Protective Design Engineer Internship - Summer 2027

KPFF Consulting Engineers in; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 47,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid overtime opportunities

Mentorship and training

Networking and career growth

Full-time employment potential after毕业

Job summary

KPFF Consulting Engineers in San Francisco is seeking a Protective Design Engineer Intern for Summer 2027. You will join theProtective Design team, contributing to blast analysis, progressive collapse evaluation, and other protective design tasks on federal, commercial, and infrastructure projects.

You will learn about structural behavior, dynamic loading, materials, and constructability while collaborating with engineers who specialize in protective design.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a Bachelor's in Civil or Structural Eng (junior or higher) or a Master's in structural engineering.
• Coursework or exposure to structural dynamics, steel design and/or concrete design preferred.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word; experience with structural analysis software is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Hands-on engineering: support structural modeling, analysis, calculations, and design for protective design projects.
• Specialized experience: learn to evaluate structures for blast loads, progressive collapse and extreme conditions.
• Mentorship: work alongside engineers in structural and protective design.
• Project exposure: gain insight into project coordination, construction administration, and site visits when possible.
• Collaboration: work with multidisciplinary teams and clients to solve engineering challenges.
• Career development: build technical skills and explore a focused career path within structural engineering.

Skills

Excel

Word

ETABS

SAP2000

RISA

LS-DYNA

Education

Bachelor's in Civil/Structural Eng

Master's in Structural Eng

Tools

ETABS

SAP2000

RISA

LS-DYNA

Job description

Protective Design Engineer Internship - Summer 2027 (Finance)

Company Description

At KPFF Consulting Engineers, we are more than just an engineering design firm. For 65 years, we have dedicated ourselves to innovative, sustainable engineering that shapes the built environment and tackles complex infrastructure challenges. Our team culture emphasizes balance, growth, and well-being, supporting each member's professional journey with flexibility, generous benefits, and a collaborative approach to work-life integration.

With over 1,500 professionals across 36 offices nationwide, KPFF's decentralized structure allows each office the flexibility to pursue projects aligned with their regional strengths. Learn more at www.kpff.com.

Our Protective Design team focuses on an area of structural engineering that most students do not encounter in a typical internship: designing buildings and critical infrastructure to better withstand extreme events and security-related threats.

Job Description

As a Protective Design Engineering Intern, you will work alongside engineers in San Francisco on projects focused on the safety, resilience, and security of the built environment.

You may contribute to projects involving blast analysis, progressive collapse evaluation, anti-ram design, structural hardening, and other specialized protective design strategies for federal, commercial, and infrastructure clients.

This is an opportunity to apply what you are learning in school to engineering challenges that go beyond conventional building design. You will see how structural behavior, dynamic loading, materials, analysis, and constructability come together when the performance requirements are especially demanding.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Hands-on engineering: Support structural modeling, analysis, calculations, and design for active protective design projects.
• Specialized experience: Learn how engineers evaluate structures for blast loads, progressive collapse, and other extreme conditions.
• Mentorship: Work alongside engineers who specialize in both structural and protective design.
• Project exposure: Gain insight into project coordination, construction administration, and site visits when opportunities allow.
• Collaboration: Work with multidisciplinary teams, clients, and project partners to solve complex engineering challenges.
• Career development: Build technical skills and explore a specialized career path within structural engineering.

You will be part of the project team, not simply observing from the sidelines. Our goal is to give interns meaningful engineering experience, strong mentorship, and a better understanding of where a career in structural and protective design could take them.

Qualifications

• A strong passion for pursuing a career in structural or protective design engineering, ideally with interest in resilience, safety, and security of structures.
• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's program in Civil or Structural Engineering (junior level or higher, with at least three years of completed coursework) or a Master's program in structural engineering.
• Coursework or exposure to structural dynamics, steel design and/or concrete design is preferred.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Strong time management and organizational abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word; experience with structural analysis software (ETABS, SAP2000, RISA, or LS-DYNA) is a plus.

Please note that this internship requires you to be onsite and is not a remote position.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work on a computer for extended periods of time.
• Comfort with conducting site visits and navigating construction sites, including climbing ladders and walking on uneven terrain.
• Ability to lift up to 15 pounds of equipment or materials.

Additional Information

Compensation

KPFF is committed to recognizing the valuable contributions of our interns by offering compensation that reflects market standards and aligns with the local cost of living. This role offers a competitive hourly rate ranging from $34.00 to $37.00, based on experience and qualifications.

In addition to hourly pay, interns at KPFF benefit from:

• Paid overtime opportunities when project needs require additional hours.
• Exposure to a wide variety of projects that add real value to your academic and professional development.
• Mentorship and training that are part of KPFF's investment in future engineers.
• Networking and career growth opportunities, including the potential for full-time employment after graduation.

Culture

At KPFF, interns are valued as key contributors to our success. We cultivate a collaborative, innovative, and supportive work environment that empowers individuals to take ownership of their projects. Interns at KPFF experience a dynamic workplace where autonomy and creativity are encouraged. Our team takes pride in mentoring interns and sharing professional insights to help shape the next generation of engineers.

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KPFF Consulting Engineers participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

KPFF Consulting Engineers is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ethnicity, national origin, religion, marital status, sex/gender (including sexual orientation or gender identity), pregnancy, veteran status, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, or any other protected basis.