R&D Division Engineering Co-op - Research & Development Engineering

What you’ll do:

The Power Distribution & Controls Assemblies (PDCA) Engineering Co-op is a structured, three-term developmental assignment designed to provide an engineering student with progressive experience in product research and development, engineering design, product validation, digital engineering, and engineering process automation.

The co-op will gain exposure to both Research & Development (R&D) Engineering and Division Engineering functions while contributing to projects that support Eaton's strategic initiatives in power distribution and control assemblies.

The co-op will rotate through three connected assignments:

Spring Semester: R&D Engineering Foundations

The co-op will support product development activities for power distribution and control assemblies, including design analysis, engineering documentation, prototype development, product testing, and validation. The student will work alongside engineering teams to investigate product performance, support design improvements, evaluate new technologies, and contribute to engineering problem-solving activities.

Summer Internship: AI & Engineering Automation

The co-op will work with Division Engineering leaders to identify and implement opportunities to improve engineering efficiency through artificial intelligence, data analytics, and automation technologies. The student will evaluate existing engineering workflows, identify repetitive tasks suitable for automation, develop proof-of-concept AI solutions, analyze engineering data, and support deployment of digital tools that improve productivity and reduce non-value-added work.

Potential project areas may include:

•    AI-enabled engineering knowledge management
•    Automated generation of engineering documentation
•    Engineering data analytics dashboards
•    CAD and design process automation
•    Engineering workflow automation
•    Product configurator and ETO process enhancements
•    Predictive analytics and engineering metrics
•    Machine learning applications supporting engineering decision making

Fall Semester: End-to-End Innovation Capstone

The co-op will define, develop, and present a capstone project that delivers measurable business value through product innovation, engineering process improvement, or digital transformation. The project will combine knowledge gained from both R&D and Division Engineering assignments and demonstrate the student's ability to define a problem, analyze requirements, develop a solution, validate results, and communicate outcomes to engineering leadership.

The overall purpose of the program is to develop future engineering talent while generating tangible improvements in product performance, engineering effectiveness, digital capabilities, automation, innovation, quality, and customer value.

Approved work locations include the following PDCA facilities: Arden, NC, and Greenwood, SC.

Essential Functions:

A.    Support research and development activities associated with power distribution and control assembly products.
B.    Assist in product design, engineering analysis, prototype development, testing, and validation activities.
C.    Conduct engineering investigations, root cause analysis, competitive benchmarking, and technology evaluations that support product innovation.
D.    Analyze product performance data and laboratory test results to support design decisions and product improvements.
E.    Develop, maintain, and update engineering drawings, specifications, design documentation, reports, and technical presentations.
F.    Collaborate with R&D engineers, product line teams, manufacturing, quality, and systems engineering functions to solve engineering problems and execute development projects.
G.    Identify opportunities to improve engineering productivity through automation, artificial intelligence, and digital tools.
H.    Support development of AI-enabled solutions that automate engineering workflows, improve data accessibility, and reduce administrative burden on engineering teams.
I.    Assist with creation of engineering dashboards, analytics tools, workflow automations, and data visualization solutions using modern digital technologies.
J.    Evaluate and pilot emerging AI technologies that can be applied to engineering design, documentation generation, requirements management, knowledge retrieval, and project execution.
K.    Participate in engineering continuous improvement initiatives by documenting current-state processes, identifying inefficiencies, and recommending practical improvements.
L.    Manage assigned projects and action items through effective planning, execution, communication, and reporting.
M.    Develop and execute a capstone project delivering measurable improvements in product development, engineering productivity, quality, automation, or business performance.

Qualifications:

Basic (Required) Qualifications: 
•    Actively enrolled in an accredited bachelor’s degree program in electrical or mechanical engineering.
•    Completion of foundational university coursework appropriate to the student’s degree program. 
•    Ability to complete the full three-term co-op assignment consisting of a Spring semester, Summer internship, and Fall semester. 
•    Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc. 
•    Ability to work at the assigned location for the duration of the program. 
•    Ability to travel to another applicable facilities when required by the assignment.

•    Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher

Preferred Qualifications: 
•    Interest in electrical power systems, power distribution equipment, switchgear, switchboards, motor control centers, or industrial control systems.
•    Experience with engineering design software, CAD tools, simulation software, or product development activities.
•    Exposure to data analytics, programming, or software development.
•    Familiarity with Python, SQL, Power BI, Power Automate, Microsoft Copilot, AI tools, or other automation technologies.
•    Exposure to machine learning, generative AI, engineering analytics, or digital transformation initiatives.
•    Experience using structured problem-solving methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, Design Thinking, or Engineering Design Processes.
•    Strong curiosity regarding emerging technologies and their application to engineering and business challenges.

Skills:

Position Criteria: 
•    Demonstrated interest in engineering systems, digital tools, automation, continuous improvement, or engineering process development.
•    Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills.
•    Ability to organize and interpret data and communicate meaningful findings.
•    Ability to learn unfamiliar engineering processes and software applications.
•    Effective written and verbal communication skills.
•    Ability to manage assignments, action items, and deadlines across multiple project activities.
•    Curiosity, initiative, and willingness to challenge the current state constructively.
•    Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Teams, and SharePoint.