Geotechnical Engineering (Waterways) Intern

Colliers Engineering & Design • Rochester, NY

20d • $18 - $26

About The Position

Colliers Engineering & Design, is currently seeking engineering interns to work in our Water group in Rochester, NY. Our Water Discipline is growing, and we have exciting projects to engage motivated engineers who enjoy working on a variety of water resource and/or storage projects. We are looking for individuals who are interested in meaningful, mission-driven work in a role that will introduce a mixture of geotechnical, structural, hydraulic, and risk analysis challenges. With typical project work consisting of a wide variety of water storage structures such as levees, dams, locks, mooring structures, canals, hydroelectric power facilities. Our projects are unique designs and provide a diverse array of interesting work to keep our staff challenged and engaged. Our upcoming project portfolio includes jobs on some of the largest infrastructure projects in the country. At Colliers Engineering & Design, we don’t just see our interns as students, we see you as strategic partners in building safer, smarter, and more sustainable communities. As a summer intern on our Water team, you’ll take on meaningful projects, gain hands-on technical experience, and receive one-on-one mentoring from industry leaders. Join us, and you’ll be working alongside some of the best minds in the industry, accelerating your success while making a lasting impact on critical infrastructure.

Requirements

• Pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related program.
• Senior standing (going into Senior year) preferred but not required.
• Ability to think outside the box and strong desire to learn from other experts as well as from self-study.
• Interest in learning across geotechnical, structural, and hydraulic disciplines.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Highly effective at managing tasks and priorities.
• Careful and detail-oriented approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to read, write and understand English for purposes of comprehending written job-related communications and verbal instructions and interactions.
• A valid driver's license and good driving record required.
• Willingness to occasionally travel and work outdoors at dam and levee sites in varying conditions.

Nice To Haves

• Specific structural project or school experience a plus.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD, GIS, or engineering software (GeoStudio, PLAXIS, HEC-RAS, SAP2000, STAAD) a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assisting with field explorations at dam and levee sites, including soil and rock sampling, drilling oversight, and geotechnical logging.
• Participate in dam/levee safety inspections and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (structural, hydraulic, geotechnical and environmental engineers).
• Perform structural analysis of dam components, such as spillways, gates, and retaining structures, to evaluate performance under different loading conditions.
• Assist with hydraulic modeling to simulate reservoir operations, flood routing, and spillway capacity, supporting risk assessments and design improvements.
• Contribute to geotechnical analyses such as seepage, slope stability, settlement, and foundation capacity.
• Help prepare technical reports, figures, data summaries, calculation packages, and drawings for dam safety evaluations.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards during field and analysis work.
• Direct exposure to dam safety projects that integrate geotechnical, structural, and hydraulic engineering.
• Mentorship from engineers specializing in dam safety, hydropower, and water infrastructure design.
• Hands-on experience with field investigations, risk evaluations, engineering analysis, and modeling.
• A deeper understanding of how multidisciplinary engineering supports safe, resilient, and sustainable water storage infrastructure.
• In addition to the work-centered program, we also offer robust internship programming, which includes opportunities to work with other interns, learn about other areas of the business, and develop valuable communication skills and networking connections.

Benefits

• At Colliers Engineering & Design, our people are our most important resource. That’s why we are committed to providing all our employees with a safe, comfortable work environment, potential for career advancement, and the ability to impact society through their projects as well as Company sponsored activities.
• Our interns are given opportunities to learn in a variety of settings. Multidisciplinary engineering, surveying, and architectural design projects provide interns an opportunity to see the work in real-life settings, working side by side with other professionals in their chosen field. They are also able to participate in educational opportunities that build a variety of transferrable skills valuable in every career. Our Career Exploration Series provides interns with chances to network and learn from the professionals doing the work and growing our business. Interns also complete a series of reflections, problem solving activities, contests, drawings, and create end of summer presentations which help showcase their learning and experiences. Additional networking and trainings specific to the students' areas of study are also made available to students throughout the Summer Internship program.
• We have created an internal culture that provides the resources and technology needed to encourage personal and professional growth opportunities through reimbursement for education; a free in-house resource for hundreds of educational and self-enrichment courses; mentorship program; wellness program; Women’s Organization and ongoing philanthropic opportunities. We make as many of these opportunities available to our interns, as well as our regular employees as possible.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees