Internship: Research Intern - Denver

Full Job Description

Applications will be considered from residents and non-residents of Colorado.

Pay Range: $19.16 - $26.77/hour depending on qualifications.

This is a paid temporary part-time up to full-time position (24 - 40 hours/week). Temporary positions are limited to a maximum of 9 months from the date of hire.

In addition to being a fantastic place to work, CDOT offers all temporary employees paid sick leave. Temporary employees accrue one hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, capped at 48 hours.

About CDOT

Do you want to make a difference in Coloradans’ lives? Do you have a passion for helping people and keeping them safe?

At the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), you’ll have the opportunity to do just that.

The work our people do contributes to keeping Coloradans and visitors safe and provides freedom, connection, and experience through travel.

Please visit our careers page to learn about CDOT and how we are making Colorado a great place to live, work and play, now and for the future!

CDOT for All

CDOT’s strength is our people, and our commitment to our people is to shape, support, and sustain the employee experience, and ultimately, create a supportive workplace where everyone, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, education, disability, socio-economic status, or any other identity, has the opportunity to thrive.

Requirements

About the Work UnitThe Research Intern works in the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT's) Office of Applied Research.

The mission of the Office of Applied Research is to save lives, save Colorado citizens time and money, and preserve the environment through research and development activities.

This includes the development and implementation of innovative methods, products, and materials in transportation, as well as developing actionable knowledge for policy development.

About the PositionThe Research Branch is seeking an intern to provide information management and tool development utilizing the appropriate technology and resources.

This position will dive into the real-world challenges of managing the flow of research results and requests that flow to CDOT.

Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Information Management and Strategy

• Investigate the Distribution of Research Knowledge including mapping the flow of high-value knowledge, including National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Reports, University Transportation Center (UTC) results, and national consortium proposals—from entrance to the Department through their path to the right decision-makers.
• Analyze Collaboration Networks including working with CDOT staff to learn how to identify internal subject matter experts and how to expand collaborations.
• Identify Barriers in Knowledge Processes: Transform "information overload" into a streamlined pipeline by identifying bottlenecks in how we receive and process surveys, webinar announcements, and research project proposals.

Tool Development and Change Management

• Own the continuing development and deployment of an internal application using Google tools (AppSheet, Apps Script, Vertex AI, BigQuery).
• Scale and improve a system to ingest research sources and intelligently match them with internal experts.
• Test, refine, and document the tool for long-term sustainability.
• Apply design thinking and change management principles to ensure the application isn't just built, but actually adopted.
• Facilitate stakeholder feedback to refine the user experience and scaling strategy.
• Explore high-impact extensions of the application, such as evolving it into a dynamic directory of organizational skills, roles, and professional interests.

Other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

• This position is based at CDOT's Statewide Headquarters Complex located at 2829 W. Howard Place, Denver, CO 80204.
• Expected hybrid office/home work schedule Monday - Friday with Mondays and Tuesdays in the office.
• It is anticipated that this role will work 24 - 40 hours per week with a minimum of 24 hours per week.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Qualified candidates must be either:

A recent college graduate.

Recently graduated means you should have attended an accredited college or university and have graduated with an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree in information science, computer science, engineering or a related technical field within the past three calendar years.

OR

Any college student enrolled in a U.S. accredited community college, college, or university seeking an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree in information science, computer science, engineering or a related technical field .

OR

• A certified participant in the Colorado Refugee Services Program

College Transcripts: If you are using education to qualify, a legible copy of your official or unofficial college transcript(s) or an official foreign credential evaluation report must be submitted with your application.

Transcripts must show your name, the name of the school, completed credit hours, and (if applicable) current enrollment or that a degree was conferred.

Transcripts from colleges or universities outside of the United States must have been assessed for U.S. equivalency by a NACES educational credential evaluation service.

The credential evaluation report must be an official report.

Failure to provide a transcript or official foreign credential evaluation report may result in your application being rejected and you will not be able to continue in the selection process for this position.

Conditions of Employment:

Must pass a pre-employment screening which may include social security number trace, criminal records check, public court records check, educational records, and driving records checks. More information is in the supplemental information section.

