Chapter 91 Waterways Intern (UNPAID)

Who We Are:

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance Massachusetts’ environmental resources and create a clean energy future for all residents. Through the stewardship of open spaces, the protection of environmental resources, and the advancement of clean energy, EEA works tirelessly to make Massachusetts a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.   Our commitment to environmental justice ensures that every resident, regardless of background or location, can live in a safe, clean environment and shares equally in the benefits of the clean energy transition.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is the state agency responsible for ensuring clean air, land, and water. Our work impacts every aspect of people's lives and is critical to the health and wellbeing of our residents and visitors. MassDEP is the lead agency for safe management of toxics and hazardous materials, promotion of waste reduction and recycling, preservation of the state's wetlands and coastal resources, air quality monitoring and pollution reduction, and so much more.

Who We Are as an Employer:

At EEA, we create meaningful, inclusive opportunities that empower our employees to make a real difference in shaping the environmental future of Massachusetts. We foster a workplace culture where diversity is valued, innovation is encouraged, and collaboration thrives. Our employees play a vital role in advancing sustainability, environmental justice, and clean energy solutions, ensuring a positive and lasting impact on Massachusetts and its residents.

This internship is unpaid and designed to support students or recent graduates seeking practical experience in the field. Interns may be eligible to earn academic credit through their college or university.

Job Description:

MassDEP administers the regulatory provisions of the Massachusetts Public Waterfront Act (the oldest waterways law in the United States), commonly called "Chapter 91". The program issues licenses for projects in waterways and ensures that projects meet public-access requirements. 

The Ch. 91 Waterways Program is developing and expanding its web-based tools and applications. These include the Ch 91 GIS viewer data layers and feature sets; information architecture and accessibility of web pages and electronic guidance documents. Projects will be tailored to the applicant’s skills, interests and career goals.

The intern will assist with the development and expansion of Ch. 91 Waterways program repositories of historic and contemporary records in the GIS Ch. 91 viewer and online applications. The intern will also work with Program staff in reviewing program-specific regulatory policy and research guidelines for the technical framework of these web-based tools and applications.Assist staff with devising potential new frameworks and revise existing tools in collaboration with Waterways, GIS, IT and policy program staff as needed, taking into account program priorities, the license/permit application process and other state-wide requirements (i.e. existing municipal databases, WCAG accessibility standards, FOIA requests, appeal processes).

Job Duties:

• Curating and creating content to be added to data applications-Designated Port Areas (DPA) and Municipal Harbor Plan (MHP) GIS layers, historic license scans, and other archival information needed for new Waterways permit and license applications and requests for determination of applicability.

• Coding and validation of datasets: detailed QA/QC of mapped points, the results of search or tool features, identification of missing MHPs, state harbor line plans.

• Development of new tools to facilitate permitting and licensing, resilience, restoration and access projects in the Commonwealth. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Applicants with experience using ArcGIS, existing LIDAR data, Drupal CMS, CRMs, Analytics /Visualization software and programming languages (i.e. Tableau, PowerBI, JSON, AWS, other SAAS).

   

• Any STEAM majors or related planning, computer science, geography, policy, law, statistics, library science and history concentrators are encouraged to apply.

Position Information:

• Contracted Student Intern: Chapter 91 Waterways Intern (UNPAID) (ID: 260007P0)

• Start/End Date: 1/11/2027 - 6/18/2027

• Weekly Hours: 22.5 hours

• Number of Openings: 1 position

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

Minimum Requirements: NONE

Please see the Preferred Qualifications above.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.  Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100%25 of the job requirements.  We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.