Metro Mobility Internships (Undergraduate Intern II)

Full Job Description

This position is open to undergraduate students currently enrolled and continuing in the fall of 2026 in a full-time status at an accredited university/college. Proof of full-time enrollment is required.

Get real world experience with us! Metro's Mobility Division is seeking undergraduate interns to work within our Market Innovation, Customer Communications & Services and Service Development Sections. There are 6 undergraduate intern positions for full or part-time during the summer and/or the 2026/2027 School Year.

Internships are estimated to end 12 months from the date of hire and/or until you no longer qualify as a student intern.

Who are we looking for? Metro Mobility is looking for student interns that have graduated high school, and/ or are attending a secondary institution, college or university.

Intern candidates should be interested and excited to gain relevant experience from working for the state's largest public transit agency.

Candidates should be self-starters, interested in learning about public transit and working for a local government agency.

Metro's Mobility division is dedicated to improving mobility options, planning for, and offering access to public transit within King County.

Undergraduate Intern Position	Section in Metro Mobility Division
Position 1: Fares Policy Intern	Market Innovation Section
Position 2: Youth Mobility Program Intern	Market Innovation Section
Position 3: Innovative Mobility & Health Through Housing Intern	Market Innovation Section
Position 4: Neighborhood Pop Up Intern	Customer Communications & Services
Position 5: Neighborhood Pop Up Intern	Customer Communications & Services
Position 6: Transit Route Facilities Intern	Service Development

This recruitment may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Intern vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup. The eligibility pool will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Requirements

(Positions 1-3 are in the Market Innovation Section)

About the Market Innovation Section: Market Innovation is guided by customer needs to expand the reach of public transportation, break down barriers, pursue opportunities, and ensure everyone has access to mobility.

The Fare Policy and Strategy Program advances Metro’s fare vision through policy development, partnership, regional collaboration, innovation, and ongoing research and evaluation.

Our vision is to deliver a fares system that is easy, fair, and affordable – with a focus on meeting the needs of riders facing the biggest barriers.

The Fares Team is small but mighty, working in close collaboration with Metro colleagues and regional partners to deliver for our customers.

This year we are focused on delivering a set of regional policy aims in collaboration with political leadership and transit agencies throughout the Puget Sound; coordinating implementation of program and policy changes to improve access to fares – especially for riders with barriers; stewarding our fare systems and revenue; and carrying out rigorous evaluation as Metro’s approach to fares changes and grows.

JOB DUTIES:

• Research and evaluation – contributing to research design; collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data; reviewing literature, industry standards, and peer agency practices; and sharing outcomes and conclusions with diverse stakeholders.
• Policy analysis and development – analyzing current and proposed policies at the agency, county, and state levels. Assisting Metro in developing positions and/or responses to inquiries. Contributing to proposed legislation or other County council transmittals.
• Communications and engagement – contributing to the development of FAQs, informational documents, and customer information to support rider engagement in, knowledge of, and access to the fares system.
• Program design and implementation – providing support for planning and program design.
• Participation in matrixed teams – participating and collaborating with matrixed teams including colleagues from Metro, partner transit agencies, and others to develop consensus, cooperate productively, and deliver on shared goals and deliverables.

THIS INTERNSHIP WOULD BEST MATCH STUDENTS WHO HAVE:

• Strong writing and communication skills.
• Experience using data to inform thinking and decision making.
• Curiosity, inquisitiveness, and a willingness to try and learn new things.
• A commitment to equity and centering the most impacted communities and people.
• A genuine interest in public transit, public service, or a career in local government.

Position 2: Youth Mobility Program Intern

Metro’s Youth Mobility Program works to give young people the skills and confidence to ride public transit through education, outreach, community partnerships, and internships.

JOB DUTIES:

• Support Youth Mobility programming, including Youth ORCA card partnerships, the Youth Transit Summer Internship, transit education, student surveys, and more.
• Administrative tasks: organize supplies, manage databases, track cards, take meeting notes.
• Draft, edit, and publish external communications, like a program newsletter.
• Interact with youth and families at school and community events, which may include evenings and weekends.
• Support onsite and offsite activities during the Youth Transit Summer Internship for high school students, July 13-31.
• Communicate with community groups, schools, or other partners via email, phone, and in person.
• Create or modify presentations or outreach materials to fit specific audiences.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data in Excel or other programs.

