Sustaining Engineering Intern

Position Summary

The Sustaining Engineering Intern will support the Busbar Sustaining Engineering team in maintaining and improving released products throughout their lifecycle. Unlike new product development roles, this position focuses on solving real-world manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and product support challenges affecting existing products.

The intern will work closely with sustaining engineers, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and product engineering teams to investigate production issues, support engineering changes, improve product documentation, analyze recurring problems, and assist with continuous improvement initiatives.

This role provides hands-on exposure to engineering problem solving in an engineered-to-order (ETO) manufacturing environment and offers opportunities to contribute to product reliability, quality, manufacturability, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities Production & Manufacturing Support

• Assist sustaining engineers in investigating manufacturing and production-related issues.
• Support resolution of drawing discrepancies, BOM errors, and configuration issues.
• Participate in shop floor observations and data collection activities.
• Work with manufacturing teams to understand fabrication, assembly, and quality challenges.
• Help document and track recurring issues that impact production efficiency.

Engineering Change Management

• Support Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and Engineering Change Requests (ECRs).
• Assist with updating drawings, specifications, and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
• Verify engineering documentation for accuracy and completeness.
• Help maintain engineering records within PLM and ERP systems.

Root Cause Analysis & Quality Improvement

• Participate in structured problem-solving activities related to product and manufacturing issues.
• Assist in collecting and analyzing data to identify root causes.
• Support corrective and preventive action initiatives.
• Help track implementation and effectiveness of improvement actions. 

Continuous Improvement & Cost Reduction

• Support Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE) initiatives.
• Research opportunities to improve product quality, reduce cost, or simplify manufacturing processes.
• Assist with standardization and process improvement projects.
• Analyze engineering and operational data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and engineering teams to support business objectives.
• Participate in engineering reviews and project meetings.
• Assist with technical documentation and engineering reports.
• Communicate findings and recommendations to team members and stakeholders. 

Internship Project

• Complete a structured internship project focused on product improvement, manufacturing support, quality enhancement, or process optimization.
• Present project results, recommendations, and lessons learned to engineering leadership at the conclusion of the internship.

Qualifications Required

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in:
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • Manufacturing Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Related Engineering Discipline
• Completed sophomore year or higher.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment.

Preferred

• Exposure to manufacturing processes and engineering drawings.
• Familiarity with SolidWorks or similar CAD software.
• Coursework in:
  • Manufacturing Processes
  • Quality Engineering
  • Materials
  • Mechanical Design
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement concepts.
• Previous engineering project, internship, robotics, Formula SAE, or manufacturing experience.

Learning Opportunities

Interns will gain exposure to:

• Engineering Change Management
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
• ERP and BOM Management
• Root Cause Analysis
• Quality Systems and Corrective Actions
• Manufacturing Operations
• Product Reliability Improvement
• VAVE and Cost Reduction
• Cross-Functional Engineering Support
• Busbar Product Manufacturing and Design Processes

Success Measures

Successful interns will:

• Contribute to the resolution of active sustaining engineering issues.
• Demonstrate effective analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Support implementation of engineering changes and documentation updates.
• Deliver measurable improvements in quality, manufacturability, cost, or process efficiency.
• Successfully complete and present a sustaining engineering project with clear business impact.

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