Summer 2027 Intern - Manufacturing Engineer

The Day to Day:

In the Manufacturing Engineering Intern role, you will support manufacturing standardization initiatives for utility, rail, and municipal upfit operations. You will work directly with production associates and operations leadership to develop Standard Work Instructions (SWIs) that improve safety, quality, consistency, training, and productivity.

• Observe manufacturing operations and document current-state processes, work methods, material presentation, and installation practices.

• Collaborate with production associates and operations leadership to identify best practices and opportunities for standardization.

• Develop detailed, visual Standard Work Instructions for utility, rail, and municipal upfit builds.

• Establish standardized task sequences that support consistent quality, safe work practices, and efficient production.

• Validate work instructions with production teams and revise documentation based on feedback and observed results.

• Apply continuous improvement principles to help reduce rework, material waste, labor hours, and production inefficiencies.

• Create documentation that supports employee training, knowledge retention, and faster onboarding.

• Provide daily and weekly project updates and deliver monthly presentations to senior leadership.

• Maintain an organized portfolio of completed work instructions, project milestones, and improvement opportunities.

• Support additional manufacturing engineering and operational excellence projects based on business needs.

In This Internship, You Will Gain Experience With:

• Manufacturing engineering in an upfit production environment

• Standard Work Instruction development and process documentation

• Current-state process observation and analysis

• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles

• Quality, safety, productivity, and cost-improvement initiatives

• Workforce training and knowledge-retention tools

• Visual work instructions and technical documentation

• Project management, status reporting, and leadership presentations

• Cross-functional collaboration with production associates and operations leaders

You Will Be Exposed To:

• Utility, rail, and municipal product lines and manufacturing processes

• Production-floor operations and standardized build sequences

• Material presentation, installation practices, and workflow design

• Operational challenges affecting quality, labor efficiency, throughput, and material usage

• Collaboration between manufacturing engineering, production teams, and operations leadership

• The role of standardized work in supporting scalability, workforce flexibility, and employee development

• Presenting project milestones, accomplishments, and recommendations to senior leadership

Qualifications:

• Must be enrolled at an accredited college or university pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.

• Interest in manufacturing operations, process improvement, standardized work, and operational excellence.

• Ability to observe and analyze production processes and translate findings into clear, practical work instructions.

• Strong attention to detail, organization, follow-through, and time-management skills.

• Effective written, verbal, and visual communication skills.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

• Ability to work collaboratively with production associates, technical professionals, and operations leaders.

• Comfortable working in both professional office and active manufacturing environments.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and provide regular progress updates.

• Availability to work 40 hours per week, from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., during the summer internship period.