THIS INTERNSHIP WOULD BEST MATCH STUDENTS WHO HAVE:

• Experience in public outreach, customer service, or other arenas interacting with the public.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to speak to different audiences.
• Interest in public transportation.
• Experience working with young people (especially ages 10-18).
• Experience working with multilingual communities.
• Experience with GIS, Excel, or data visualization programs.
• Self-motivated skills to communicate needs, suggest improvements, and work without constant supervision.
• Keen attention to detail and ability to manage competing priorities.

Position 3: Innovative Mobility & Health Through Housing Intern

The Innovative Mobility Program improves customer experiences of transit by facilitating and accelerating the evolution of programs, tools, policies, and practices, helping Metro meet the moment and prepare for future mobility and marketplace developments.

The Health Though Housing Program is part of Innovative Mobility and it coordinates mobility services to supportive housing sites to address financial and other barriers to transportation.

The program’s goal is to improve mobility and wellbeing and toward doing so, it operates the EasyTrip Universal Basic Mobility pilot.

JOB DUTIES:

• Support the Innovative Mobility Program’s equitable payment interoperability work, consisting of:
  • EasyTrip Universal Basic Mobility pilot operations and evaluation;
  • Mobility Wallet market research, strategy development, and stakeholder engagement; and
  • Developing new features in Metro’s fare payment system – ORCA – to improve fare access and distribution.
• Contribute to program modernization and process improvement, in partnership with operational work groups within Metro.
• Assist with data collection, analysis, report and presentation development for internal and external stakeholders to guide strategic decision making.
• Coordinate onsite events to promote enrollment and engagement in mobility services among Health Through Housing program participants.

THIS INTERNSHIP WOULD BEST MATCH STUDENTS WHO HAVE:

• Demonstrated interest in the role of technology and electronic payment systems in transit and mobility.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Process improvement and problem-solving skills.
• Analytical skills including data analysis, research, troubleshooting, and critical thinking.
• A commitment to equity, social justice, and sustainability.
• A collaborative and innovative approach to problem solving.
• Comfort with supporting on-site events providing services to at-risk communities.

Position 4 and 5: Neighborhood Pop Up Interns

(Positions 4 and 5 are in the Customer Communications & Services Section)

About the Customer Communications & Services Section: Metro’s Customer Communications & Services Section provides direct customer support to transit riders by phone and in person.

The Neighborhood Pop-Up program delivers ORCA and transit education at outreach events across King County, creating accessible, community-based ways to meet Metro customer needs.

Through partnerships with cities, schools, businesses, libraries, and community organizations, the program connects riders to transit services and reduces barriers to ORCA access.

The Neighborhood Pop-Up Program is recruiting two intern positions which are focused on supporting community engagement, raising awareness of public transportation services, and promoting equitable access to transit resources.

They offer hands-on experience in outreach, public service communication, and project management support.

The work for these positions will be predominantly performed on site and at locations throughout King County and may have a teleworking component.

JOB DUTIES:

• Assist in planning neighborhood pop-up outreach events and occasionally provide direct support to riders at events.
• Design educational materials to educate riders about routes, schedules, ORCA programs, and trip-planning tools
• Support physical and digital outreach efforts, including content creation and community engagement
• Conduct rider surveys and gather feedback from community members and partner organizations to identify unmet needs, gain insight on promotional techniques, and improve service delivery.
• Conduct community rider surveys and collect local partner feedback to inform service improvements
• Help track program outreach metrics and prepare program reports
• Strengthen and support partnerships with local organizations, schools, and community groups to expand transit awareness and book events.

THIS INTERNSHIP WOULD BEST MATCH STUDENTS WHO HAVE:

• Interest in public transportation, community and program development, or social equity.
• Strong communication, writing, and research skills
• Experience engaging with community members and multilingual groups.
• Self-motivated skills to communicate needs, suggest improvements, and work without constant supervision.
• Data entry or basic survey and research analysis experience
• Proficiency in SharePoint, Microsoft Office and/or Adobe Software
• A current driver’s license and the ability to be added to King County’s insurance.
• The ability to push, pull and lift about 50 pounds.

(Position 6 is located in the Service Development Section of Metro’s Mobility Division.)

The Service Development Section is responsible for the planning and Implementation of transit services, schedules, facilities, regional partnerships, and performance management.

About the Transit Route Facilities Team: This team is responsible for the management of bus stops throughout the King County Metro System.

The group oversees, maintains, and updates a network of approximately 7,000 bus stops and manages a variety of bus stop improvement projects from initial planning to implementation.

