About Our Job

What We Offer

This internship is an on-call position, which means it is a part-time, hourly role. The City and County of Denver offers a competitive pay rate to commensurate with education, with the pay range for this position between $20.22 - $22.78 hourly, based on level of education. This position is eligible to enroll in the City and County of Denver’s 457b retirement plan. This position is not eligible for other additional benefits. On-call positions may have routine or variable work schedules.

Location Flexibility

The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model with a required 3 days in office. Employees work where needed to support business at Denver International Airport (DEN). We do not offer housing or relocation assistance for this position. Employees must work within the state of Colorado.

Internship Duration and Hours

This is a 1-year internship from Monday, June 1, 2026 - Friday, May 15, 2027, hours typically vary between 20-39 hours a week during the summer and 15-30 hours a week during school semesters. The DENtern’s work schedule will be flexible to accommodate their current academic commitments. Hours not exceeding 39 hours a week or 1,559 hours over a year.

Who We Are & What You’ll Do

Since opening on Feb. 28, 1995, Denver International Airport (DEN) has become one of the world’s busiest airports. In 2025, 82,427,962 passengers passed through DEN, making DEN 4th busiest airport in the U.S. and the world’s 10th busiest airport. DEN is Colorado’s primary economic engine, generating $47.2 billion in annual economic impact for the state. At DEN, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. We celebrate individuality and strive to keep Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility (EDIA) at the center of all that we do.  

Through the DEN Intern (nicknamed “DENtern”) Program, students gain real world experience in aviation and workforce development while building professional skills. DENterns participate in a cohort-based model that emphasizes networking, collaboration, and professional growth, attending all scheduled professional development sessions, tours, and engaging in impactful projects across the airport.

The Systems Integration Management Office (SIMO) is actively seeking a Systems Integration Project Intern to contribute to its division, which plays a crucial role in ensuring seamless integration across airport operations, enhancing operational efficiency, and fostering enterprise-wide collaboration. Within the Chief of Staff’s portfolio, SIMO serves as the central hub, providing proactive, real world leadership. It ensures that capital and program management, operations, maintenance, and customer service are seamlessly integrated into a cohesive ecosystem. As part of DEN's Strategic Plan, Vision 100, which envisions reaching 100 million annual passengers, SIMO plays a pivotal role in transforming the aviation industry.

As a DENtern, you will gain experience working on projects such as:

Project #1: Innovation Program Development o Coordinating program development and implementation steps in the exploration, initiation, and testing of leading-edge ideas resulting from Leadership DEN and Eno AirMAX Capstone Projects.

Project #2: Stakeholder Assessment & Recommendations o Conducting assessments and making recommendations related to DEN multi-sector stakeholders and related projects.

Project #3: Airport-wide Communication Strategy o Developing and implementing an enterprise-wide communication plan related to the DENwide goals and objectives of SIMO.

Project 4: Logistics Support o Providing technical support to SIMO management on DEN plans, programs, and projects in the development of comprehensive reports, correspondence, and cost estimates to executive and management staff, City Council, Mayor’s Office, and outside regulatory agencies.

Project #5: Aviation Megatrend Research o Collaborate with a team of fellow DENterns to conduct discovery research on a key aviation megatrend. This includes gathering data, interviewing industry experts, and analyzing findings. At the end of the summer, your team will present insights to DEN’s executive leadership to help shape strategic innovation and prepare the airport for the future.

What You’ll Bring

Our ideal candidate has some or all of the following skills, characteristics, and interests:

• Interest in public service and enhancing customer experience in the aviation industry

• Knowledge of public administration, social, political, and environmental issues influencing the aviation industry

• Maintains an open mind with initiative, resiliency, and adaptability to changing circumstances and deadlines

• Passion for learning and is not afraid to seek constructive feedback to improve

• Strong ability to pay attention to detail and seek guidance on assignments prior to deadlines

• Enjoys a sense of humor

Desired Skill Set

• Communication & MS 365 Skills and Experience: Strong verbal and written abilities for reports, presentations, and stakeholder engagement. Advanced understanding of Microsoft 365 suite of tools such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Planner.

• Project Management: Basic understanding of planning, organizing, and executing tasks effectively

• Critical Thinking: Looking at information from different angles, asking questions, and using evidence to make clear, well-supported ideas and recommendations.

• Interpersonal Skills: Building positive relationships and working effectively with others.

• Data Analysis: Interpreting and drawing insights from data sets.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education Requirement: Current enrollment in an accredited college program leading to a certificate, licensure, associates, bachelor’s, or higher degree, or a recent graduate (completed specified program within 1 year of completion).

• Experience: None

• Education and Experience Equivalency: No substitution of experience for education is permitted.

Mandatory documentation required to be considered for this position:

• 1–2-page resume

• Transcripts – either official or unofficial; dated within your current academic term. This is only used to verify amounts of credits; grades will not influence decisions
   

Optional Documents:

Cover letter detailing why you are interested in this position and 3-5 new skills, experiences, or tools you are hoping to take away from this experience.

Application Deadline

This position is expected to stay open until Sunday, February 22, 2026. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than February 22nd at 11:59 PM.

FBI Background Check: FBI criminal background check is required for all positions at Denver International Airport (DEN). Employees are also required to report any felony convictions and/or moving violations to maintain this clearance and be eligible for continued employment. By position, a pre-employment physical/drug test may be required.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

TA3181 Professional Administration Intern

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type

Oncall

Position Salary Range

$20.22 - $22.85

Target Pay

Agency

Denver International Airport

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. 

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact [email protected] with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.