Motiva Summer Internship Position: Chemical Engineering Degree

  • Motiva Enterprises LLC
  • Houston, Texas
  • Full Time

At Motiva, our employees' energy, passion, and dedication to excellence are what make us who we are and what allows us to generate energy that makes a house a home, gets us from point A to point B, and enables our health and wellbeing. We invest in every aspect of our employees' lives because, at Motiva, our people matter.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the Americas. The company's Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex in Port Arthur, TX, is comprised of North America's largest refinery with a total throughput of 720,000 barrels per day, the largest base oil plant in the western hemisphere, and an integrated chemical plant. Under exclusive long-term brand licenses with Shell and Phillips 66 (for the 76brand), Motiva's commercial operations supply more than 12 billion gallons of fuel to customers annually. Motiva is wholly owned by Aramco, one of the world's largest integrated energy and chemicals companies.

Position Overview:

If you are currently enrolled as a student, Motiva's paid, assessed, Internship Program enables you to get to know our company and immerse yourself in the oil and gas industry. It gives you day-to-day involvement in actual projects selected to match your interests and abilities. A supervisor and mentor will provide you with regular assessments and performance feedback throughout your internship. This is to ensure you get the most from your experience and help you decide if a potential career with Motiva is right for you.

Following completion of a successful internship, you have the potential to be offered a returning internship or full-time role. As a professional joining the company post graduation, you will be automatically enrolled into Motiva's Early Career Development 3-year program. For more information, please visit us at Motiva.com.

Position Locations:

  • Motiva Refinery & Chemicals Plant; Port Arthur, TX

  • Motiva Corporate Headquarters; Houston, TX

Possible Opportunities with Responsibilities:

We may have several potential opportunities available for you in 2026. If any of the below roles are of interest, we encourage you to apply. As we identify available positions, we'll contact you about next steps in the recruiting process should you meet our basic qualification requirements.

Control Systems:

As a Controls Systems Engineering Intern, you will be assisting Control Systems Engineers (CSE) and Instrument Inspectors with projects and tasks that impact the day-to-day automation at PAMC, such as:

  • Completion of 1-2 Control Systems projects that will improve reliability, Control Systems performance monitoring or Operations interaction/response rate

  • Helping to maintain Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) Documentation (trip settings, rationale, pre-alarm settings, test procedures, narratives) as needed.

  • Assisting Control Systems Engineers with Control Systems Management of Change (MOC) in their area of support.

  • Monitoring existing control systems are functioning at an operational excellent state with CSE support.

  • Troubleshooting control, safety and information systems, (hardware and software) including providing technical support to Business Team, with support of Control Systems Engineers and Instrument Inspectors

  • Supporting projects, changes, or on-going operational needs in their area in order to support run and maintain operation objectives, with support of Control Systems Engineers and Instrument Inspectors

  • Developing functional specifications and detail design for instrument or control systems additions or modifications, with support of Control Systems Engineers and Instrument Inspectors

Process Engineering:

As a Process Engineering intern, you will help provide technological expertise to Motiva oil and gas production facilities, refineries, and chemical plants. Your work may consist of:

  • Ensuring the technical integrity of plants and new projects for both internal and external customers

  • Advising on process safety issues

  • Designing, optimizing, and improving the operation of equipment and facilities

  • Analyzing and interpreting laboratory and plant data

Fuel Supply & Economics:

Fuel Supply & Marketing (FSM) is the commercial supply, optimization, logistics, and sales outlet for gasoline and diesel at Motiva. As an intern on the the FSM - Fuel Supply & Economics team you will be assigned a project that will add meaningful monetary or strategic value to the daily operation and/or the long-term success of the company.

  • Assessing and evaluating commercial opportunities

  • Supporting commercial investments and projects through in-depth research and analytics

  • Optimizing the clean products supply chain throughout the Motiva geography

  • Designing and implementing new tools that will support and improve daily operations activity

Process Engineer - Projects:

The Process Engineer - Projects provides process engineering support for projects primarily in front end development. As the Process Engineer - Projects, you will be assigned to one or more projects to ensure project justification, develop project scope, and develop project deliverables. Your work may consist of the following items:

  • Front end process engineering analysis to ensure proper technical project justification

  • Front end process engineering deliverables may consist of process simulations, hydraulic and other system analyses, preliminary equipment design, PFD & P&ID development.

  • Develop and implement new tools that support front end process engineering.

Experience and Qualifications:

Required Education and Experience:

  • 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher

  • Pursuing a B.S in Chemical Engineering

  • Basic computer skills, MS Windows, MS office and MS Excel

  • Basic computation and technical skills

  • Time management skills

  • Good communication skills, both written and oral

  • Candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, an alien admitted as permanent resident, refugee, asylee, temporary resident, or an individual who possesses valid work authorization. Individuals with temporary visas (H-1, H-2, J-1, F-1, etc.) or who require sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future are not eligible for hire.

Preferred Education and Experience:

  • Previous internship experience is a plus

  • Proven leadership and/or participation in extracurricular activities preferred

  • Other work experience not related to position/area of study will be taken into consideration

Physical Requirements:

  • Include physical abilities that are essential for performance of duties

  • Sitting, standing, walking, lifting, carrying, reaching, pushing, and pulling ascend and descend ladders, scaffolds, stairs and work in confined spaces and in proximity to loud equipment lifting up to 50lbs, standing 50% of the time

  • Must pass annual respirator fit testing, due to safety sensitive nature of job

  • Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in designated areas (respirator, hard hat, safety glasses, gloves, heeled boots, and hearing protection)

  • Ability to reach all work areas in the plant (i.e. climb ladders, negotiate catwalks, handle heights to 50 feet, etc.)

We reserve the right to amend or withdraw Motiva jobs at any time, including prior to the closing date. Depending on qualifications, the successful candidate may be offered a position at a more appropriate level and/or grade.

Applicants for regular U.S. positions must be authorized to work in the United States for Motiva Enterprises LLC without the need for sponsorship of an immigration authorization or visa (for example, TN, H-1B, or other employment-based immigration authorization or visa).

Motiva participates in E-Verify.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information, or other protected status under federal, state, or local laws.

Job ID: 489053771
Originally Posted on: 8/12/2025

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