Initial Posting Date:

Application Deadline:

Agency:

Salary Range:

Position Type:

Position Title:

Job Description:

Administrative Specialist 2 – Materials Lab Intern (Temporary)
Oregon Department of Transportation
Delivery & Operations Division – Statewide Project Delivery Branch
Construction Section
Salem

The role:

Are you interested in gaining hands-on experience in material testing for highway construction? Our Central Materials Laboratory is looking for full-time interns to join our team starting in May or June 2025. As an intern, you'll work directly onsite in a laboratory environment, testing a variety of materials such as aggregates, bituminous mixtures, petroleum products, and more. This is a unique opportunity to learn industry-standard practices while contributing to vital projects across the state.

This job posting is for temporary positions and does not include the typical benefits available for permanent employees. Temporary employees may be eligible for employee health benefits offered through the Public Employees Benefit Board (PEBB) as outlined in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for our positions. We hope you’ll join us on our path to increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging through our values, commitments, strategies and actions.

Before applying, visit our applicant information website to learn more about our process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, you must apply through your employee Workday profile.

What you will learn:

• You will gain skills and experience in material testing, focused on materials used in highway construction.

• You will learn about performing routine and complex testing on a variety of materials such as aggregates, soils, bituminous mixtures and petroleum products.

• You will gain experience with engineering practices, policies, guidelines and construction practices.

Work environment:

• Work in a laboratory environment with exposure to chemicals, loud noise, solvents, dust, fumes, as well as in a laboratory office using computer equipment daily.

• Lift samples and equipment weighing 20 to 60 pounds.

What’s in it for you:

• Work/life balance, professional development and training. Learn more about working at the Oregon Department of Transportation and the benefits we offer.

• Comprehensive and equitable base salary offer within the listed range. Through an equal pay assessment, we will determine the salary offer using the information you provide in your submitted application materials. Please ensure your application materials are detailed, accurate and reflect your skills, experience (paid and unpaid) and education as they relate to the position when applying.

• The salary range listed is the non-PERS monthly salary range. If you are already a participating PERS member or once you become PERS eligible, the salary range will increase by 6.95%.

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity!

Want to know about new job postings? Subscribe to receive weekly email notifications!

Minimum qualifications:

• We are accepting applications from students in their freshman, sophomore, junior and/or senior year of college and graduate students in their first or second year at the time of hire (May or June 2025).

What we’d like to see:

If you have these attributes, let us know in your application materials! It's how we will choose whom to move forward! You do not need to have all these qualities to be eligible for this position. We may also use transferable skills, experience, education and alignment with ODOT values to help us decide who will move forward.

• Coursework in engineering, math, science, or related fields of study.

• Experience working on projects or assignments that require a high attention to detail.

• Experience working independently and as part of a team.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills including navigating conversations with others that have opposing objectives.

• Experience working with deadlines on multiple projects.

How to apply:

• Complete the following required steps:

  • Fill out the application or attach a resume. Please contact the recruiter under the ‘Need help?’ section if you have any questions about how to fill out the experience or education fields or to attach a document. Your submitted experience/education fields or attached resume must include dates (MM/YYYY) for each employer and educational institution.

  • Attach a cover letter. Your cover letter should clearly demonstrate how your experience and training relates to the qualities that you have under the “what we’d like to see” section above.

  • Your cover letter must be limited to no more than two (2) pages.

  • Please address your cover letter to Kevin Brophy, State Laboratory Services Manager.

  • Generic cover letters that do not address the qualities that you have under the “what we’d like to see” section may receive lower scores than those that addressed the desired qualities.

  • You must upload your cover letter in the ‘Resume/Cover Letter’ section of the application.

  • Complete questionnaire. Answer the checkbox-style questions before submitting your application.

• After you submit your application, please respond to the public records request authorization and gender identity questionnaire. This screen will come after you submit and will complete the process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, the tasks will come to your Workday inbox.

• If you are a veteran, you may receive preference. The task to upload your documents will be available after you submit your application. For privacy reasons, please do not attach your military service document(s) to your application or combine it with any other required document attachments.

Need help?

• For questions, call 503-930-6376 or email ODOTRecruitmentSS@odot.oregon.gov

Additional information:

• Temporary appointments may be full- or part-time and will not exceed six months or 1,040 hours.

• We do not offer visa sponsorship. If you are hired, you will be required to fill out the US Department of Homeland Security’s I-9 form confirming you are able to work in the US. We are not an E-Verify participating employer, and we are unable to proceed if E-Verify participation is required [e.g., STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) Extension].

• We may use this recruitment to fill multiple or future vacancies.

• We will conduct name-based criminal background checks on final candidates, not including current ODOT employees. All applicants may be subject to additional pre-employment check(s) such as driver license, LEDS (Law Enforcement Data System), and/or education verification as required for the position.

• This position is not represented by a union (unrepresented).

ODOT is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or any other class protected by state or federal laws in admission or access to our programs, services, activities, hiring, and employment practices. Applicants with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. For questions, concerns, or complaints regarding EEO/AA/ADA, contact 1-877-336-6368 (1-877-EEO-ODOT). This information can be made available in an alternative format by contacting ODOT Recruitment at 503-986-3700. Oregon Relay Service can be reached by calling 7-1-1.

#LI-ODOT

#LI-POST

#LI-Onsite

Summer Internship, Internship, Transportation Internship, Material Testing, Construction Internship