upgrades to curb ramps to ensure compliance with Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements
Preparing and updating engineering drawings and documentation, including water intersection drawings, as-built exhibits, and record drawings
Producing construction cost estimates and mapping water quality complaints using tools such as ArcGIS
Supporting asset management efforts by transferring and integrating data (e.g., Pavement Condition Index data) into systems such as Cartegraph to analyze trends and project asset degradation
Assisting construction managers with field inspections of construction sites and activities
Conducting engineering records research to verify and update maintenance responsibilities for infrastructure assets (e.g., water, sewer, stormwater, streets, sidewalks, and related features)
Preparing construction notifications and progress updates for residents, civic associations, and other stakeholders
Monitoring and inspecting contractor mowing and landscaping work of over 400 right-of-way sites including reviewing contractor invoice submittals for accuracy
Responding to service requests and complaints regarding sidewalks, drainage, snow removal, vegetation, mowing, and other infrastructure issues. Routing requests to appropriate parties for resolution and following up as needed with contractors and internal crew leaders to assure that required repairs have been made, or services have been performed
Assisting in snow operations
Assisting with preparing and QA/QCing the annual small engine shop controlled asset inventory
Performing other work related duties as assigned