Highway Design Engineer Internships
Highway design engineer internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career candidates hands-on project experience alongside working engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings are concentrated across {{top_industries_phrase}}, with Colliers Engineering & Design, VHB, and Michael Baker International among the employers posting roles now.
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ABOUT THE POSITION
This opportunity will allow you to apply classroom knowledge to real-world projects, strengthen your technical skills, and learn how multidisciplinary teams develop solutions that improve transportation infrastructure.
Responsibilities
- Support transportation engineering and highway design projects in collaboration with experienced professionals.
- Assist with preparing and updating design drawings using CADD software, such as AutoCAD and/or Bentley MicroStation.
- Create, organize, and use geospatial transportation data to support project analysis and design.
- Prepare documents and spreadsheets, and organize and analyze project data.
- Coordinate with project team members to complete assigned tasks accurately and on schedule.
- Collaborate across disciplines to support the development of transportation design solutions.
- Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and independently on assigned tasks.
- Attention to detail, initiative, and a willingness to learn.
- Ability to manage multiple assignments and communicate progress effectively.
- Interest in transportation engineering and highway design.
- Familiarity with roadway design, transportation planning, and traffic engineering principles is a plus.
- Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in civil engineering or a related field.
VHB offers a differentiating work experience, including a comprehensive benefits package that includes eligibility to participate in the VHB 401(k) plan, medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, wellness programs, tuition reimbursement, and recognition programs.
Details on VHB’s benefits package can be found here: Benefits Checklist
VHB does not provide housing for internships.
Building what’s next, together.
Our people make the difference. We foster a technology-empowered, people‑driven, future‑ready culture where agility, innovation, and collaboration shape how we work every day.
When you join VHB, you’ll find:
- Meaningful work on complex projects with real community impact
- A collaborative, inclusive culture that values curiosity and shared success
- Support to grow your skills and lead through change
- Learning and development supported by evolving tools and technologies, including AI
- Best-in-class benefits and a flexible, hybrid work environment
We’re growing across the East Coast and are consistently recognized as a great place to work. Ready to shape what’s next? Learn more about what sets our employee experience apart and connect with us.
VHB is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Since our founding, we have intentionally fostered a culture of inclusion and belonging, supported by deep-rooted core values, one of which is diversity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.
ABOUT THE POSITION
This opportunity will allow you to apply classroom knowledge to real-world projects, strengthen your technical skills, and learn how multidisciplinary teams develop solutions that improve transportation infrastructure.
Responsibilities
- Support transportation engineering and highway design projects in collaboration with experienced professionals.
- Assist with preparing and updating design drawings using CADD software, such as AutoCAD and/or Bentley MicroStation.
- Create, organize, and use geospatial transportation data to support project analysis and design.
- Prepare documents and spreadsheets, and organize and analyze project data.
- Coordinate with project team members to complete assigned tasks accurately and on schedule.
- Collaborate across disciplines to support the development of transportation design solutions.
- Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and independently on assigned tasks.
- Attention to detail, initiative, and a willingness to learn.
- Ability to manage multiple assignments and communicate progress effectively.
- Interest in transportation engineering and highway design.
- Familiarity with roadway design, transportation planning, and traffic engineering principles is a plus.
- Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in civil engineering or a related field.
VHB offers a differentiating work experience, including a comprehensive benefits package that includes eligibility to participate in the VHB 401(k) plan, medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, wellness programs, tuition reimbursement, and recognition programs.
Details on VHB’s benefits package can be found here: Benefits Checklist
VHB does not provide housing for internships.
Building what’s next, together.
Our people make the difference. We foster a technology-empowered, people‑driven, future‑ready culture where agility, innovation, and collaboration shape how we work every day.
When you join VHB, you’ll find:
- Meaningful work on complex projects with real community impact
- A collaborative, inclusive culture that values curiosity and shared success
- Support to grow your skills and lead through change
- Learning and development supported by evolving tools and technologies, including AI
- Best-in-class benefits and a flexible, hybrid work environment
We’re growing across the East Coast and are consistently recognized as a great place to work. Ready to shape what’s next? Learn more about what sets our employee experience apart and connect with us.
VHB is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. Since our founding, we have intentionally fostered a culture of inclusion and belonging, supported by deep-rooted core values, one of which is diversity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.
Highway Design Engineer Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Tips for Your Highway Design Engineer Internship Search
Apply in the fall for summer roles
Large transportation agencies and engineering consultancies open summer intern recruiting the preceding fall, sometimes as early as September. Smaller firms and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so check for openings throughout the year rather than waiting until spring.
Build a design portfolio before you apply
Highway design engineer hiring teams want something concrete to review beyond a transcript. Document two or three projects, noting the software you used, such as AutoCAD, Civil 3D, or MicroStation, and where the work can be seen. A linked portfolio or PDF sample set gives recruiters a reason to call you over candidates with identical coursework.
Work your campus network alongside direct applications
Campus career fairs surface structured internship programs tied directly to your university, and professors or career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts at the same time widens the pool you reach beyond what any single fair covers.
Practice the technical screen out loud
Highway design engineer intern interviews typically include a technical component covering civil engineering fundamentals, software proficiency, and design problem-solving. Practice explaining your reasoning aloud, not just arriving at an answer, because interviewers weigh how you think through a problem as much as the final result.
Target structured rotational and cohort programs early
Larger transportation and infrastructure employers run formal intern cohorts designed to train people new to highway design, rotating participants across roadway, drainage, and traffic disciplines. These programs recruit early and fill fast, so identify the ones that match your interests and get applications in during the first wave of recruiting.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 0% of the highway design engineer internships listed here. Decide what you can commit to, whether that is fully on-site, hybrid, or remote, before you start sorting through listings. Filtering by location and work type upfront keeps you focused on roles you can actually accept.
Highway Design Engineer Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a highway design engineer internship?
Lead with coursework and projects rather than work history, since hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. For highway design engineer candidates, a CAD or design portfolio gives recruiters something concrete to assess alongside your transcript. Apply directly to employers posting openings and attend campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a highway 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 for highway design engineer interns is performance on real project work, available headcount on the team, and how early return-offer decisions get made in that organization. Position yourself by delivering well on assigned work without counting on the offer as a given.
When should I apply for highway design engineer internships?
Earlier than most students expect. Large employers, including major transportation agencies and engineering consultancies, recruit summer interns the preceding fall, often as early as September or October. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so openings appear year-round and checking regularly pays off.
Are highway design engineer internships paid?
Most professional highway design engineer internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry sector, and location, and where an employer discloses pay, the listing will show it. Unpaid internships exist but are uncommon at accredited engineering firms and government agencies.
What should a highway design engineer internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented projects that name the tools used and link to or reference where the work can be seen, such as a CAD portfolio, design samples, or a senior capstone project. Add relevant coursework in transportation engineering, AutoCAD, or Civil 3D, and keep the whole document to one page.
Are there remote highway design engineer internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 100% of the highway design engineer internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts tend to fill fast, so apply early once you decide what works for your situation, and use the work-type filter to see only the listings that match.
Can international students get highway 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.
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