Electrical/Mechanical Engineering Intern - Distribution

Westwood Professional Services, Inc.; Raleigh, Northern (NC, KY); Hybrid; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LinkedIn Learning access

Job summary

Westwood Professional Services, Inc. is seeking a Distribution Intern to join a distribution engineering team focused on mechanical, electrical, or structural design for overhead and underground electric distribution systems.

You will assist with pole placement, equipment selection, and field data collection while gaining hands-on experience in design and project execution. The role covers both electrical and mechanical aspects, including load flow analyses, pole loading, and foundation details

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an ABET-accredited undergraduate Mechanical or Electrical Engineering program.
• Effective verbal and written communication with clients, management, and design team members.
• Willingness to learn in a flexible, cross-disciplinary work environment.
• Willingness to attend site visits and perform outdoor work.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Responsibilities

• Assist engineers with the design of overhead and underground distribution line extensions, including pole placement, conductor sizing, and equipment selection.
• Support preparation of staking sheets, work order packages, and construction drawings for distribution system upgrades and new service installations.
• Assist with distribution system load flow and voltage drop analyses to support system planning and reliability studies.
• Help develop material lists and cost estimates for distribution construction projects.
• Coordinate with utility clients, field crews, and other disciplines to resolve design conflicts and constructability issues.
• Travel to project sites as necessary to perform field verification, pole inspections, and as-built data collection.
• Assist engineers in performing pole loading and structural capacity analyses for wood, steel, and concrete distribution poles under NESC wind and ice loading criteria.
• Support the mechanical design of guying, anchoring, and pole reinforcement details for distribution line construction.
• Help develop foundation and mounting details for pad-mounted transformers, switchgear, capacitor banks, and other distribution equipment.
• Assist in the preparation of mechanical equipment drawings and specifications using AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
• Support sag-tension calculations and clearance analyses for distribution conductors and equipment attachments.

Skills

Verbal and written communication

Willingness to learn

Site visits

Driver's license

Microsoft Office Suite

Education

ABET-accredited undergrad in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

Job description

Description

The Distribution Intern will join a distribution engineering team focused on the mechanical, electrical, or structural designing overhead and underground electric distribution systems for public and private electric utility clients and performance of distribution poles, guying, and equipment installations for public and private electric utility clients. Projects range from pole loading assessments on existing circuits and the mechanical design of new pad-mounted equipment installations supporting system upgrades and new development, to service extensions and new residential and commercial developments to system upgrades and reliability improvements on existing feeders. This position offers hands-on exposure to the line design and work order process to the structural side of distribution infrastructure that is often overlooked in purely electrical coursework.

Requirements

Duties and Responsibilities

Electrical

• Assist engineers with the design of overhead and underground distribution line extensions, including pole placement, conductor sizing, and equipment selection.
• Support preparation of staking sheets, work order packages, and construction drawings for distribution system upgrades and new service installations.
• Assist with distribution system load flow and voltage drop analyses to support system planning and reliability studies.
• Help develop material lists and cost estimates for distribution construction projects.
• Coordinate with utility clients, field crews, and other disciplines to resolve design conflicts and constructability issues.
• Travel to project sites as necessary to perform field verification, pole inspections, and as-built data collection.

Mechanical

• Assist engineers in performing pole loading and structural capacity analyses for wood, steel, and concrete distribution poles under NESC wind and ice loading criteria.
• Support the mechanical design of guying, anchoring, and pole reinforcement details for distribution line construction.
• Help develop foundation and mounting details for pad-mounted transformers, switchgear, capacitor banks, and other distribution equipment.
• Assist in the preparation of mechanical equipment drawings and specifications using AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
• Support sag-tension calculations and clearance analyses for distribution conductors and equipment attachments.
• Travel to project sites as necessary to inspect existing pole and equipment conditions and gather field data.

Required Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an ABET-accredited undergraduate Mechanical or Electrical Engineering program.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally with clients, management, and design team members.
• Willingness to learn in a flexible, cross-disciplinary work environment.
• Willingness to attend site visits and perform work in outdoor field conditions on occasion.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications

The following qualifications are preferred but not required for consideration:

• Relevant industry experience through engineering coursework projects or prior internships in mechanical, structural, or distribution engineering.
• Experience with technical design software including AutoCAD, SolidWorks, or other structural and mechanical analysis tools.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

About Westwood Professional Services, Inc. (Westwood)

At Westwood, our purpose is to create a better world for people through our work. We transform the energy grid, design resilient infrastructure, and develop communities that will flourish today and for future generations. With over 50 years of experience and a legacy of innovation, we stand at the forefront of our industry, dedicated to understanding the unique needs of the markets we serve.

Our approach revolves around people. We are committed to building a culture that attracts, retains, and develops high performers. Our team values relationships, innovation, dedication, initiative, and growth. We believe fostering a collaborative “One Team” mentality yields superior outcomes in everything we do.

We customize our technical capabilities and geographic reach to meet our clients where they are and help them realize their vision. We are partners in our clients’ success, driving to provide solutions that make a lasting difference. Safety, sustainability, and operational excellence are not just facets of our work; they are intrinsic to our identity, guiding every decision we make.

We are deeply invested in the communities we serve. Through our projects and giving-back initiatives, we enrich the lives of those we serve, engage others within our industry, and create a lasting impact on communities around the world. To us, success transcends the completion of projects; it is reflected in the lives we have positively impacted by our work.

Join us in creating a better world.

In 2025, Westwood was recognized as #77 on the ENR Top 500 Design Firms. Additionally, Westwood was ranked #5 for ENR's Top Design Firm for Solar, #6 for Battery Storage, and #3 for Wind (2025). The firm consistently ranks on the industry's top 25 lists and receives recognition for its involvement in award-winning projects nationwide.

Westwood provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diverse backgrounds strengthen our business. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.