Engineering Co-Op

Southwire•Huntersville, NC

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The purpose of Southwire’s College Programs is to help early career professionals bring together formal learning and productive work to improve their ability to transition from school to work. Southwire provides interns and co-ops with “real world” applications of their academic studies, helpful feedback and coaching, and consideration for employment after graduation. Each student will have a variety of responsibilities and assigned projects that relate to their field of study and be responsible for developing a timeline, progress updates, and final delivery in a senior leadership expo. The Engineering Co-op supports daily plant operations and continuous improvement initiatives that move the cable manufacturing facility toward operational excellence. Working closely with process engineers, operations, maintenance, quality, and other cross-functional teams, the co-op will help troubleshoot production issues, analyze process performance, and implement practical solutions that improve safety, quality, reliability, throughput, and cost. The student will be given an individual project to prioritize throughout the summer that addresses a meaningful plant need and provides measurable operational benefit. The student will develop a project plan, balance the project with team-based priorities, independently drive assigned actions, and present results and recommendations at the end of the co-op term.

Requirements

AutoCAD experience
Minimum 2.5 GPA
Must be currently enrolled in an accredited college/university pursuing a degree in sustainability, engineering, science, business, or related field
Must have reliable transportation to and from work
Proven working experience in a team environment
Experience in systems thinking and process management
Strong organization, planning and analytical skills
Able to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
Co-ops will complete 3 rotations for a 1.5 year commitment.
The co-op will need to still be enrolled in school during these semesters to be eligible.
Ability to work 40-hour work weeks during rotation

Responsibilities

Demonstrate an self-motivated approach by taking initiative, following through on commitments, and proactively addressing assigned priorities and opportunities for improvement.
Support process engineers with projects that optimize cable manufacturing operations, including conductor processing, stranding, extrusion, cabling, screening, jacketing, testing, and material handling activities, as applicable.
Spend time on the production floor observing equipment and workflows, gathering data, and helping resolve safety, quality, downtime, and productivity concerns.
Assist with structured problem-solving and root-cause investigations using data, process observations, trials, and input from operators and maintenance personnel.
Collect, analyze, and summarize manufacturing data such as downtime, scrap, yield, speed, setup time, process variation, and overall equipment effectiveness.
Support continuous improvement efforts using tools such as 5S, standard work, visual management, time studies, process mapping, and basic Lean or Six Sigma methods.
Help plan, execute, and document process trials, equipment evaluations, product qualifications, and improvement experiments.
Create or update process sheets, work instructions, standard operating procedures, training materials, checklists, and technical reports.
Assist with equipment, tooling, fixture, layout, automation, and ergonomic improvement projects, including development of requirements and coordination with vendors when needed.
Participate in safety reviews, risk assessments, housekeeping initiatives, and corrective actions; follow all plant environmental, health, safety, and quality requirements.
Track project actions, schedules, risks, costs, and results, and communicate progress to plant stakeholders.
Collaborate professionally with production employees, supervisors, engineering, maintenance, quality, supply chain, and external suppliers or contractors.
Complete one or more individual projects with measurable objectives and present recommendations, results, and lessons learned at the end of the co-op term.