4 Yr Undergrad Intern I (Civil Engineering Internship) at City of Charlotte
City of Charlotte · Charlotte, United States Of America · Onsite
- Office in Charlotte
Close Date: Tuesday, December 02, 2025 12:00 AM
Department: Transportation Department
Apprentice/Internships
Salary: $19.00 - $20.00 Commensurate with Experience
Welcome to the City of Charlotte
Charlotte is America’s Queen City, opening her arms to a diverse and inclusive community of residents, businesses and visitors alike. Here you will find a safe, family-oriented city where people work together to help everyone thrive. The mission of the City of Charlotte is to deliver quality public services and promote the safety, health, and quality of life for all residents.
Our guiding principles include:
Attracting and retaining a skilled and diverse workforce
Valuing teamwork, openness, accountability, productivity, and employee development
Providing all customers with courteous, responsive, accessible, and seamless quality services
Taking initiative to identify, analyze, and solve problems
Collaborating with stakeholders to make informed decisions
SUMMARY
The internship position is with the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) divisions that are responsible for transportation planning, design, and coordination of Capital Improvement Projects (CIP), traffic operations, right-of-way management, land development, and street maintenance. The exposure and real-world assignments will allow students to gain technical and professional experience in the field of transportation while learning about CDOT and how the department supports the residents of Charlotte.CDOT’s internships build a solid foundation that provide students with the tools, resources, and employer references to become competitive in the application process for future transportation-related positions.
This internship will involve both fieldwork and in-office responsibilities and may last up to one (1) year. CDOT will collaborate with the selected candidate to align the work schedule with their academic commitments.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
All CDOT divisions are participating in the internship program and will establish their own work plan. The following outline is an example of major duties and responsibilities by division:
Development Services (Land Development, Right-of-Way, Special Events) Division
Introduction to the Development Services Division
Exposure to the daily operations of the CLT Development Center and Utility Permitting processes.
Opportunity to shadow CDOT Land Development staff at pre-submittal and interdepartmental coordination meetings.
Attend City Council Rezoning Meeting and Zoning Committee Meeting, joining the CDOT Land Development staff.
Work within the Right of Way Management Section includes attending the Utility Stakeholder Coordination meetings, reviewing the intake process for utility permit applications, and joining staff out in the field to view utility construction projects in real-time.
Planning and Design Division
Introduction to the Planning & Design Division.
Assist in conducting field investigations.
Learn an introduction to reviewing project plan sets, project estimates, and the design process of various projects.
Collect & analyze data, including socio-economic and demographic data, geographic information, traffic counts, surveys, and field inventories.
Create & edit geospatial data (in TransCAD and ArcGIS)
Basic CAD support to help prepare preliminary concept plans and studies.
Street Maintenance Division
Introduction to the Street Maintenance Division (SMD).
Work with the SMD Planning Section and provide the opportunity to gain knowledge about the work management system.
Introduction to the City’s resurfacing program.
Work in the field with SMD Operations staff and inspectors, and work in the field with crews for hands-on construction experience.
Transportation Systems (Engineering and Operations)
Introduction to all aspects of Engineering and Operations.
Vehicle capacity analysis and signal timing.
Setting up and populating traffic signal equipment inventory.
Working on traffic signal billing packages and automated traffic signal performance measure databases.
Conducts field investigations for residential service requests for new or replacement signage, right-of-way obstructions, speed limit changes, and pavement marking service requests. Assists with responses to requestors with findings and/or additions/changes to existing request locations and keeps detailed records for each request in CityWorks.
Assists with investigations and recommends for traffic calming projects within neighborhoods based on City adopted policies and standards.
Provides internal project support by performing field data collection, analysis, and reporting under the guidance of an engineer.
Assists Traffic Safety staff with entering geolocated crash data into the crash data software program and reviews crash reports for quality assurance.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Must be a currently enrolled Sophomore, Junior, or Senior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Preferred QUALIFICATIONS:
Ability to start in the spring 2026 semester
Currently pursuing a degree in civil engineering, engineering technology, or construction management
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Ability to learn technical skills in the transportation field.
Ability to learn local and State standards and design criteria for a variety of projects.
Ability to learn transportation-related computer software, such as AutoCAD.
Ability to use Microsoft Office Software, Teams, and SharePoint.
Ability to demonstrate professional communication skills.
Ability to exhibit good customer service skills.
Ability to take on new challenges.
Ability to demonstrate organizational skills to effectively manage multiple assignments.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
The City’s Background Check Policy requires background checks to be conducted on final internal or external candidate(s) applying for any position with the City of Charlotte. The type of information that will be collected as part of a background check includes, but is not limited to: reference checks, social security verification, education verification, criminal conviction record check, and, if applicable, a credit history check, sex offender registry and motor vehicle records check.
Background checks must be in compliance with all federal and state statutes, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The checks must be consistent with the guidelines set forth by these laws requiring organizations to obtain a candidate’s written authorization before obtaining a criminal background report, motor vehicle records check or credit report; and to properly store and dispose of information derived from such reports.
Final candidates must pass a pre-employment drug-screening test and physical examination. During the selection process, candidates may be asked to take a skills test, and/or participate in other assessments.
The City of Charlotte is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation or on the basis of actual or perceived gender as expressed through dress, appearance, or behavior.
Our culture is to serve the community honorably.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online.
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.
You are welcome to visit the City of Charlotte Human Resources Department lobby, where self-service application kiosks are available. They are located in our office at 700 East 4th Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28202. We are open Monday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (EST), excluding official City holidays.
For questions about your application or the hiring process, please email [email protected].
The City of Charlotte is committed to making our services and programs accessible to all. Upon request, auxiliary aids, written materials in alternate formats, language access, and other reasonable accommodations or modifications will be provided. To make a request, please fill out the Innovation & Technology ADA request form or call 704.336.4120.
BENEFITS
The City of Charlotte provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees.
Click here to learn more about the City of Charlotte’s benefits.
The City of Charlotte is a drug and alcohol-free workplace.
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