Building Commissioning Fellow

Launch your Sustainability Career with the Climate Corps Fellowship program!

SEI’s Climate Corps Fellowship program offers the chance to lead impactful climate and community resilience projects while gaining paid, hands-on experience. This full-time, bridge-to-career opportunity pairs fellows with host organizations, from local governments to nonprofits and businesses, to drive real-world change.

About the Opportunity 

Start Date: September 1st, 2026

Length of Fellowship: 10 months

Location Type: Hybrid

Launch your career in sustainable building systems by improving building performance for people and the planet. As a Building Commissioning Fellow in the Climate Corps Fellowship program, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to impactful sustainability initiatives with McKinstry. This is a hybrid position with the expectation of onsite work 3-4 days per week.

During the fellowship, you'll work alongside experienced commissioning engineers on building systems projects across new construction and existing buildings. Building commissioning is a systematic quality assurance process that verifies a building's mechanical, electrical, plumbing, lighting, and controls systems are installed correctly and operating as designed — meeting energy code requirements and delivering the comfort and performance occupants expect. After installation and prior to delivery to the owner, the commissioning team verifies proper system behavior and resolves any deficiencies through installation verification, controls point-to-point checkout, and functional performance testing. This work is led by an independent commissioning agent who documents findings and works with the project team to ensure the building performs the way it was designed to from day one.

Fellows who successfully complete the program will be well-positioned for career pathways in commissioning engineering, including roles at the Commissioning Specialist level. This fellowship is designed for early-career candidates building toward a professional role in commissioning, building systems, or sustainable facilities management. This position offers a unique opportunity to develop your professional skills, grow your network, and contribute to McKinstry's sustainability goals.

About Our Partner: McKinstry

McKinstry is a privately held national leader in designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining high-performing buildings, headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Serving school districts, universities, municipalities, hospitals, and private companies nationwide, they provide a single point of accountability across the entire building lifecycle — from new construction to adaptive reuse and energy retrofits. At the intersection of construction, engineering, and energy services, McKinstry is a preferred partner for organizations focused on long-term planning, sustainability, and decarbonization.

What You’ll Do

• Supporting pre-functional and functional test development, witnessing, and documentation for mechanical, electrical, and controls systems.
• Assisting with review of construction documents, submittals, and equipment schedules so that the proposed implementation will meet the overall design and performance needs of the project.
• Contributing to the investigation of the building’s performance by tracking and logging performance observations, supporting issue resolution, and ensuring that the construction-phase meets all requirements.
• Supporting development of commissioning plans, schedules, and site-specific reporting.
• Participating in field verification activities — equipment identification, installation checks, and startup witnessing.
• Assisting with existing building investigations, including Building Automation Systems (BAS) trend data review and identification of operational deficiencies.
• Supporting turnover documentation, including Operations & Maintenance materials, systems manuals, and owner training coordination.

What We Provide

• A fixed, monthly stipend of $4500.
• $1000 end-of-program financial award.​
• Health care coverage with 100% of health care insurance premiums covered by SEI.
• 10 Personal Days (for a standard 10-month Fellowship), in addition to all holidays off that are observed as closure days by the partner placement site.
• Comprehensive career-readiness training, including interview prep, salary negotiation, and resume building.
• Panels, workshops, and networking with climate resilience industry professionals.
• Professional networking and learning opportunities.
• Participation in the Building Operator Certification series.
• Green Building Practicum training.
• The optional University of California Climate Stewards Certification equips you to lead community and ecosystem resilience initiatives.

What We’re Looking For

• A background in mechanical, electrical, or architectural engineering, energy management, facilities, or a related field (degree, certificate, or equivalent experience).
• Basic familiarity with HVAC concepts and/or building automation systems — or demonstrated ability to learn quickly in technical environments.
• Comfort reading, or a willingness to learn to read, construction documents (drawings, schedules, submittals).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills — commissioning work is documentation-heavy.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel); experience with BAS platforms a plus.
• A genuine interest in building performance, energy efficiency, and sustainable operations.
• Reliable personal transportation for varied site visits is required.
• The ability to work onsite on a hybrid basis. Only candidates currently residing within commuting distance of the site address will be considered.
• Commitment to a fair workplace that honors the experiences, voices, viewpoints, and values of all individuals.
• Authorization to work in the United States for the duration of the fellowship (SEI is unable to sponsor visas).
• Will require the ability to walk job sites, access mechanical rooms and rooftops, and adjust or move objects 25-50 pounds in all directions.
• Must be 18 years or older to apply.

We encourage everyone interested in this position to apply, even if you don’t meet every qualification. We value all perspectives and believe that a unique background can bring significant strengths to this role, even if some qualifications are not fully met.

Climate Corps Fellowships are classified under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as temporary, educational internships that emphasize training and career development, and thus no employment relationship exists, nor is compensation required. However, while not considered traditional employment, Fellows receive a living stipend and professional development support throughout the program.

Recruiting Timeline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage early submissions, as we may stop accepting new applications once a sufficient pool of qualified candidates is identified.

Join the Climate Corps Movement

Climate Corps, a program of SEI, is an award-winning fellowship designed to prepare the next generation of leaders in sustainability and climate action. Our fellows work on cutting-edge sustainability and resiliency projects with local governments, nonprofits, and businesses, building essential skills and creating real-world impact. Since 2010, Climate Corps has empowered over 800 Fellows to work with 500+ partners on 1,350 transformative projects. With nearly 99% of Fellows continuing careers in sustainability, you could be the next environmental leader shaping a better future!

Our Hiring Values

SEI is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to uplifting the experiences, voices, viewpoints, and values of all individuals. We believe that a wide array of perspectives contributes to creative climate solutions where all communities can thrive. We strive for a workforce that reflects the communities we partner with and serve, especially those most impacted by climate change and environmental, social, and economic injustice. We welcome candidates who share SEI’s commitment to cultivating a people-centered work environment. Individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.