Preferred Qualifications
The Exceptional Candidate will be an undergraduate or graduate college/university student, or recent graduate as defined above and the following:

• Strong interest in the duties listed in the Description of the Job section.
• Completion of 2 years or more from an accredited university in a technical field such as engineering, computer science, or information sciences, or a related technical discipline.
• Google Workspace Power User: Experience (or strong interest) in AppSheet and Google Apps Script (JavaScript-based) to automate workflows.
• Data Literacy: Familiarity with SQL or BigQuery for data management and an understanding of how to prompt/utilize Generative AI (like Vertex AI) for text analysis.
• Process Mapping: Ability to visualize complex information flows and identify where a process is "breaking."
• Technical Writing: Ability to translate complex technical workflows into simple, "how-to" documentation for non-technical users.
• Design Thinking Mindset: A focus on "User Experience"—asking why and how people will use a tool before building it.
• Change Management: Interest in the "human side" of technology—how to encourage people to adopt new habits and tools.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable interviewing internal stakeholders to gather requirements and presenting progress to leadership.
• Ability to manage a "product roadmap" independently and prioritize features based on user feedback.
• Ability to perform duties with minimal supervision.
• Familiarity with the Microsoft Office suite, Google mail ("Gmail"),

Additional Information

Applicant Checklist

Complete Applications must include the following documents:

1. A complete CDOT Application for Announced Vacancy (please submit online using the green 'APPLY' button at the top of this announcement)

2. A complete Supplemental Questionnaire (The questionnaire is part of the online application. You will be prompted to answer them as you are completing your online application.)

A cover letter that describes your interest in this position, how your experience aligns with the minimum and preferred qualifications of this position.

Cover letters must be uploaded as an attachment to your online application. Cover letters will not be accepted after the closing date and time of the announcement.

Unless you are applying as certified participant in the Colorado Refugee Services Program, a copy of your official or unofficial transcript showing your name, the name of the school, completed credit hours, and (if applicable) current enrollment or that a degree was conferred.

If your education is from outside of the U.S., we need your NACES report showing U.S. equivalency. Please submit this as an attachment to your online application.




Please note that you may redact information on your attachments that identifies your age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.




Only complete applications submitted by the closing date for this announcement will be given consideration. Every effort must be made to submit all application materials by the announcement close date.

Where unusual circumstances prevent timely acquisition of transcripts, they must be submitted within five business days of the announcement close date.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Failure to submit properly completed documents by the closing date of this announcement may result in your application being rejected.




The State of Colorado strives to create a Colorado for All by building and maintaining workplaces that value and respect all Coloradans through a commitment to equal opportunity and hiring based on merit and fitness.




The State is resolute in non-discriminatory practices in everything we do, including hiring, employment, and advancement opportunities.




Notifications:

All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be via email.

Include your current working email address on your application and check your email frequently as you could receive time sensitive correspondence regarding this position.

We highly recommend that you set up your email to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "info@governmentjobs.com" addresses.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email.

Immediately after you submit your application you should receive an email that confirms that you successfully submitted an application for this position.

If you do not, try submitting again until you receive the confirmation email. Be sure to also check your junk folder for email communications from the State of Colorado's website.




Employment Screening

If an applicant reaches the finalist stage of the hiring process, the Colorado Department of Transportation may procure a consumer report and/or investigative consumer report on the applicant in connection with his/her application for employment purposes, as defined under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

These reports may be obtained at any time after receipt of the applicant's authorization.

As part of the employment screening an applicant will be requested to disclose any deferred judgments and convictions as well as an explanation of the circumstances around any arrest or conviction.

In the event that a screening returns information that the applicant believes is not accurate, he or she will have an opportunity to dispute the information with “Accurate.”Accurate, a consumer reporting agency, will obtain the report for CDOT.

Further information regarding Accurate including its privacy policy, may be found online at www.accurate.com.

Accurate is located at 200 Spectrum Center Drive Suite 1100, Irvine, CA 92618.The report may contain information bearing on the applicant's character, general reputation, personal characteristics, and mode of living.

The information that may be included in the report includes social security number trace, criminal records check, public court records checks, educational records, and driving records checks.

CDOT will only request credit reports insofar as they relate to the position for which the applicant is applying.

The information contained in the report will be obtained from private and/or public record sources.

The applicant will have the right, upon written request made within a reasonable time after receipt of a notice, to request disclosure of the nature and scope of any investigative consumer report.




ADAAA Accommodations

CDOT is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.

As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.

If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to Lynn Livingston at LynnR.Livingston@state.co.us or call 303-757-9110..




Former State Employees

Former employees of the Colorado Department of Transportation System or any other State of Colorado Department or Agency, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this information on his/her application.




LL(SAP #HAA Research Intern - 02/26)