Position Description

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation’s largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

Environmental Management and Compliance unit within the Environment, Land, and Licensing group is hiring an intern. The unit manages compliance for stormwater, dangerous waste, PCBs, asbestos, air emissions, underground storage tanks, pollution prevention, and spill response. The intern will support updates to the spill program through digital tools, training improvements, SharePoint structure, data forms, and a new Tableau spill dashboard that tracks program performance. The role gives the student direct exposure to how a public utility meets regulatory duties and protects customers and the community.

Job Responsibilities

Update sections of the environmental training curriculum that overlap with SHaW topics. Align content with compliance principles, including source control, monitoring, recordkeeping, and continuous improvement.
Build intake forms for spill response and field activities. Define data fields, test workflows, and support staff use by developing virtual spill response SharePoint site. Organize the digital spill binder, set permissions, and prepare simple user guidance.
Create a Tableau spill data dashboard by organizing the spill Excel database, preparing fields, building visuals, and confirming accuracy with spill leads. Track trends such as causality, response trends, materials spills, training needs, and supervision involvement.
Support small compliance reviews. Gather documents, track findings, and identify gaps linked to environmental management practices.
Complete weekly learning goals through mentorship, shadowing, and structured exposure to environmental programs work.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

Education: Enrolled in an accredited certificate, 2-year or 4-year undergraduate educational program during their internship.

Preferred Areas of Study: Enrolled in an academic program with focus on Environmental Studies, Environmental Policy, Public Health, Occupational Health, Geography, Engineering Technology (with an environmental focus), Information Technology or related field.

Undergraduate students will need to maintain a 2.0 GPA or above throughout the internship.

Desired Qualifications:

Coursework in environmental regulations, environmental health, pollution prevention, or emergency management.
Experience with Microsoft 365 tools such as SharePoint, Forms, and Teams.
Experience preparing data or building simple dashboards.
Skill in organizing information and tracking tasks.
Ability to write clearly, follow instructions, and document progress.
Interest in environmental compliance, spill response, and public sector work.
Curiosity and a creative mindset

Additional Information

Schedule: Intern will work up-to 20 hours/weeks while school is in session. Up-to 40 hours/week during school breaks. Work hours can be scheduled between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Salary: Undergraduate students will be paid $22.56 - $22.56 an hour.

Application Process

To complete your application, submit the online form with the following attachments:

Resume
Cover letter explaining how your coursework, activities, and experience qualify you for this internship.
Your unofficial transcript - including current coursework, next term registration (if available at the time of application).

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Internship Duration and Hours: Year-long: The timeframe of this internship will be one year in duration, with either a May (semester schools) or June (quarter schools) 2026 start date. Working hours are up to 40 per week during the summer, and a max of 20 per week during the academic year.

Hybrid Work: The City has the expectation that interns will be readily available to report to onsite at work in Seattle in accordance with the current Mayoral mandate of a minimum of 3 days per week. Additional in-person work requirements are based on business need and determined by the hiring authority.

Interns must have a Washington State address and live in Washington State at the time of hire and for the duration of their employment.

Benefits: Interns do not receive benefits but can obtain a subsidized ORCA pass and accrue sick time that can be used after 90 days of employment.

Other Benefits Includes

Professional and educational development

Meaningful and educational opportunities that compliment your academic program.
Establish effective networking relationships with professional staff, which may be beneficial to future career development.
Access to City sponsored trainings and professional development modules.
Diverse array of work experiences, responsibilities, and opportunities to help make Seattle a great place to live, work, and play.
Working for the city builds your career and your community.

Competitive pay and benefits

Commuting benefits including ORCA passes, car share discounts, and ride matches.
Paid sick and safe leave (after 90 days of employment).
Access to the City's Flash Mentorship program.

Background Check: Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with the Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17and the City of Seattle Personnel Rule 10.3 (Download PDF reader). A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with SMC 4.79.020. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all candidates that meet the qualifications. Seattle City Light values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Seattle City Light encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences. Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: https://www.seattle.gov/city-light/about-us/careers.

City of Seattle

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Environmental Compliance Intern