2027 Summer Intern - Civil Engineering, Transportation (Rail)

TKDA
Riverside, CA
On-siteCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for undergraduate civil engineering students with transportation emphasis who can work on active construction sites and collaborate with engineering teams.

Best fit for

  • Undergraduate civil engineering students with a focus on transportation and a willingness to work on construction sites.
    — “undergraduate pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a transportation emphasis.”
  • Candidates with practical experience in AutoCAD, Civil 3D, or similar drafting software.
    — “Previous experience or training with AutoCAD, Civil 3D, or Microstation.”
  • Individuals interested in gaining exposure to the full project lifecycle in a structured learning environment.
    — “expose you to the various stages of a project life cycle from conception through construction.”

Things to consider

  • Must be at least 21 years old by May 30, 2025, and possess a valid driver’s license with a clean record.
    — “candidates must be at least 21 years of age as of May 30, 2025”
  • Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. and pass background, security, and drug tests.
    — “must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must be able to complete and pass any background, security, and drug test requests”

How to stand out

  • Highlight coursework or projects related to site design or linear design in your resume and interview.
    — “Previous experience or coursework related to site design and/or linear design.”
  • Emphasize your ability to interpret construction documents and provide feedback on design and construction challenges.
    — “Ability to accurately read and interpret construction documents in accordance with construction activities and requirements.”
  • Showcase your communication skills by including examples of technical report preparation or team collaboration.
    — “Ability to ask questions, engage in discussions with team members, and assist with technical report and specification preparation.”
  • Demonstrate your readiness for fieldwork by including relevant outdoor or physically demanding experiences.
    — “Ability to work outdoors on active construction sites while carrying up to 40 pounds and standing for extended periods of time”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • contribute to preliminary and final designs
  • assist in construction administration
Typical background
civil engineeringtransportation engineering

Skills & requirements

Required

Civil EngineeringAutocadCivil 3DProject Management

Preferred

Transportation EngineeringRailroad Engineering

Stack & domain

AutocadCivil 3DMicrostationMS Office SuiteLeadershipCommunicationAWSCFATransportation

About the role

Original posting from TKDA via Lever

*Due to the nature of projected responsibilities associated with this opportunity, which may require the operation of a motorized vehicle to conduct business on behalf of TKDA, candidates must be at least 21 years of age as of May 30, 2025 to be selected for further consideration.

If you are an undergraduate pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a strong interest in transportation, and more specifically within the railroad and/or mass transit sector, then we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our team this upcoming summer in San Bernardino, California!

As a member of our Rail team, you will work alongside civil engineers and technicians and become engaged in a variety of active projects for site planning, roadway, utility, parking lot, grading and drainage, storm water management, and track design projects. Our goal will be to expose you to the various stages of a project life cycle from conception through construction so you have a better understanding of the work we do, how we do it, and more importantly, what it would be like to be an engineering consultant. 

Throughout your internship, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of preliminary and final designs using AutoCAD and Civil 3D, and frequently perform calculations for project dimensions and elevations as well as earthwork, utilities, and track quantities. You will also assist with preliminary site assessments and surveys and construction administration responsibilities by working closely with other team members to provide information and feedback on the construction status of projects and any potential construction or design-related challenges that may arise.

The ideal candidate would be available to work 40 hours per week with occasional overtime throughout the summer of 2025 from mid-May through mid-August. This position would primarily work from our office in San Bernardino or an assigned project site; however, there may be instances in which this position would be provided with flexible / hybrid work arrangements. 

Out-of-state students are encouraged to apply and may be eligible for housing assistance.

Note: To be considered for this opportunity and to perform the assigned responsibilities, candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must be able to complete and pass any background, security, and drug test requests required by TKDA, clients, and state and/or federal agencies.

Required Qualifications:

  • Undergraduate pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a transportation emphasis.
  • Strong working knowledge of MS Office Suite applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.). 
  • Previous experience or training with AutoCAD, Civil 3D, or Microstation. 
  • Strong interpersonal skills and effective verbal and written communication skills; Ability to ask questions, engage in discussions with team members, and assist with technical report and specification preparation.  
  • Ability to accurately read and interpret construction documents in accordance with construction activities and requirements. 
  • Ability to work outdoors on active construction sites while carrying up to 40 pounds and standing for extended periods of time to perform observation and inspection responsibilities.
  • Possess a valid Driver’s License with a clean driving record; Ability to travel as needed for construction administration and site inspections/visits, etc.

Advantageous Qualifications:

  • General understanding of drafting techniques and construction plan development practices.   
  • Previous experience or coursework related to site design and/or linear design. 
  • Previous experience with construction administration tasks including staking, surveying, inspections, or observations. 

Compensation:

Final rate of compensation will be dependent upon your anticipated graduation date.

2025 Internship Program

TKDA's internship program is dedicated to the learning and networking experience for interns, with the hope that we can build a professional relationship that will last. We are committed to fostering a learning environment where you can apply your classroom knowledge in real ways. This program is a structured summer experience including formal software trainings, networking opportunities, mentorship relationships, social events, learning seminars, and much more!

Click here to learn more about the TKDA Internship Experience!

Follow TKDA on LinkedIn for additional updates!

Upon acceptance of a conditional offer of employment, the selected candidate will be required to complete a standard pre-employment background screening, which consists of Social Security verification, educational verification, review of criminal convictions, and driving history.

TKDA Internship Program

TKDA's internship program is dedicated to the learning and networking experience for interns, with the hope that we can build a professional relationship that will last. We are committed to fostering a learning environment where you can apply your classroom knowledge in real ways. This program is a structured summer experience including formal software trainings, networking opportunities, mentorship relationships, social events, learning seminars, and much more!

**Please note that the formal interview process for all internship positions at TKDA will begin in late October.

Click here to learn more about the TKDA Internship Experience!

Follow TKDA on LinkedIn for additional updates!

Upon acceptance of a conditional offer of employment, the selected candidate will be required to complete a standard pre-employment background screening, which consists of Social Security verification, educational verification, review of criminal convictions, and driving history.

*Pre-Employment Screening*

Upon acceptance of a conditional offer of employment, the selected candidate will be required to complete a standard pre-employment background screening, which consists of Social Security verification, educational verification, review of criminal convictions, and driving history.

*Notice to Recruiters and Placement Agencies*

TKDA will not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or placement agencies unless a service agreement is in place. In the event TKDA receives an unsolicited resume without a service agreement in place, TKDA will not be obligated to pay a service fee of any amount nor will TKDA be held liable to terms or conditions under any agreement of any kind that has not been authorized in writing by a TKDA officer.

Source: TKDA careers (Lever)

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