Summer Engineering Technician / Construction Materials Testing

About the role

Join Terracon's Des Moines, IA for the summer and gain valuable engineering experience! We are looking for engineering students interested in summer work.

Responsibilities

• Perform field and/or laboratory testing, observation, and inspection of construction materials (e.g. soils, aggregates, concrete, asphalt, and steel).
• Communicate with project manager, engineering technicians, client representative, contractor’s representative and others as applicable regarding the construction site, project requirements, and testing, observation, and inspection requirements and results.
• Transport material samples with associated identifying documentation to the laboratory for further testing and analysis.
• Tabulate, prepare, and submit data and observation in the form of written and digital reports as work is performed for daily transmittal to the Terracon Project Manager.
• Maintain and clean equipment, vehicles and work areas.
• May assist with scheduling and dispatch of Technicians to project sites.
• Adhere to strict safety standards.
• Under close supervision of higher level technicians or staff professionals, assist on tasks and perform basic testing and observations duties.
• Provides clear documentation of findings and results.
• Communicates information to Project Manager and discusses accuracy of data in preparation for submittal.
• Submits documentation and communicates results as directed by the Project Manager.
• Will be placed in a progressively increased role of training and responsibility in work assignments.
• Maintains assigned equipment.
• Follow safety rules and practices and other safety requirements for all projects.
• Perform pre-task planning prior to executing work.
• Report any safety issues or concerns to management.
• Be responsible for maintaining quality standards on all projects.
• Proven ability to work independently with limited supervision, exercising sound judgment, accountability, and initiative while consistently meeting quality and productivity expectations.
• Equally effective in collaborative team environments, integrating into new teams, contributing constructively to shared objectives and working across a variety of geographic locations and work environments to achieve project goals.
• Ability to adapt to changing project environments, jobsite conditions, and diverse team structures.
• Strong safety mindset with the ability to proactively identify site-specific hazards, assess changing field conditions, follow established safety procedures, and take appropriate action to mitigate risk.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to quickly build productive working relationships with peers, supervisors, clients, and field personnel while fostering a strong culture of safety and collaboration.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent and pursuing a BS or Master's degree in civil or construction engineering
• Flexibility to work varying schedules, including overtime, weekends, and extended shifts as project demands require.
• A valid driver’s license with acceptable violation history may be required.

Schedule

Work from May - August and Co-Ops are also available if you want to work to December.