Quality Intern - Summer, 2026

This is a paid internship, range of $22/hr - $39/hr (depending on role and qualifications) for those currently pursuing undergraduate degrees and higher rates for those currently pursuing graduate level degrees. 

Sound Transit also offers a competitive benefits package with a wide range of offerings, including: 

• Health Benefits: We offer two choices of medical plans, a dental plan, and a vision plan all at no cost for employee coverage; comprehensive benefits for employees and eligible dependents, including a spouse or domestic partner. 


• Employee Assistance Program. 


• Paid Time Off: An accrual of up to 4 hours per pay period. Up to 2 floating holidays. 


• Full-time interns will receive an ORCA card at no cost. This card can be used on buses, trains, water taxis in the Puget Sound region, along with the Monorail and Seattle Streetcar. 


• In addition to compensation and benefits, you’ll find that we provide work-life balance, opportunities for professional development and recognition from your colleagues. 

Tentative 2026 Internship Dates:

• Semester students: May 18th to July 24th    


• Quarter students:  June 15th to August 21st

PLEASE NOTE: This internship is only open to applicants available from June 15th to August 21st, 2026.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

Sound Transit’s Agency Oversight Department provides independent quality oversight across the agency’s major capital programs and service delivery for its four public transportation services: Link, Sounder, ST Express, and Tacoma Link. The Quality Intern will support quality oversight activities within the Agency’s Service Delivery
Department, including Operations (fleet and infrastructure), Maintenance (fleet, infrastructure, and maintenance of way [MOW]), and active projects such as fleet expansion, state of good repair, and system enhancements. This role offers hands-on exposure to quality oversight practices and the opportunity to learn how a large, complex regional transit system is constructed, operated, and maintained.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.

JOB DUTIES:

• Support the development of a new Agency Service Delivery Quality Management Plan.


• Research compliance requirements for Agency’s Operations and Maintenance programs.


• Develop Quality Checklists for various types of Operations and Maintenance inspections.


• Conduct Ride and Facility Quality Checks and complete inspection reports and checklists.


• Attend preventive and reactive maintenance inspections and tests along the Link corridors.


• Brainstorm key performance indicator options for Service Delivery Quality and determine means of collecting and presenting data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.


• Collaborate with Agency and vendor stakeholders to identify and reduce redundancies or duplications between existing operational activities and quality oversight efforts.


• Observe maintenance work order execution and report any positive results, opportunities for improvement, and/or performance gaps.


• Contribute ideas and support implementation of Quality into Service Delivery Projects.

POTENTIAL PROJECTS:

• Operations: Fleet and Infrastructure Operational Compliance.


• Maintenance: Fleet, Infrastructure, and MOW Maintenance Compliance.


• Projects: LRV Series 2 Project Management and Quality Management Compliance.


• Internal: Service Delivery Quality Management Plan and Checklist Development.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Applicants must be a current college student in good academic standing, enrolled in an accredited associate, bachelor's or graduate degree Project Management,
Construction Management, Engineering, or relevant two-year certificate.          

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Independent self-starter with ability to work effectively both independently and within a team.


• Strong interest in public transit, with a desire to learn and apply quality management principles in operations and maintenance environments.


• Familiarity with basic quality concepts such as inspections, checklists, corrective actions, preventive actions, and/or performance metrics.


• Ability to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.


• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to document observations clearly and concisely.


• Comfort working in both office and field environments, including ride-alongs, facilities, and maintenance locations.


• Ability to collaborate effectively with internal staff and external vendors or contractors.


• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.


• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); experience with data or reporting tools is a plus.


• Interest in public transportation, infrastructure, or asset lifecycle management.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS:

• Exposure to Lean, Six Sigma, and/or continuous improvement coursework.


• Experience with inspections, audits, field observations, and technical documentation.


• Familiarity with Power BI to support development of dashboards and data-driven content.


• Prior exposure to vehicle or facility maintenance and/or construction environments.


• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and maintaining a psychologically safe work environment.


• Ability to recognize and report unsafe working conditions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/ WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Work is performed in a standard office environment.


• Subject to standing, walking, bending, reaching, stooping, and lifting of objects up to 25 pounds; may occasionally be exposed to dangerous machinery when visiting job sites during construction and when working in the field.


• The Agency promotes a safe and healthy work environment and provides appropriate safety
  and equipment training for all personnel as required.

Sound Transit is an equal employment opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment action based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status or other protected class.