Innosphere - System Engineering Intern - Water Resources Planning

Systems Engineering Intern – Water Resources Planning Division: Water Resource Strategy Section: Water Resource Analysis Internship Type: Paid Internship – Temporary (Innosphere Partnership) Location: Denver, CO (Hybrid/On-site) Position Overview The Water Resource Strategy Division is seeking a Systems Engineering Intern to support the documentation, understanding, and long-term sustainment of the utility’s primary water allocation planning model (the Platte and Colorado Simulation Model aka PACSM). This internship focuses on applying practical systems engineering concepts to an existing and widely used planning model, rather than developing new software or altering model logic. The intern will help frame PACSM and the surrounding workflow setup as a long-lived decision support system by documenting its purpose, history, structure, major assumptions, and use cases, and by developing a framework for how the model is governed, updated, and maintained in the future. Key Responsibilities · Develop a clear system description for PACSM, including purpose, boundaries, key inputs and outputs, major assumptions and brief history. · Document how PACSM is currently used to support planning, operational, and policy decisions. · Elicit and organize high-level requirements by working with model users, applications developer and other internal stakeholders. · Map model requirements to major components of PACSM clearly showing which parts of the model exist to meet which needs, so it’s easier to understand why the model is built the way it is, what might break if something changes, and where gaps, redundancies, or risks exist. · Assist in developing simple governance and lifecycle documentation, including how model updates are proposed, reviewed, tested, and documented. · Identify potential gaps, risks, or areas where PACSM use has expanded beyond its original intent. · Create diagrams, summaries, and reference materials to support onboarding and knowledge transfer. Learning Objectives Through this internship, the student will gain hands-on experience applying systems engineering principles in a real-world public utility setting. The intern will learn how complex planning models are developed, maintained, and used to support high-impact water resource decisions, and how structured systems thinking can improve model transparency and resilience. Required Qualifications · Strong analytical and organizational skills. · Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly in writing and diagrams. · Interest in water resources, infrastructure systems, or public-sector decision support tools. Preferred Qualifications · Familiarity with systems engineering concepts such as requirements, system boundaries, lifecycle thinking, or model-based systems engineering. · Coursework or experience related to water resources, civil engineering, or environmental systems. · Experience creating process diagrams or technical documentation. Expected Deliverables · PACSM system description and context diagrams. · A structured set of documented model requirements. · A requirements-to-model traceability summary; A structured summary that documents how the key planning and decision‑support requirements for PACSM are supported by major components of the model. · Proposed model governance and lifecycle framework. · Final summary memorandum highlighting findings Pay: $20\.00 per hour Work Location: In person