Summer Internship in Dam Safety

SUMMER INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY! 

Summer Internship in Dam Safety

Location: Valley Water Headquarters (5750 Almaden Expy. San Jose, CA)   

1 Internship Available!  

OVERVIEW 

Do you want to make a difference in your community while also gaining priceless career experience? Do you want to expand your network and build your resume while learning about the water industry? If so, a summer internship with Valley Water may be the best choice for you! Come apply your talents to help secure safe and clean water for a healthy environment.

 

Our Commitment:

Racial equity, diversity and inclusion are integral to Valley Water. We are committed to building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment for all. We believe every member of our team enriches our diversity, contributes to inclusion, and strengthens belonging by broadening our perspective and collective understanding of the world around us to accomplish our mission to equitably provide safe, clean water, natural flood protections, and environmental stewardship.

About Valley Water:

Valley Water is a public agency with an operating and capital budget of $964 million, and over 900 employees. With headquarters in San José, Valley Water provides water supply, enhances streams and watersheds through creek restoration and habitat protection, provides flood protection for homes, schools, businesses and roadways, and partners with other agencies to provide trails and open space for the community. 

About Next Gen Career Pathway’s Summer Internships: 

Our popular internship program provides excellent opportunities to explore your chosen career path, develop industry specific skills and knowledge, and increase your professional network! As part of the Valley Water community, you get an insider’s perspective on the way we work and the impact we are able to make. The Summer 2025 Internship Program will provide interns with training and experience leveraging collaboration tools while either working on-site or hybrid. Summer Interns will be given one-on-one mentorship, professional development training and an hourly pay of $26.31. At the end of the program interns are to prepare and present a Capstone presentation to share their experience and achievements.  

About The Dam Safety Program & Project Delivery Unit:

The Dam Safety Program Unit manages Valley Water's 12 reservoir dams, several of which are almost 100 years old. Built in the 1930s and 1950s to alleviate issues caused by excessive groundwater pumping, our dams range in location from the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the Diablo Range east of Gilroy. These dams and reservoirs are a critical component to preserve our precious water supply.
 
Our program includes dam maintenance, dam inspections, surveillance and geologic processes monitoring, emergency preparedness and post-earthquake response program management, and special studies such as seismic stability evaluations. In addition, the department also delivers capital projects for seismic retrofit of dams. Interns will spend about half of the time going out to the dams to conduct site assessments.
 
Apply for this dynamic position to learn about everything from the basics of dam engineering, state and federal regulatory processes, communicating with community members and stakeholders, to the many responsibilities that Valley Water has as dam owner and environmental steward.

INTERNSHIP LOCATION STATUS: This position is eligible for a hybrid telework schedule, typically working 40% remote and 60% onsite. For hybrid work, intern must perform their work in the state of California within 150 miles of their primary physical work location located in (San Jose, California) by their start date.

WE LOOK FOR INTERNS WHO ARE:

• Pursuing a major in Environmental Science, Earth Science, Geology, Civil Engineering, or Geotechnical Engineering. 
• Completed coursework in environmental science, earth science, engineering or geology is a big help. 
• Confident with Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Microsoft Office Suite. 

 

AS AN INTERN YOU WILL:

• Participate in biweekly learning sessions held every other Friday alongside fellow interns, focusing on elevating career readiness and cultivating professional development skills.
• Assist with the management of dam maintenance tasks, including ecological, civil, and mechanical maintenance, and conditions surveillance. 
• Prepare updates to Emergency Action Plans for twelve dams and distribute to local emergency management agencies.
• Learn about federal regulatory processes for Emergency Action Plan preparation, dam ownership, and capital project delivery. 
• Complete Field visits and conduct training for Valley Water’s Post Earthquake Dam Assessment Program volunteers. 
• Attend in person and virtual meetings with dam stakeholders, engineers, consultants, and environmental planners. 

ELIGIBILITY:

The Summer Internship Program is open to undergraduate & graduate students who are third year and above enrolled in a college/university for Fall 2025.

• Pass a pre-employment screening process, including a background check.
• Proof of enrollment will be required prior to start of assignment.
• Can work full-time (40 hours/week) during the Summer Internship Program

1. May 27 – August 15, 2025 (Semester Students)
2. June 16 – September 5, 2025 (Quarter Students)

 

APPLICATION PROCESS: 

We will be accepting applications from February 3rd through February 17, 2025. You will need to provide the following with the online application: 

• Fully completed online Employment Application with all required questions answered.  We are very interested in learning about your previous work experience, school projects, volunteer events and/or extracurricular activities.
• Complete the supplemental questions in the job application with detail and honesty. These questions will help us get to know you better.  Please tailor your answer to the specific internship you are applying for. Do not indicate "see resume" as a response to any of the questions.
• Resumes and cover letters are optional but are helpful and appreciated by the Managers reviewing the applications.
• Interns who have participated in the Valley Water's Summer Internship Program in past years are not eligible to apply.

Salary : $26