Summer Engineering Internship

Napier City Council; Napier; Hybrid; NZD 54,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Quarterly values awards + Social club

Free flu vaccinations (annual)

Ka Awatea Cultural Wānanga + NCC KapaH

Te Reo Māori language classes

Job summary

Napier City Council’s Water Services team offers a 3 month, part‑time summer engineering internship in Napier to apply civil, environmental or mechanical studies to local water networks. You’ll work across water, wastewater and stormwater, under guidance from experienced staff, contributing to investigations and asset planning.

You’ll gain practical field and data experience, learn how information informs decisions, and develop skills in mapping, reports and engineering software as they relate

Qualifications

• Current study towards a degree in civil, environmental, mechanical or related engineering.
• Interest in water infrastructure, engineering investigations or asset planning.
• Ability to spot patterns, check details and explain findings.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Organised approach and willingness to follow tasks.
• Experience with Excel is helpful; GIS/CAD exposure is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Support activities with operations teams, learning how infrastructure works in practice.
• Review pipe inspection footage or assess asset condition for maintenance planning.
• Assist with stormwater reporting and environmental information reviews.
• Turn information into maps, reports or summaries for decisions.
• Identify practical improvements to forms, spreadsheets and processes.

Skills

Data analysis

Communication

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Problem solving

Fieldwork

Education

Civil/Environmental/Mechanical Engineering degree

Tools

Excel

GIS

CAD

Job description

Looking for a summer internship where you can put your engineering studies into practice and see the impact of your work in the community?

Napier City Council’s Water Services team is looking for a Summer Engineering Intern to support work across our water, wastewater and stormwater networks. You’ll gain experience with the information, investigations and planning processes that help us understand our infrastructure and make informed decisions about its future.

This is an opportunity to contribute to active work, spend time with people across Water Services and build your understanding of engineering in a local government setting. You’ll have guidance from experienced team members and opportunities to see how work moves from an initial question or investigation through to practical recommendations.

Te Āheinga – The Opportunity

From what’s happening beneath our streets to how we protect our waterways, there’s plenty to discover in Water Services.

Your summer programme could bring together practical field experience, investigations and project work, giving you a closer look at how we operate, maintain and plan for Napier’s water, wastewater and stormwater networks.

Depending on your interests, skills and the work available, there may be opportunities to:

• Get out alongside our operations teams - supporting activities such as water meter reading, network inspections and maintenance, while learning how our infrastructure works in practice.
• Explore the health of our networks - helping review pipe inspection footage or assess asset condition, with findings used to inform maintenance and future replacements.
• Connect the dots between land, industry and water quality - supporting stormwater catchment reporting or reviewing environmental management information to understand how different activities affect our waterways.
• Turn information into useful insights - checking asset records, reviewing data and preparing maps, reports or summaries that support engineering and operational decisions.
• Bring a fresh perspective to the way we work - identifying practical improvements to forms, spreadsheets and digital processes, with potential to explore engineering software tools where these align with your skills.

The programme will be shaped around your background, team priorities and the guidance available over summer. You’ll work with experienced colleagues, with appropriate training and supervision for field activities, and contribute to tasks that build your confidence as well as your technical knowledge.

It’s a chance to ask questions, get involved and see how your studies connect to the services our community relies on every day.

He kōrero mōhou – About You

You’re studying engineering and want to develop your skills through practical experience. You’re curious about how infrastructure works, comfortable learning from others and keen to contribute to work that matters for Napier.

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• Current study towards a degree in civil, environmental, mechanical or a related engineering discipline.
• An interest in water infrastructure, engineering investigations or asset planning.
• Confidence working with information and an ability to spot patterns, check details and explain your findings.
• Good written and verbal communication skills, including the confidence to ask questions when something is new.
• An organised approach to your work and a willingness to follow tasks through.
• A positive attitude to both desk-based work and opportunities to get out into the field.

Experience with Excel will be helpful. Exposure to GIS, CAD or water systems through your studies would be an advantage, but we don’t expect you to arrive knowing everything - this is an internship and there will be plenty to learn.

Ngā painga mōhou – What we Offer

• Employee Assistance Program (OCP)
• Quarterly values awards + Social club
• Free flu vaccinations (annual)
• Ka Awatea Cultural Wānanga + NCC Kapa Haka
• Te Reo Māori language classes

This is a 3 month - fixed term, part-time role working from 20 hours per week, across Monday-Friday. You will be based in Napier, moving across our different office locations.

The annual salary package for this role is between $54,360 - $60,756 pro-rata (including KiwiSaver)

We will be interviewing applications as we receive them and may close the role when we have found the right person.

He kōrero mō Te Kaunihera o Ahuriri – About NCC

At Napier City Council, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer that values diversity. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and work to make our hiring process fair and accessible. If you need any support or adjustments during your application or interview, let us know—we’re happy to help!

Our success is grounded in strong partnerships with Mana Whenua and Iwi, supported by our Māori Partnerships team, Te Waka Rangapū, which builds cultural capability through education and training.

Before you join, you’ll need to complete pre-employment checks (including criminal background checks, with some roles requiring health screening and drug & alcohol testing). As an NCC employee, you may also be called on to support Civil Defence emergencies when our community needs us most.