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Passive House/Building Systems Intern (Summer 2021)

Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) is seeking qualified professionals with a strong passion for improving the built environment to support our Passive House team.
 
We are seeking a motivated, organized, and dedicated individual to learn, grow, and thrive with us. The ideal candidate should be passionate, experienced, and knowledgeable about high-performance buildings, in particular Passive House. The ideal candidate will have a desire to work directly with clients as well as perform modeling and conduct field inspections. We are looking for qualified individuals for our New York City office. The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to complete the following tasks with the technical and interpersonal skills outlined below that will help them excel at SWA. This posting is for an intern-level position (<2 years of experience).
 
This is a paid internship with the possibility of renewal or transition to full-time position. Hourly compensation, with the possibility for increases commensurate with experience and skills.
 
SWA’s NYC office is not open due to COVID-19. These positions will require site visits but will otherwise be work from home positions, initially.
 
These positions report to a Building Systems Analyst/Consultant. 
 
Primary Responsibilities for the position will include:
Under the direction of full-time staff,
1.      Understand common HVAC systems and emerging high-performance alternatives.
2.      Conduct inspections and assist with airtightness and duct leakage testing.
3.      Review construction documents and provide recommendations to improve constructability, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and operations.
4.      Document review comments and inspection findings in issues logs and memos.
5.      Provide written technical and non-technical reports for program compliance and ownership review.
6.      Work with internal stakeholders including project managers, energy modelers, sustainability consultants, accessibility consultants, etc.
 
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Below is a list of the minimum requirements for the position.
 
Required industry knowledge, and skills.
·     Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering, Construction Management or related degree with an emphasis on buildings and their operation (or working toward).
·     0 – 2 years of relevant work experience.
·     Prior experience with building HVAC systems. Examples of prior experience may include a past internship, school coursework, or a college/university project.
·     Proficiency in Microsoft Office Programs (in order of importance Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint).
 
Preferred knowledge, and skills
·     Familiarity with Passive House Standards.
·     Familiarity with utility billing analysis and energy savings spreadsheet calculations.
·     Familiarity with Energy Code and/or ASHRAE standards.
·     Familiarity with NYC Local Laws related to energy and climate (Local Laws 84, 87, 95, and 97).
 
Personal qualities
·     Excellent communicator and presenter able to explain complex concepts to a variety of stakeholders.
·     Attention to detail.
·     Strong oral and written communication skills.
·     Well-developed interpersonal skills, maturity, credibility, confidence and integrity.
·     Strong time-management skills and experience managing multiple priorities at once.
·     Collaborative with strong focus on teamwork.
·     Excellent work ethic.
·     Self-motivated.
·     Passionate about optimizing MEP systems and improving the built environment.
·     Desire to love what you do.
 
Other duties:
Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without prior notice.
 
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit. The employee frequently is required to walk; use hands to type, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand.
 
When in the field the employee must frequently lift or move objects up to 20 pounds; must be able to climb stairs and endure typical construction site conditions. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision and ability to adjust focus.
 
TRAVEL REQUIRED:
Occasional overnight travel may be required (Less than 10%). Frequent local field visits in the New York Metro area will be necessary (estimated at 40-50%). A valid and clean driving license is required.
 
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
Approximately half of the duties will be performed in an office environment. The remainder of the duties will be performed in the field which will involve trips to projects sites for observation and training.
 
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:
Performance will be evaluated against this job description, competencies for this level, and mutually agreed goals.
 
ABOUT STEVEN WINTER ASSOCIATES, INC.
Steven Winter Associates, Inc. (SWA) provides research, consulting and advisory services to improve commercial, residential and multifamily built environments for private and public-sector clients. We specialize in energy, sustainability and accessibility consulting as well as certification, research & development and compliance services. Our team of professionals has led the way since 1972 in the development of best practices to achieve high performance buildings.
 
For further information on Steven Winter Associates, please visit www.swinter.com.
 
SWA is an Equal Opportunity Employer – all qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, or marital status. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package. Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be reviewed.