Distribution Design Engineer Internships
Distribution design engineer internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience designing and analyzing electrical distribution systems, mentorship from working engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings are concentrated across {{top_industries_phrase}}, with Burns & McDonnell and WSP among the employers posting roles now.
Find InternshipsOverview
Showing 5 of 9+ Distribution Design Engineer Internships
This Opportunity
WSP USA hosts hundreds of internships across the United States to gain hands-on, meaningful work experience to enhance their education and professional aptitude. Our interns gain exposure to real projects while working side by side with senior staff. Through our Developing Professionals Network, interns gain mentorship, networking opportunities and lifelong career connections.
Our Power and Energy Team is seeking a Full-Time Power Distribution Engineering Intern to work out of our Cottonwood Heights, UT office. The following location will also be considered: Meridian, ID. This temporary position is seeking individuals currently enrolled in an Undergraduate or Graduate degree program.
This internship will be part of the WSP Summer Internship Program. As a summer intern, you have the opportunity to participate in our 12-week program scheduled to start on May 17th, 2027. The individual start date of the internship may be flexible.
Your Impact
- Actively enrolled in an accredited Civil Engineering, or related, Undergraduate program with an anticipated graduation date of August 2027 or later.
- Must be 18 or older.
- Demonstrated interest in Civil Engineering, or related field, and have a strong desire to advance skills related to WSP’s work and projects.
- Competent interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to an engineering and non-engineering audience.
- Capable of taking direction from leadership, mentors, and managers to executive projects.
- Basic proficiency with technical writing, office automation, software, spreadsheets, technology, and tools.
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Authorization to work in the United States at the start of the internship.
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Actively enrolled in an accredited Civil Engineering or related Undergraduate program.
- Demonstrated interest in Civil Engineering or related field and have a strong desire to advance skills related to WSP’s work and projects.
- Competent interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to an engineering and non-engineering audience.
- Capable of taking direction from leadership, mentors, and managers to executive projects.
- Basic proficiency with technical writing, office automation, software, spreadsheets, technology, and tools.
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Authorization to work in the United States at the start of the internship
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior internship and leadership involvement on campus.
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
www.wsp.com
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.
At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
This Opportunity
WSP USA hosts hundreds of internships across the United States to gain hands-on, meaningful work experience to enhance their education and professional aptitude. Our interns gain exposure to real projects while working side by side with senior staff. Through our Developing Professionals Network, interns gain mentorship, networking opportunities and lifelong career connections.
Our Power and Energy Team is seeking a Full-Time Power Distribution Engineering Intern to work out of our Cottonwood Heights, UT office. The following location will also be considered: Meridian, ID. This temporary position is seeking individuals currently enrolled in an Undergraduate or Graduate degree program.
This internship will be part of the WSP Summer Internship Program. As a summer intern, you have the opportunity to participate in our 12-week program scheduled to start on May 17th, 2027. The individual start date of the internship may be flexible.
Your Impact
- Actively enrolled in an accredited Civil Engineering, or related, Undergraduate program with an anticipated graduation date of August 2027 or later.
- Must be 18 or older.
- Demonstrated interest in Civil Engineering, or related field, and have a strong desire to advance skills related to WSP’s work and projects.
- Competent interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to an engineering and non-engineering audience.
- Capable of taking direction from leadership, mentors, and managers to executive projects.
- Basic proficiency with technical writing, office automation, software, spreadsheets, technology, and tools.
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Authorization to work in the United States at the start of the internship.
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Actively enrolled in an accredited Civil Engineering or related Undergraduate program.
- Demonstrated interest in Civil Engineering or related field and have a strong desire to advance skills related to WSP’s work and projects.
- Competent interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to an engineering and non-engineering audience.
- Capable of taking direction from leadership, mentors, and managers to executive projects.
- Basic proficiency with technical writing, office automation, software, spreadsheets, technology, and tools.
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Authorization to work in the United States at the start of the internship
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior internship and leadership involvement on campus.
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
www.wsp.com
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.
At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
Distribution Design Engineer Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Tips for Your Distribution Design Engineer Internship Search
Apply in the fall for summer internships
Large utilities and engineering consultancies open their summer intern cohorts the preceding fall and close them months before the season starts. Set listing alerts now so you catch those early postings. Smaller firms and co-op programs post closer to their start dates, so check back through the spring for those openings.
Build a portfolio before you send a single application
Hiring teams for distribution design engineer interns expect limited work history. What they can assess is project output. Document two or three complete designs or analyses using tools like AutoCAD, CYME, or ETAP, include a brief write-up of your approach, and make the work shareable so you have something to reference in every application and interview.
Work your campus network alongside direct applications
Campus career fairs surface structured intern programs tied to your university, and recruiters there often move faster than online pipelines. Your professors and career center staff frequently know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Apply directly to smaller firms running their own cohorts at the same time to reach employers that do not attend your campus events.
Practice your technical screen out loud before applying
Distribution design engineer intern interviews typically include a technical screen covering power systems fundamentals, circuit analysis, and sometimes software tool questions. Practice solving problems aloud and explaining your reasoning step by step, not just arriving at the answer, because interviewers weigh how you think through a problem as much as whether your final answer is correct.
Distribution Design Engineer Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a distribution design engineer internship?
Lead with coursework and projects rather than work history, since hiring teams expect limited professional experience at the intern level. Build a portfolio that includes CAD drawings, load flow analyses, or single-line diagrams so recruiters have something concrete to assess. Apply directly to employers online and attend campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a distribution design engineer internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. What actually drives it is consistent performance on real project deliverables, available headcount on the team at the time of your offer window, and how early you signal interest in returning. Treat the internship as a long audition, but keep applying to other roles so you are not counting on one outcome.
When should I apply for distribution design engineer internships?
Earlier than most students expect. Large utility companies and engineering firms recruit summer interns the preceding fall, often closing cohorts before spring semester begins. Smaller consultancies, municipal utilities, and co-op programs post closer to their actual start dates, so openings appear year-round. Checking listings regularly and setting alerts means you catch roles in both waves.
Are distribution design engineer internships paid?
Most professional distribution design engineer internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry sector, and location, and listings show pay where the employer chooses to disclose it. Unpaid arrangements are uncommon at established utilities and engineering firms but can appear at smaller organizations or nonprofit settings.
What should a distribution design engineer internship resume include?
Lead with two or three complete, documented projects rather than work history. For each, name the tools used, such as AutoCAD, CYME, or ETAP, describe what you designed or analyzed, and link to the deliverable if it is shareable, whether that is a CAD portfolio, a load flow report, or a capstone project file. Add relevant coursework, keep it to one page, and list any relevant certifications or software proficiencies.
Can international students get distribution design engineer internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
See All 9 Distribution Design Engineer Internship Jobs
Find roles that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Internships