Technical Writing & Communications Internship (Summer 2027)

Location: Portland

Position Summary

Kittelson is seeking a student with strong writing skills interested in learning how writers fit into the transportation industry. You thrive with variety and are eager to apply and hone your writing and editing skills across a range of mediums, forms, and tones. You are excited about transforming complex technical documents into reports with accessible, clear prose; composing funny, educational posts for social media; conducting interviews and doing research for long-form articles; and developing scripts for audio and visual mediums. You might have a background in English, communications, copywriting, copyediting, creative writing, science writing, journalism, STEM, or another writing-intensive specialty.

What You’ll Do:

• Work closely with our staff technical writers to revise plans and reports drafted by transportation engineers and planners.
• Work alongside our communications team to write and revise copy for LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
• Draft original content for projects drawing from technical memos and collaborative sessions with project teams.
• Conduct original research and interview subject matter experts to write articles for Streetwise, our company newsletter. (To get a feel for these articles, check out the “Ideas” page on our website.)
• Partner with graphic designers, 3D visualization specialists, and video editors to brainstorm ways to complement written content with graphics and video.
• Contribute to a variety of transportation project types, including bicycle and pedestrian safety plans, online training curricula, research reports, engineering design manuals, flyers, fact sheets, and white papers.
• Expand your understanding of how audience, story, tone, and purpose shape a deliverable’s final form.
• Build your architecture/engineering/construction (AEC) industry knowledge to evaluate documents for technical accuracy and educate audiences in and out of the industry.

What We’re Looking For:

• Strong writing, communication, and collaboration skills
• Practice evaluating content for story, tone, clarity, style, argument, and organization
• Practice giving, seeking, and incorporating feedback
• Experience following a style guide, such as Chicago, AP, MLA, APA, or the Bluebook
• Working proficiency with Microsoft Word
• Keen editorial eye for grammar and syntax
• High level of organization, proactivity, and commitment to deadlines

Portfolio Requirement

Applicants must submit a writing sample demonstrating strong writing and editing capabilities. Samples that show an ability to explain complex ideas clearly, organize information effectively, adapt tone for a specific audience, or tell an engaging story are strongly encouraged. Academic, professional, journalistic, and personal projects are welcome.

Internship Experience

As a Kittelson intern, you will have opportunities to contribute to meaningful project and communications work, learn from technical writers and professionals across disciplines, and develop a stronger understanding of how clear, effective writing supports transportation planning and engineering. You will receive guidance and feedback while also being encouraged to bring your own curiosity, ideas, and perspective to the team.

Position Details

• Internship term: Summer 2027
• Schedule: Full-time; 40 hours a week
• Location: Portland, Oregon
• Compensation: $23.50 – 28.05 / hour
• Anticipated dates: May 2027-August 2027