Students

Student Placement Programme

ROD's student placement programme gives students the opportunity to work alongside the designers of some of the most complex infrastructural projects in Ireland and the UK.

From landmark bridges to complex road schemes, state-of-the-art buildings to groundbreaking greenways, we offer you a broad choice of projects in which to get involved.

By joining our project teams, you'll put the knowledge you've gained in college to work, and learn what life in a leading engineering consultancy is really like.

How the programme is designed

The programme is designed to be flexible, so our placements vary in duration from two weeks up to one year.

Students may apply to work in any of the following areas:

• Bridges
• Buildings
• Geotechnical
• Site
• Transportation and traffic
• Water services

Support

As you move through different challenges on live projects, a student coordinator from within your chosen team will encourage you to push forward and develop your personal and professional skills.

What makes our programme different

At ROD, you won’t be asked to sit quietly in front of a PC in a far corner of the office.  You’ll join teams working on live projects.

We’ll encourage you to make the most of your time with us, and we'll make sure you enjoy the experience to the full.

What do you look for in a student?

We look for students who are:

• keen to learn
• have good interpersonal
• have good analytical skills
• can multitask and take direction

What will I be doing?

Your role may involve:

• researching, compiling and evaluating project data
• preparing and writing reports
• performing calculations for infrastructure projects
• drafting proposals and correspondence

Where will I be based?

We offer student placement opportunities in our Dublin and UK offices:

• The Chase, Arkle Road, Sandyford, D.18
• Unit 2.1, Block 2, Woodford Business Park, Turnapin Little, D.17
• 82-87 Pegholme, Wharfebank Mills, Ilkley Road, Otley, UK

How’s the social life?

We’re a friendly group.

Our sports and social committee organises surfing weekends, ski evenings at the Ski Club of Ireland, step and cycle challenges, wellness weeks and much more.

You’ll find lots of ways to get involved.

What do I need to apply?

At the time of application, you must be undertaking a Level 8 degree in civil or structural engineering or equivalent or be enrolled on an accredited master's degree programme.

When should I apply?

Applications for our 2026 programme are now closed.  We are, however, accepting applications for our 2027 programme.

How to apply

• Send your CV and cover letter in one MS Word file to careers@rod.ie 
• Save your CV and cover letter as 'First Name Surname CV'. For example, John Smith CV
• Only CVs and cover letters written in English will be accepted

Sean Purcell

I applied for a six-month placement with ROD’s bridges group after meeting members of the team at a careers fair in Trinity College Dublin, where I am undertaking an MAI in Civil and Structural Engineering.

I joined a busy and supportive team and worked on a range of projects, including the Leinster Bridges Term Maintenance Contract, the N4 Mullingar to Longford (Roosky) scheme and a bridge rehabilitation works scheme in Galway. I gained experience in both inspection and assessment work, as well as in preparing contract documentation such as bills of quantities.

A key part of the placement was getting out on site. Attending bridge inspections helped me to understand how defects are identified and assessed in practice and how they feed into decision-making.

The working environment at ROD made a big difference to my placement. There was always someone available to answer my questions or talk through an issue, which made finding my feet and learning much easier. I also enjoyed attending continuing professional development (CPD) sessions and taking part in social activities, such as tag rugby and five-a-side football.

The placement gave me a real sense of what working in a professional practice is like and reinforced my interest in bridge engineering.

Liam Fagan

I joined ROD on an eight-month student placement in January 2026. The placement formed part of an ME in Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering I am undertaking at University College Dublin. 

I had previously undertaken a three-month summer internship with the buildings team at ROD, so I was delighted to return. The team welcomed me back with open arms and encouraged me to get involved straight away. My day-to-day work consisted of detailed design on software applications like Tedds and Robot, marking up AutoCAD drawings, report writing and assisting on tenders. 

I enjoyed the collaborative environment at ROD and learned a lot from the experienced engineers working alongside me. I gained hands-on-experience across a variety of building projects, including hospitals, schools and apartment blocks, and was entrusted with the responsibility of communicating with clients and contractors. I also visited many project sites, which enabled me to see how a building makes the transition from a computer design to a real-life structure.

ROD was very big on organising social events, such as tag rugby, hikes and activity nights out. There was always something in the calendar.

Aidan Kennedy

I joined ROD on a six-month student placement in January 2026. The placement formed part of an MAI in Civil and Structural Engineering I am undertaking at Trinity College Dublin.

As a member of ROD’s transportation team, I worked on several interesting and engaging projects, including the Motorway Maintenance and Renewals Contracts; the N4 Mullingar to Longford (Roosky) Project; and Herring Bridge in Great Yarmouth. Through contributing to these projects, I gained considerable experience and knowledge in areas such as project management and engineering design.

From my induction at the beginning of my placement right through to the end, I found the collaborative environment at ROD extremely helpful; it never felt like any question was too small. I also enjoyed ROD’s active Social Committee, which organised a variety of activities for the team, from comedy nights to sporting events.