Innovation Intern

Thank you for your interest in interning with McKinstry!

We are proud and excited to offer summer internships for 2026 across several of our different office locations and are currently seeking an Innovation intern to join our Innovation team as a Summer Intern to help drive our 2040 Trends research roadmap. You'll work directly with our Director of Innovation and Dawson Ventures team to scan emerging signals, synthesize insights, and translate findings into concise briefs and visual communications that inform leaders across the enterprise. The role also includes support for our Innovation for Impact program and, depending on your skills, participation in specific innovation and research investigations. The internship sits within Engineering & Design but is designed to serve the entire enterprise's innovation agenda.

Our Trends work underpins enterprise strategy by building foresight on technologies, policies, and market shifts (e.g., electrification, grid modernization, AI, climate resilience) and channeling those insights into business planning, client strategy conversations, and new service development. Your contributions will help connect research to decision-making, accelerating how ideas move from exploration to measurable impact.

To get where we're going, we need big thinkers, problem solvers and collaborative mindsets. Does that sound like you?

Our B.L.U.E. (Build, Learn, Understand, Enrich) Summer Internship Program is purposefully designed to inspire your imagination and help you guide your career with purpose. You'll be an integral part of McKinstry with hands-on experience, mentorship and a healthy dose of fun. Our program delivers depth and real experience so that you can truly evaluate potential career paths within the work we do.

What we look for in our Innovation Interns:

• Currently pursuing an applicable undergraduate or graduate degree (open to any major, including engineering, business, STEM, or liberal arts) with demonstrable ability to research and comprehend scientific/technical content at a trend level and translate to our businesses. Sophomore standing or higher required.
• Strong research skills, including the ability to synthesize information from technical, academic, and industry sources.
• Excellent written communication and graphic storytelling (slide design, structured visuals, clear data presentation).
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and collaborative work practices (Teams/Sharepoint).
• Comfort working independently with guidance, managing multiple research threads and deadlines.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge, interest, and experience in the fields of sustainability, energy systems, decarbonization, climate change, and digital technologies.
• Familiarity with qualitative research methods (trend scanning, interviews, literature reviews)
• Experience creating polished visual communications and data visualizations.
• Intellectual curiosity and comfort navigating ambiguity and emerging ideas.
• preferred
• Must be 18 years of age or older

What our Innovation Interns are responsible for:

• Conduct secondary research and horizon scanning across priority trend categories; synthesize into clear, briefs and visuals.

• Contribute to select innovation investigations.

• Translate complex technical and scientific content into accessible narratives and graphic communications for leaders and client facing teams.

• Collaborate with cross functional partners to connect trends to business implications, risks, and opportunities.

• Prepare presentations and artifacts that feed enterprise thought leadership and strategy discussions.

If you're passionate about sustainability and want to work with our team to help solve the critical problems our industry and clients face, we invite you to apply.

The hourly rate for this role is $24/hr

The McKinstry group of companies are equal opportunity employers. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, race, color, creed, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to employment, advancement, assignment, and training. This commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity is made equally as a social responsibility and as an economic and business necessity.

McKinstry is a drug-free workplace. Employment is contingent upon successfully passing a pre-employment drug and alcohol test, complying with the requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act and a Confidentiality Agreement, in addition to successful outcomes of background and reference checks.