What are the responsibilities and job description for the Intern: Transportation Planner position at Nelson\Nygaard?
Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates is seeking Transportation Planning Interns to join our team during the summer of 2025. We’re looking for students who are eager to gain hands-on experience in the transportation planning field. This is an outstanding opportunity to be involved in the firm’s nationally recognized work in planning for more equitable and livable communities.
Our summer intern program is designed to give current students an opportunity to gain experience with planning work that helps shape our communities. You will work on and produce deliverables for some of our most exciting projects, supporting junior and senior planners with writing and research, data analysis and mapping, and client and community engagement activities.
During your internship, you will be paired with a buddy who will provide mentorship and training support. Additionally, our summer intern cohort will participate in weekly sessions that will enhance their professional development and build their network across the firm. These sessions will cover the fundamentals of working at a consulting firm, including transit planning and analysis, bike and pedestrian planning, data modeling and analysis, equity, diversity, and inclusion, engineering great streets, and an opportunity to meet leaders across the firm. Internships will culminate with a presentation of project-based and professional highlights from the summer.
About Us
For over 35 years, Nelson\Nygaard has led the transportation planning field with our values-driven approach. We’ve always been guided by the principle of putting people first—designing transportation systems for people, not just cars. This principle also extends to how we operate as a firm. We were founded by two women who believed in the benefits of a more egalitarian workplace, where leadership and creativity can blossom at all levels and where diversity is a core strength. Today, we are 160 talented and dedicated people in twelve offices across the country who continue to live by those values. What unites us at Nelson\Nygaard is our steadfast commitment to make the world more just, more sustainable, more connected, and more beautiful.
Nelson\Nygaard offers a dynamic and self-directed work environment that is fast-paced, congenial, and supportive. This is your opportunity to work with one of the most innovative groups of planners and engineers in the United States, including highly talented junior and support staff. Our firm culture is built upon diversity and creativity.
About You
- You’re passionate about the transportation profession.
- You’re resourceful, curious, communicative, and enthusiastic.
- You bring energy and a commitment to do great work, together.
- You have a positive, service-oriented, can-do attitude.
- You’re reliable, punctual, and adaptable to new situations or changes in plans.
- You have great interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with all types of personalities and people from varying backgrounds.
- You think critically and enjoy solving complex problems.
Your Responsibilities
The Transportation Planning Intern may have the opportunity to:
- Conduct fieldwork and gather data for analysis
- Process, tabulate, and interpret collected data
- Prepare maps and visuals for clear data presentation
- Draft memos and reports summarizing findings and methods
- Support research efforts for senior staff projects
- Help prepare presentations and community outreach materials
- Collaborate with colleagues across offices and remote teams
- Participate in intern training and office events
Qualifications
- Recently completed or enrolled in undergraduate program OR enrolled in graduate school and working toward relevant degree. (This program is not open to individuals who will be completing their master's degree in Summer 2025, have already completed their master's, or are currently pursuing a PhD.)
- Strong knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Proven research, data analysis, and/or communications experience
- Experience with GIS, R/Python, and/or Adobe products (Illustrator, InDesign) a plus
Salary and Benefits
We are looking for a full-time (40 hours per week) intern for the summer. The internship will last approximately three months (roughly June through August). Pay is based on education and location.
|
Location |
Undergraduate Interns (Recently completed or are enrolled in an undergraduate program) |
Master’s Program Interns (Currently enrolled in a graduate program) |
|
Chicago, Portland
|
$23.00 per hour |
$28.00 per hour |
|
Oakland
|
$24.38 per hour |
$29.68 per hour |
|
Washington, DC
|
$23.69 per hour |
$28.84 per hour |
Interns are not eligible for our full-time benefits package; however, we offer opportunities for many internships to extend into the following school year and may also become regular full-time employees upon graduation.
Relocation support is not available for this position.
Applying for the Position
To apply, please click on the 'Apply now' link. To ensure their application is considered, candidates MUST submit the following items:
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Work Samples (no larger than 6MB) - optional but preferred
At Nelson\Nygaard, we believe that inclusion spurs creativity and that innovation is born from an engaged culture of diverse people and ideas. By moving beyond barriers and stereotypes of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and veteran status, we are committed to building an organization that reflects the diversity of the communities and clients we serve. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), immigrants, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and members of ethnic minorities. We’re committed to maximizing the diversity of our team and want to hear from anyone passionate about our work.
Salary : $23 - $30
