2027 Summer Internship - Geotechnical Engineering & Water Resources - Civil Engineering - Site
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Why You Should Apply for This Internship
At Freeport-McMoRan, we are committed to providing internship opportunities that recognize excellence and encourage safe production with a culture supported by our core values. You'll be part of a collaborative environment, gaining the skills and experience to set you on the path to a successful future.
Our internship program is designed for full-time students currently enrolled at an accredited four-year university and recent graduates in North America. These are temporary full-time paid positions that usually run from May through August. Apply Today!
This position may be eligible for Freeport-McMoRan immigration work visa sponsorship:
- A foreign national working in a full-time status on an F-1 visa may be considered for H-1B visa sponsorship based on business needs, meeting company performance and safety expectations and with site approval.
- A foreign national working in a full-time status may be considered for employment-based permanent residency sponsorship, based on business needs, completion of six (6) months of employment, meeting company performance and safety expectations and with site approval.
Where You Will Work
Interns are assigned to various locations in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Iowa, supporting our business in a variety of disciplines.
What You Will Do
Under close supervision, the Geotechnical & Water Resource (Civil) Engineer Intern applies principles of soil mechanics, hydrology, hydrogeology, hydraulics, slope stability analysis, and related disciplines to support technical functions and/or projects related to the safe and efficient operation of tailings storage facilities (TSFs), heap leach pads (HLPs), and/or water dams.
This internship provides hands-on exposure to geotechnical and water resources engineering in a mining environment, with opportunities to support field activities, engineering analysis, data review, and collaboration with site-based teams. Support activities may include:
- Assist with geotechnical and water management projects related to TSFs, HLP and/or water dams,
- Support geotechnical monitoring programs by collecting, organizing, and analyzing data from various instrumentation systems
- Support field investigation programs, including drilling programs, Cone Penetrometer Testing (CPT), test pits, sampling activities, and related field work.
- Generate cross sections, profiles, maps, and engineering figures using survey data, instrumentation data, and geological information.
- Support beach profiling campaigns, bathymetric surveys, drone surveys, and other QA/QC activities related to tailings deposition and earthworks.
- Perform field inspections of slopes, embankments, beaches, drainage systems, ponds, and other operational areas to identify and document geotechnical observations.
- Support field data collection and verification for water management and support water balance modeling tasks.
- Prepare technical inspection reports, summaries, and presentations materials.
- Support cross-functional collaboration with site operations, engineering, environmental, and water resources teams to gain exposure to real-world mining and tailings management practices.
- Assist with data validation, trend reviews, and preparation of clear technical summaries to support engineering decisions.
- Perform other duties and special projects as required.
What You Bring To Freeport
- Currently enrolled full-time at an accredited four-year university pursuing a degree, bachelor’s or higher, in Civil Engineering or closely related field; OR
- Recent graduate (within 12 months prior to internship start date) with a degree, bachelor’s or higher, in Civil Engineering or closely related field.
- Experienced in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and familiar with AutoCAD Civil 3D, MineSight, Power BI, or GIS-related software.
- Strong data analysis and problem-solving skills.
- Highly accurate and detail oriented.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Demonstrates initiative, organizational skills, and the ability to work well under pressure.
- Ability to collaborate and work effectively in a team environment.
- Ability to follow all health, safety, and environmental procedures while working in active mining and tailings management environments.
- Willingness to learn, ask questions, and apply engineering concepts in both office and field settings.
- Interest in mining, tailings management, water resources, or geotechnical engineering.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree student in Geotechnical Engineering or Civil Engineering (with emphasis on Geotechnical, Geological or Water Resources sub-disciplines).
- Registered Engineering Intern (EI) or Engineer-in-Training (EIT); passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam.
- Knowledge of geotechnical instrumentation installation, operation and monitoring systems and associated data.
- Knowledge of geotechnical cross sections and stratigraphy development using AutoCAD or MineSight. Knowledge of geotechnical site investigations, including drilling and Cone Penetrometer Testing (CPT).
- Knowledge of soil characterization, interpretation of geotechnical lab tests, and geotechnical engineering analysis.
- Knowledge of water resources engineering, including hydrology, hydrogeology, hydraulics, and sediment transport.
- Knowledge of hydro-modeling tools such as HEC-HMS, HEC-RAS, MIKE-11.
- Knowledge of GoldSim software for application in water balance modeling.
- Ability to use ArcGIS tools for data visualization and analysis.
- Interest in applying engineering analysis to support safe, sustainable, and responsible resource development.
What We Offer:
- The estimated pay range for this role is currently $29.00 - $36.00/hour. Individual pay rates will be based on level of education and relevant experience.
- Hands-on experience in a dynamic and innovative environment.
- Opportunity to work on meaningful projects and initiatives that drive impact across the organization.
- Exposure to various aspects of business operations across our North America sites.
- Ability to develop and enhance technical and analytical skills.
- Mentorship and professional development opportunities.
What We Require:
- Ability to understand, apply and communicate verbal and written work and safety-related instructions, procedures, job assignments and applicable safety standards in English.
- Must be able to multi-task, work under pressure, and meet time-sensitive deadlines.
- Work is in an office, mine, or manufacturing plant setting, which may include exposure to extremes in temperature and humidity, moving mechanical parts, risk of electrical shock, toxic chemicals, explosives, fumes or airborne particles.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, demonstrate manual dexterity, climb stairs and ladders, work on elevated platforms, talk, hear, and see.
- Occasionally may be required to lift moderately heavy objects up to thirty (30) pounds during the workday.
- Personal protective equipment is required when performing work in a mine, outdoor, manufacturing or plant environment, including hard hat, hearing protection, safety glasses, safety footwear, and as needed, respirator, rubber steel-toe boots, protective clothing, gloves, and any other protective equipment as required.
- Freeport-McMoRan promotes a drug/alcohol free work environment through the use of mandatory pre-employment drug testing and on-going random drug testing as per applicable state laws.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Please be advised Freeport-McMoRan will never request payment for job-related expenses from applicants. If you receive any suspicious emails, please disregard them, and report the incident to HRSC@fmi.com.
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