King County International Airport- Environmental Engineering Graduate Intern

Full Job Description

King County International Airport (KCIA) is seeking a graduate level intern to work in collaboration with the KCIA's Engineering team's Environmental section.

In this position, you will gain hands-on experience in airport environmental compliance, industrial stormwater permitting, industrial monitoring, green energy, infrastructure design, and interdisciplinary team planning to accomplish the airport’s environmental stewardship goals.

The responsibilities of the Environmental Science Intern include performing site inspections, collecting water, soil, air samples, revising and editing technical documents, assisting with planning and communication with stakeholders, updating digital records, and working with environmental staff on emergent projects.

This internship will allow you to apply your academic skills to gain firsthand knowledge of airport layout and operations from a technical perspective and learn processes involved with environmental permitting and compliance with State and Federal regulations.

KCIA's internship cohort program will provide opportunities to learn about careers in airport environmental management and to be supervised and mentored by an airport professional.

As part of KCIA's internship cohort, you will have the opportunity to learn from, mentor, and work with fellow KCIA interns with other areas of expertise and backgrounds.

Through these experiences, we aim to build a strong team that will become future airport and government leaders!

ABOUT KING COUNTY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BOEING FIELD)

KCIA is one of the busiest primary non-hub general aviation airports in the nation. Located just four miles south of downtown Seattle, it averages 180,000 aircraft operations each year.

KCIA ranks among the most successful public investments in state history.

The airport's annual economic impact is $3.5 billion - supporting more than 16,000 jobs and providing $1.8 billion in labor income in the county.

KCIA promotes the health of the aviation industry by establishing pipelines for employment and for employee development.

As a general aviation airport, KCIA serves small, commercial passenger airlines, cargo carriers, including UPS, private aircraft owners, helicopters, corporate jets, and military and other aircraft.

It is also the final delivery center for the Boeing Company's 737 aircraft and serves as the company's military flight center along with other Boeing operations.

The Museum of Flight is located on the airport property with a wide variety of aircraft and exhibits showcasing aviation history.

KCIA frequently is host to celebrities and dignitaries, who prefer Boeing Field because of its proximity to downtown Seattle and convenient connections to other business districts in the region.

Due to its proximity to Lumen Field, T-Mobile Park, and other sports venues, many teams prefer to use KCIA when playing in Seattle.

To learn more about King County International Airport please visit kingcounty.gov/airport.

Requirements

• Perform site inspections and stormwater sampling for compliance with NPDES permit
• Update digital files and create new media for communicating environmental projects and solutions
• Perform basic research of equipment and basic data calculations
• Assist in organizing and verifying consultant/contractors project documents
• Assist with site cleanup activities including the Lower Duwamish stormwater system line cleanings, source control sampling and tracing
• Provide input for revisions to the airport Stormwater Pollution and Prevention Plan
• Attend meetings and planning sessions
• Participate in green maintenance and landscape planning to offset airport carbon emissions
• Perform general office support and maintain records for assigned work unit
• Respond to inquiries from airport staff and consultants regarding work
• Airport environmental data collection, QA/QC, and/or reporting

Qualifications

• Enrolled in a graduate level master’s or doctorate program with focus on issues related to Environmental Science with prior coursework in the Environmental or Natural Sciences from an accredited institution
• Competence in using computer software such as Microsoft office programs such as Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Word
• Knowledge of basic GIS and AutoCAD applications
• Basic familiarity of environmental cleanup methodologies, green infrastructure and landscape principles, and State and Federal environmental regulations
• Familiarity with map types, Google Earth imagery, and other GIS applications
• Skill in working effectively and cooperatively with internal and external customers with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent communication skills and professionalism while performing work in public and online settings
• Passionate and willing to work in a team environment and independently

Additional Information

Who May Apply: Currently enrolled in a graduate level master's or doctorate program with focus on issues related to Environmental Science with prior coursework in Environmental or Natural Sciences from an accredited institution.

Work Schedule: Up to one-year internship starting a week after the 2026 school year ends. Part-time/Full-time hours: 20 - 40 hours per week depending on student's availability per their school schedule.

Work Location: This team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change.

The primary onsite location is at King County International Airport Terminal Building- 7277 Perimeter Road S. Seattle, WA 98108.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely.

The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.

Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Required Materials: A King County application is required. We highly recommend that you also provide a resume and cover letter. If selected, you will need to provide proof of enrollment in a graduate level master's or doctorate program for the 2026 -2027 academic year.

Selection Process: Applications will be screened for clarity, completeness, and qualifications. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in an interview.

Unfortunately, application packets that do not include all the required components and/or do not follow application instructions will be deemed incomplete and will not be considered.

Reference checks will be conducted.

Union Membership: This position is not represented

Contact Information: If you have any questions, please contact Karina Cordova, HR Analyst by email at kcordova@kingcounty.gov or by phone at 206-848-0395.

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.