JOB DUTIES:

• Conduct field work.
• Assess existing site conditions.
• Make recommendations.
• Collect data and conduct analysis.
• Access asset databases.
• Research how other transit agencies are prioritizing improvements.
• Participate in project planning and project team meetings.
• Help coordinate projects with jurisdictions, King County residents, and private companies.
• Write and/or review memos, reports, and /or presentations.
• Create concept plans for potential bus stop infrastructure projects.

THIS INTERNSHIP WOULD BEST MATCH STUDENTS WHO HAVE:

• Interest in public transportation and serving the public.
• Strong communication and research skills.
• The ability to collaborate in teams.
• The commitment to work with and contribute to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• Experience in using ArcGIS or other mapping tools.
• Experience working with construction plans.
• Experience in the use of InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, and /or other visual design tools.
• Experience using R or other programming languages.

Qualifications

• The student is currently enrolled or can demonstrate enrollment by the school, organization, or institution for the 2026/27 school year.
• The student is willing to work throughout the 2026/27 school year and be physically present to attend, in-person at offices in Downtown Seattle.
• Strong communication, writing, and research skills.
• Detail-oriented and able to manage multiple tasks.
• Collaborative and flexible approach to problem-solving.
• Experience with meeting or group facilitation in highly collaborative work environments.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and able to work with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive work environment.

Additional Information

WHO MAY APPLY: This position is open to undergraduate students currently enrolled and continuing in the fall of 2026 in a full-time status at an accredited university/college. Proof of full-time enrollment is required.

How to Apply

Attend one of two voluntary, information sessions where prospective interns can meet Mobility team members and learn more about the positions.

While attendance is not required for, these open-house sessions can help you decide which three positions you are interested in applying for.

Computers will be available at these events for you to submit your applications on site.

The open-house sessions will start with a brief overview about each of the positions and then offer an opportunity for applicants to talk directly with hiring leads about the positions.

The two open-house events will be held in downtown Seattle at King County offices on:

Tuesday, April 7th, 2026, from 10 a.m. - noon at King Street Center, 8th Floor Conference Room at 201 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104. Meet a Metro staff member in the lobby to give you access to the elevator and the 8th floor conference room.

Wednesday, April 8th, 2026, from 1 - 3 p.m. at King County’s Chinook Building, Conference Center Room 123 at 401 5th Avenue Seattle, WA 98104. No access is required, once through the revolving doors, head to conference room 123, located behind the elevators.

1. Submit an online employment application, to include all relevant employment history and experience related to this role as well as responses to the supplemental questions.

Upload your cover letter along with any other relevant additional documents or materials. Resumes are not required for this application.

Your letter should explain why you are interested in working at King County Metro and how you meet the qualifications for the position(s) outlined above.

All application materials will be reviewed for completeness and written communication skills.

2. Answer the supplemental questions at the end of the application -- including the questions that ask you to identify and rank which three of the positions you would like to apply for.

The application and upload of all materials is due by 11:59PM on Friday, April 10, 2026.

APPLICANT REVIEW PROCESS

Application documents received will be reviewed and competitive applicants will be scheduled for interviews for the three positions as indicated by your answer to the supplemental question.

Interviews are expected to occur during the last two weeks of April and intern position awards will be made during the first week of May 2026.

Final offers are contingent on the successful completion of reference checks. Proof of full-time enrollment (defined by the school) in an undergraduate degree program for the Spring 2026 and/or Fall 2026 quarters/semesters will be required for student internships at the time of hire.

QUESTIONS and CONTACT

For questions, please contact Mobility.internship@kingcounty.gov

Benefits

Interns receive a free ORCA transit pass for unlimited rides on King County Metro and Puget Sound region transit services. These classifications are not eligible for retirement, holidays nor vacation pay. All internship positions are limited to a maximum of 1040 hours within the school year.

Union Membership: These positions are not represented by a union.

Class Codes: 299801

Work Schedule: This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible.

Work Location: King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104

Telecommuting: The work associated with these job classifications will be performed through a combination of teleworking complemented with onsite work.

The specific mix can be agreed between Intern and supervisor. King County employees are expected to work onsite a minimum of two to three days per week.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop.

When not working onsite, the intern must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Working onsite desk space and an internet connection are provided.

The intern will be expected to report in person primarily at King Street Center, 201 S Jackson Street but potentially at other various locations in King County for work.

Interns must reside in Washington state during the period of this internship.

Onsite work is most often completed via shared workspaces at King County’s downtown Seattle offices but could include work in other locations.

Unless accomplished via the provided ORCA card, commuting to onsite work will be at the expense of the employee.

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.