As an intern, you will be working alongside Senior Operations Leadership staff on a variety of important projects to support the MBTA’s efforts at ensuring safe and reliable transit service. Past projects include the following:
- Creating database for tracking projects within the Training Department.
- Launching pilot within Bus Operations for route optimization.
- Streamlining the process for Right of Way diversion planning.
Future projects will inform decision-making within the Operations leadership team and could include the following:
- Performing data analysis.
- Streamlining processes.
- Helping manage multi-departmental initiatives / projects.
Examples of deliverables include labor and staffing models, SOPs and how-to guides, management performance dashboards, and executive level presentations / policy memos.
Beyond assigned projects, you will have the opportunity to connect with other interns in the Chief Operating Office’s graduate student cohort, attend MBTA-wide intern programming, and make positive, real-world impact on the operation of the MBTA.
As an intern, you will receive guidance and mentorship from department leaders while engaging with internal and external stakeholders to make tangible, positive impacts on riders. The internship is hosted through the Chief Operating Office, which assigns interns to departments throughout its division. Depending on skills and interests, an intern may have the opportunity to work with multiple teams within Operations, including:
- Lean Strategy: This team works on process improvement initiatives that improve the safety and reliability of day-to-day operations creates. Additionally, this team maintains rider-centered policies and guidelines for decision-making, which are grounded in fairness and inclusive of diverse ridership, clear and easy to understand, and the product of a visible and transparent process.
- Operations Training: The training department ensures all employees and contractors are qualified, knowledgeable, and capable of executing their daily work safely. Interns may support specific learning and development initiatives or broader strategic projects related to governance and process optimization.
- Heavy and Light Rail Operations: Rail Operations provides rapid transit service throughout the Boston area, which requires continual monitoring of rail vehicles (trains), oversight of field and supervisory staff, and real-time management of service around-the-clock to enable increasingly safe, reliable, and efficient service.
- Bus Operations: This department provides bus transportation throughout Boston and surrounding communities with a workforce of approximately 2,000 operators and supervisory staff. Current focus includes hiring, workforce development, and related efforts to deliver more reliable service and transformative operational improvements (such as the Bus Network Redesign project).
- Operations Planning, Scheduling, and Strategy (OPSS): OPSS optimizes current service and plans future service. There are several teams within OPSS working on a variety of initiatives such as scheduling, bus transformation planning, workforce modernization, alternative service planning, and operations analytics.
- Additional Departments: There are several other departments within Operations, including Commuter Rail & Ferry Operations, Paratransit Operations (the RIDE), the Operations Control Center, Operating Rules Compliance, Engineering & Maintenance, Vehicle Maintenance, and the Chief Operating Office.
Additional responsibilities include:
- Participate in team / staff meetings, organization events, fieldwork, project teams, or other duties as needed.
- Additional responsibilities may include focusing on one or more departments or locations. See applicable addendums or hiring manager for department or location specific functions.
- Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.
* The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and complexity of the work being performed by staff assigned to this job and do not represent an exhaustive list of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities required of staff assigned to this position. The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here-in are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
- Enrolled, for entire duration of employment, in the graduate / Master’s degree program of an accredited college / university in public policy, public administration, business administration, operations management, urban planning, urban studies, public health, law, supply chain logistics, computer science, or related field.
- Experience with planning, process improvement, strategy, and / or complex data analysis (e.g. some coursework, on-the-job experience, or other experiences).
- Experience working responsibly with sensitive items, systems, or data.
- Ability to work full-time (40 hours per week) for at least three months.
- Desire to learn or deepen experience translating and framing complex data into clear choices and impacts / results.
- Above average ability to communicate effectively in English, both in written and oral forms.
- Highly organized, motivated, and have great attention-to-detail.
- Strong interest in public service, transit, or transportation and how it operates.
- Above average ability to work effectively in diverse, collaborative, fast-paced environments as well as independently.
- Ability to independently commute to assigned work locations in the Boston, MA metro area, as required by the role.
- Authorized to work in the United States (international students in CPT, STEM, or OPT programs through a university are eligible to apply). The MBTA does not provide visa sponsorship, such as H1-B status.
* The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and complexity of the work being performed by staff assigned to this job and do not represent an exhaustive list of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities required.
