What are the responsibilities and job description for the Summer Intern, Innovation (25-PERF-400003-097) position at DC Water Candidate Experience site?
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties, locations, and responsibilities performed by incumbent(s) in this job. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties in this description, and incumbent(s) may be required to perform work-related tasks other than those specifically listed in this description. This job description is not a “contract” between the employee and the Authority. The job duties and essential functions may be changed at the discretion of the General Manager.
| General |
| Job Title: | Summer Intern, Innovation | Job Code: | A0085 |
| Supervises Directly: | No | ||
| New or Revised: | New | Regular or At-Will: | At-Will |
| Date Last Revised: | 12/2/2024 | Exempt or Non-Exempt: | Non-Exempt |
| Compensation Approval Signature: | Union/ Non-Union: | Non-Union | |
| Department Name and Division: | Performance-Strategic Management, Administration | Salary Schedule: | Intern |
| Cost Center Code: | 400003 | Grade: | Intern |
| Essential Position: | No | Reports To: | Director, Innovation |
| EEO Code: | Administrative Support | Work Format | In-Person |
| Who We Are & What We Do: |
At DC Water, we provide more than 700,000 District of Columbia residents and 24.6 million annual visitors with essential water, wastewater, and stormwater services. DC Water also provides wholesale wastewater treatment services for 1.8 million people in Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland, and Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. We aspire to be known for superior service, ingenuity, and stewardship to advance the health and well-being of our diverse workforce and communities. To achieve this vision, we commit to our shared mission every day—exceeding expectations by providing high quality water services in a safe, environmentally friendly, and efficient manner.
| Role Description: |
The Innovation Intern will engage with our Community of Practice in Artificial Intelligence, gaining first-hand experience in AI technologies within the water sector. The intern will work on developing chatbots, building data constructs, and contributing to generative AI projects. Additionally, there is an opportunity to innovate new capabilities using low-code software tools.
| Essential Duties & Responsibilities: |
As a summer Intern, we will provide you with:
- A real-world experience on exciting projects
- Connections with recent college graduates and our company leaders
- Performance of assignments under the direct supervision of a department lead
- Performance of other work-related duties as needed
Your essential functions include, but are not limited to:
- Gain hands-on experience innovating with AI technologies, particularly in the water sector.
- Develop bots and contribute to Generative AI pursuits, including research, troubleshooting, and collaborating with the team.
- Develop technical milestones and a poster board to visually represent the intern’s experience with the Innovation team.
Supervisory Responsibilities: Not applicable
Key Working Relationships:
| Skills & Qualifications: |
The qualifications listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and ability necessary for an individual to perform each essential responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable amounts of training are provided.
Required Skills & Qualifications
| Required Experience: |
| At least 2 years of hands-on experience in Machine Learning, Deep Learning, or Artificial Intelligence |
| Advanced proficiency in Python for writing clean and production-ready code |
| Appreciation for iterative development and continuous improvement |
| Minimum Education Requirements: |
| Must be currently enrolled fulltime in an undergraduate or graduate program |
| Must have at least 30 credit hours complete |
| Must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average |
| Bachelor’s or master’s degree in a quantitative field (e.g., Mathematics, Computer Science, Statistics, Operations Research) |
| Required Skills: |
| Strong experience with Machine Learning & AI Development and deploying reliable ML systems. |
| Real-time data processing, monitoring model drift, and data validation. |
| Proficiency in Python for API-based model deployment. |
| Awareness of ethical considerations in AI development and safety protocols. |
| Strong communication skills for explaining complex AI concepts. |
| Required Licenses & Certifications: |
| Not applicable |
| Required Languages: |
| English |
| Physical Requirements: |
| General office conditions |
Preferred Skills & Qualifications
| Preferred Experience: |
| Proven ability to lead projects and deliver end-to-end solutions, particularly in a fast-paced or start-up environment. |
| Familiarity with SQL, Spark, and cloud-based data platforms. |
| Experience in Natural Language Processing (NLP), language modeling, and sentiment analysis. |
| Previous client-facing roles, delivering high-quality outcomes in collaboration with diverse teams. |
| Preferred Education Requirements: |
| Preferred Majors: Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Innovation Science. |
| Preferred Skills: |
| Proficient in MLOps, optimizing training and inference to maximize hardware efficiency. |
| Experience with multi-modal data handling and AI advancements, especially in large language models (LLM). |
| Ability to balance innovation with production readiness, ensuring scalable AI solutions. |
*The work environment characteristics described in the physical requirements section of the required skills & qualifications table are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities.
| Your Experience at DC Water: |
At DC Water, our people make us an industry leader. Join a group of thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers focused on protecting life’s most precious resource in the nation’s capital.
- Take pride in your work. We provide an essential service and do work that matters. A career at DC Water is an exciting opportunity to help improve the environment and make a lasting difference for the community.
- Connect to a strong culture. Everything we do is grounded in our shared values—accountability, trust, teamwork, customer focus, safety, and wellbeing.
- Be your true self. We are an inclusive organization that embraces diversity, and we recognize and celebrate employees’ individuality and unique contributions.
- Build your skills and career path. We are committed to developing a future-ready workforce by helping our employees develop skills for the jobs of tomorrow.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V.
We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against “qualified individuals with disabilities”.
If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please email complianceada@dcwater.com.
