New Grad Internship Opportunity: Environmental Protection - Denver Metro

Full Job Description

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

Description of Job

CDOT’s Region 1 (Denver Metro area) Environmental Unit seeks a motivated, responsible college student or recent graduate who is pursuing a career in environmental protection and/or environmental project management. This collegiate internship aims to provide meaningful experience in the areas of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)review; environmental impact analysis; biology, wetlands, watershed management, water quality, Section 4(f) non-historic and Section 6(f) resource clearances; other cultural resource clearances such as historic, archaeology, visual, landscape architecture, and urban planning; GIS data for environmental resources; and the application of environmental laws and regulations.

This internship’s major duties and responsibilities include:

• Field inspection and photograph documents permanent water quality control measure.
• Electronically fill out inspection reports and submit to the "Survey123" Program software.
• Assist with wildlife camera maintenance activities and ensure cameras are operable and have sufficient battery power.
• Develop PWQ Operations and Maintenance manuals to be used by maintenance and engineering through experience learned during permanent water quality inspections.
• As part of the environmental review and clearance process under the National Environmental Policy Act, evaluate transportation projects for potential impacts to wildlife, plants, threatened and endangered species, wetlands, riparian areas and other sensitive ecological resources.
• Assist with biological resource surveys including wildlife, vegetation and noxious weeds, migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, wetland delineations, Senate Bill 40, and other resource data collection.
• Collect data in the field, photograph resources, collect desktop reference data from CDOT’s OTIS (Online Transportation Information System) and other scientific references, develop mapping in GIS, and write summary memos of findings.
• Collect field data from CDOT’s motion triggered wildlife cameras, which are installed at various wildlife crossings in CDOT Region 1.
• Transfer wildlife camera data to the central CDOT storage location.
• Process, summarize, and analyze data for trends.
• Document findings in memorandum, tables, and/or graphs.
• Search, organize and document missing permanent water quality documents.
• QA/QC and document organization.
• Participate in CDOT research projects by assessing project controls, data collection and analysis, report writing, and photography
• Attend related training.
  
• Attend meetings and field visits, as needed.
• Take notes and document action items at meetings.
  
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Environment:

• Expected work schedule is between Monday through Friday.
• It is anticipated that this role will work 40 hours per week.

• Approximately 50% spent in the field, 50% spent in the office

• Walking on uneven ground surfaces, up and down hills, in wetlands & water quality ponds, and in tall grass necessary.
  

• Valid active Driver's License

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

A recent college graduate.

Recently graduated means the individual should have attended an accredited college or university and have graduated with an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree related to Biology, Ecology, Wildlife Biology, Botany, Environmental Studies, Geology, Soil Science, Urban Planning and Design, Natural Resources Management, Watershed Management, Environmental Science, Water Quality, GIS, Geology, Hydrology, or Soil Sciences, Sustainability or Civil Engineering.

OR

Any full-time college student enrolled in an accredited community college, college, or university seeking an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD degree in an area related to Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Natural Resources, or another closely related field of study.

(For Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree programs, full-time is equivalent to 12 credits. For Master’s and Ph.D. programs, full-time is often 9 credits.)

OR

• A certified participant in the Colorado Refugee Services Program

Please Note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application.

“See Resume” statements on the application or resumes in lieu of a complete application may not be accepted.

Additional information submitted after the closing date of this announcement will not be considered in the review of your application. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

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.

Condition 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 in the supplemental information section.

Preferred Qualifications
The exceptional applicant will possess the proven ability or accomplishment in the following:

• Highest work/personal ethics and integrity;
• Knowledge and experience with NEPA and associated environmental laws and regulations, including state and federal;
• Experience in project or task management, including managing multiple deadlines and priorities;
• Desire to learn and develop;
• Exemplary communication and organizational skills;
• Solid analytical and critical thinking skills;
• Experience with technical and/or scientific writing;
• Willingness to be flexible, independent, and creative, including utilizing existing resources for project and task completion;
• Experience with GIS applications/systems, preferably Esri products;
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Power Point, etc.), Gmail, and Google Applications;
• Ability and willingness to learn other software systems;
• Ability to work with a variety of stakeholders with sensitivity to their needs, priorities, promises made and commitments;
• Effective interpersonal and relationship-building skills;
• Ability to work effectively in both independent and team situations.

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.

If you are using education to qualify, a copy of your official or unofficial transcript showing the name of the school, completed credit hours, and (if applicable) 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 Brenda at Brenda.Yang@state.co.us.




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.




BY (R1 Envt Intern March 2026)