Development Scientist Intern

Koch • Auburn Hills, MI

2d

About The Position

Guardian Glass is seeking a Development Scientist Intern to join its research and development organization. The intern will work with the Glass Technology and Development group, partnering with an experienced scientist to learn about glass, vacuum coatings, and test methods. The role offers daily interaction with product development, process development, and product testing and validation teams, and may provide an opportunity to observe work translated into production at a global site.

Specific responsibilities will depend on the intern’s background and current business needs. Potential projects include thin-film deposition and characterization, testing coating processes and technologies, developing test methods, applying AI to research, investigating coating response to heat treatment, creating software for product changeovers and optical models, characterizing polymer protective coatings, improving product durability and manufacturability, and modeling bird interactions with glass.

The internship is with Guardian Glass, a global manufacturer of float, value-added, and fabricated glass products and solutions. The company describes a culture that encourages entrepreneurship, constructive challenge, respect, and humility.

Requirements

• Pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, physics, engineering, or a related technical field.
• Eligible for full-time employment by Summer 2029.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
• Experience communicating technical information, results, or ideas through written, verbal, or presentation formats.
• Experience independently planning and executing projects, including prioritizing activities and using available resources to achieve project objectives.
• Demonstrated critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience using AI-enabled and other digital tools to support work, academic, or project activities.

Responsibilities

• Deposit and characterize thin-film layer materials to study how deposition conditions and material properties affect heat-treatment response and durability.
• Test process technologies, such as ion beam assist or high-power impulse magnetron sputtering, to assess their effects on coating behavior.
• Develop test methods to improve understanding of coating materials and support transfer of processes from development to production and between production sites.
• Develop methods for applying AI in research to derive knowledge from data and information more efficiently.
• Identify factors controlling coating response to heat treatment by comparing production and development conditions and conducting systematic experiments.
• Learn and apply thin-film and materials characterization techniques, including temperature-dependent stress measurement, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), ellipsometry, spectral reflection and transmission, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Create software to make product changeovers more efficient and enable deployment of optical models into production.
• Characterize polymer protective-coating processes and behavior to improve manufacturing efficiency.
• Identify and develop processes that enhance durability and improve product manufacturability.
• Model interactions between birds and glass to improve understanding of avian vision and the effectiveness of bird-deterrent products.
• Communicate technical information, results, or ideas in written, verbal, or presentation formats.
• Plan and execute projects independently, prioritize activities, and use available resources to achieve project objectives.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Flexible spending and health savings accounts.
• Life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment (ADD) coverage, and disability coverage.
• Retirement benefits.
• Paid vacation and time off.
• Educational assistance.
• May include infertility assistance, paid parental leave, and adoption assistance; eligibility and availability may vary by region.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern