Job Description
Position Summary
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation's Highway Operations Summer Internship program is for students enrolled full time in an undergraduate degree program for the Fall of 2025. It provides interns with hands-on experience in Highway Operations across the Commonwealth.
As an Operations intern, you will gain real world experience in the front-line operations work that will have a lasting influence on transportation in Massachusetts. These internships also provide an opportunity to network with professionals across the state.
The Operations Summer Internship Program typically runs approximately 12 weeks from June through August. The standard work week is full-time Monday through Friday. Locations and start times will vary depending upon placement. Some positions are referred to as hybrid and will include working remotely as well as reporting to the office each week.
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Operations programs accepting 2025 Summer Interns:
Intelligent Transportation Systems program (ITS) and Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO) (2 Vacancies)
Location: 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA (hybrid schedule)
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Performs research on emerging technology, trends and capabilities, and presents findings, along with recommendations.
- Attends meetings covering a broad range of transportation and technology issues.
- Provides and reviews data for the preparation of engineering or environmental reports and studies.
- Analyzes changes in scope of work during design and/or construction of projects.
- Reviews construction and service contract payments, estimates, and/or invoices.
- Writes memoranda, letters, or general reports; collect and correlate engineering data; and maintain records.
- Geocode-pull, redact, and analyze crash data to assist with evaluation of high crash locations and assist with performance of Road Safety Audits.
Accident Recovery Program (1 Vacancy)
Location: 185 Kneeland Street, Boston, MA (hybrid)
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:00pm
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Communicates with Highway Division staff and insurance companies.
- Gathers information and verifies data on various reports.
- Researches and summarizes industry articles and briefs and reports findings to supervisor.
- Analyzes reports and supporting documents.
- Enters accident recovery program information in database
- Participates in weekly case review meetings
Operations & Maintenance Procurement/Contracts (1 Vacancy)
Location: 10 Park Plaza, Boston, MA (hybrid)
Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Gather information and verify data on critical service contracts utilized by all Highway Districts across the state.
- Conduct field investigations, industry research and document and present findings.
- Analyze current issues and work with highway districts to formulate needs assessment.
- Work with the Manager to identify procurement guidance.
- Develop procurement guidelines and RFQ solicitation
- Assist with bid response review and vendor contract awards.
- Assist with updating procedures, guidelines, etc., in relation to future service adjustments.
District One Operations (1 Vacancy)
Location: 270 Main Street, Lenox, MA 01201 (in-person)
Schedule: Monday - Friday
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Work with the engineering staff within maintenance section.
- Preparing sketch sheets, scopes of work, and prepare necessary paperwork.
- Assist as needed the District Environmental Engineer when needed.
- Conduct site visits for on ongoing work.
District Two Operations (up to 2 Vacancies)
Location: 811 North King Street, Northampton. MA (in-person)
Schedule: Monday - Friday
The District Two Operations Intern will work with the engineering staff in the District's Maintenance Section and District Operations Section, assisting with Asset Management tasks, and other duties as required.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Prepare sketch sheets, scopes of work, and complete related paperwork.
- Use of GIS
- Review plans and communicate with other personnel to identify, locate, and inventory retaining walls along state highways.
- Perform site visits to review and document the condition of various highway assets.
- Identify areas of concern and analyze issues related to critical vulnerabilities
- Conduct site visits for ongoing repair work
- Data analysis
- Develop findings and reports
- Recommend solutions for repair or replacement
Desired skills include technical writing, process documentation, organization, GIS familiarity, data analysis, data visualization. A valid Driver's License will be required.
District Three Operations (1 Vacancy)
Location: 499 Plantation Parkway, Worcester, MA 01605 (in-person)
Schedule: Monday - Friday
The District 3 Operations intern will assist with Asset Management tasks, and other duties as required.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Perform site visits to review and document the condition of various highway assets.
- Identify areas of concern and analyze issues related to critical vulnerabilities.
District Five Operations (2 Vacancies)
Location: 10 Fruit Street, Bridgewater, MA (in-person)
Schedule: Monday - Friday
Supporting the District 5 garage staff and District Fleet Coordinator, the Operations intern will perform the following duties:
- Assist the District Fleet Coordinator with the electronic tracking and reporting of District Repairs and Maintenance.
- Assist with vehicle transport.
- Assist in training non-technical field personnel on various computer applications and data entry.
- Inspect various equipment pieces.
- Maintain reports and inventories of District Equipment.
- Assist with the reconciliation of invoices for parts and equipment purchased.
- Assist in the oversight of work performance by contracted vendors.
District Six Operations (2 vacancies)
Location: 185 Kneeland Street, Boston, MA (in-person)
Schedule: Monday - Friday
Duties and Responsibilities:
- One Operations intern will assist the Permits department inventorying and preparing files for archive, assisting in permit inspections, and assisting in the preparation of simple permits.
- One Operations intern will assist the Traffic department with the following:
- Digitizing the most recent District 6 traffic signal plans and creating a database for easy access.
- Work on an assignment that will help them gain experience in applying traffic engineering principles to a real project.
About MassDOT
The 4,000+ employees of Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) takes great pride in connecting the Commonwealth's residents and communities. MassDOT is responsible for developing, implementing, and coordinating transportation policies and projects for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and to efficiently plan, design, construct, and maintain a safe statewide transportation system which effectively meets the transportation needs of the Commonwealth. Information about MassDOT's inclusive culture and career opportunities can be found at mass.gov/massdot-careers.
MassDOT's divisions include: Highway, Registry of Motor Vehicles, Aeronautics, and Rail & Transit. Headquarters (Planning & Enterprise Services) provides business and administrative support and policy leadership for each of the four (4) divisions.
Qualifications
Minimum Entrance Requirements
This requisition will remain open until filled; however, first consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.
All job applications must be submitted online through MassCareers to be considered.
Please provide a complete, accurate and current resume / application for MassDOT to review in order to determine if your submitted materials meet the minimum entrance requirements for the position.
Current MassDOT employees should use their internal MassCareers account to apply.
- For questions regarding the job posting, please email the MassDOT Talent Acquisition Team at talentacquisition@dot.state.ma.us.
- For general questions regarding MassDOT, call the Human Resources Service Center at 857-368-4722.
- For a disability-related reasonable accommodation or alternative application method, call ADA Coordinator, Lucy Bayard, at 857-274-1935.
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.