Public Policy and Engagement Intern - Water (Summer 2026)

Learning begins in the classroom but there’s no better place to gain real-world experience than with Stantec. Interns are an integral part of our teams, working to solve some of the world's most complex challenges.

As an intern, you’ll work alongside our experienced practitioners and with our clients and communities. This hands-on experience will equip you with practical skills, build your network, and provide opportunities that set you up for success.

Stantec’s Water Resources, Planning, and Management Group is a multi-disciplinary team of water resources professionals that sees water as an interconnected system with unique but related functions and responsibilities. As part of the broader Water group, our Public Affairs team plays a vital role in advancing water planning through strategic, collaborative, and community-focused communications. By combining technical expertise with meaningful engagement, we deliver innovative and practical consulting solutions for clients across local, regional, state, and federal levels.

Your Opportunity

Stantec’s Sacramento office located on C-Street is seeking an Integrated Water Management and Communications Intern to join our Public Affairs Team in the Water Resources & Planning Management Group. The selected intern will support a variety of integrated water resources planning, analysis, and communications efforts in California, related to sustainable groundwater management, safe drinking water, and others. Whether you have a public communication or a natural resources-related background, if you enjoy working on challenging projects with a team that delivers meaningful solutions to California’s most complex water challenges, we welcome your application to join us!

This position is in and will be supervised from our office in Sacramento, California

Your Key Responsibilities: 

Support sustainable groundwater management and climate resilience planning efforts through:

• Development of reader-friendly technical informational materials to inform and engage beneficial users and uses of groundwater and other important natural resources.
• Planning for in-person, online, or “hybrid” public engagement meetings, including coordination of logistics, development of corresponding educational or presentational materials, and implementation of other strategic outreach efforts.
• Gaining and applying experience in California water resources management and governance, applicable laws/policies/regulations, and community engagement best practices.
• Performing project administration tasks, including preparation of reports and memos, gathering information and design documents, drafting correspondence, and other activities as needed.
• Traveling within California as needed for project work, not to exceed 10%.

Your Capabilities and Credentials:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, and strong interpersonal skills for working in diverse team environments with staff, clients, and interested parties.
• Experience in one or more of the following subject matter areas is preferred, but not required: 
  • Integrated water management, interactions with land and the environment, and interrelationships with social and economic development
  • Public relations or communications, technical writing for a variety of audiences, and development of content for print media, social media, and video platforms
  • Visual communications, including website development and management
  • Urban, community, or regional planning, public administration, public policy, community development, or other social science
• A minimum of two years’ course work in mass communications, public relations, public administration, water resources planning, environmental science, ecology, natural resources, urban or regional planning, political science, or related fields.

Typical office environment working with computers and working at a desk for long periods of time. Field work may include exposure to the elements including inclement weather.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.

Stantec is a place where the best and brightest come to build on each other’s talents, do exciting work, and make an impact on the world around us. Join us and redefine your personal best.