Intern - Industrial Automation (Ignition / Water Systems Integration)

Bachem AG•Torrance, CA

22h

About The Position

Bachem’s 10-week Summer Internship Program offers undergraduate and graduate students a hands-on introduction to the pharmaceutical industry at one of the world’s leading, innovation-driven companies specializing in the development and manufacture of peptide and oligonucleotide based active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and related products. Designed to provide meaningful, real-world experience, this program allows interns to apply academic knowledge in a collaborative, research-focused environment while working alongside experienced industry professionals. Throughout the internship, participants will contribute to impactful projects, build technical and professional skills, and gain insight into Bachem’s scientific excellence, quality-driven culture, and global operations. At Bachem, people are at the heart of innovation. The organization fosters a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance culture where employees and interns alike are encouraged to learn, grow, and make a meaningful impact on global healthcare. The program will run for 10 weeks. Session 1: May 26 - August 14 (California State University Track). Session 2: June 22 – September 11 (UC Track). All selected interns will be required to obtain their own housing, travel, and transportation accommodations for the full duration of the internship program. If you’re ready to be part of a forward-thinking team and take your career to the next level, we can’t wait to welcome you to Bachem’s next internship for Summer 2026! This internship is within the Engineering Department.

Requirements

Pursuing a degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, or Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
Minimum GPA 3.0 or higher
Able to start on either May 26th or June 22nd
Ability to complete the consecutive 10 week internship
Must have work authorization in the United States at the time of hire and maintain ongoing work authorization during employment.

Nice To Haves

No prior experience with any of the specific tools or systems is expected. Most interns come in having never touched SCADA, Ignition, or industrial instrumentation — that's fine. What matters is the willingness and ability to pick things up quickly and work independently between check-ins.
Some programming experience in any language (Ignition scripting uses Jython, which is close to Python).
Coursework or exposure to SCADA, PLCs, HMIs, or industrial controls.
Familiarity with SQL or relational databases.
Any prior exposure to Inductive Automation Ignition (Perspective, Reporting module, Tag Historian).
Background in instrumentation, process control, or water/wastewater systems.
Comfort talking with facilities and maintenance staff to gather requirements.
Familiarity with Programmable Logical Controllers (Allen Bradley).

Responsibilities

Field research and requirements gathering. Interview facilities and maintenance staff to determine what data they need, how often, and in what format. Walk the plant to understand the physical systems and instrumentation involved.
Design specification. Update the existing design specification to reflect the agreed scope, data points, report content, distribution list, and integration architecture.
Build the Ignition application. Configure tags, historian, and any required database tables. Build out Perspective views, reports, and the scheduled distribution mechanism. Integrate with existing network-connected water system instrumentation.
Test plan. Write a formal test plan covering functional, integration, and user-acceptance criteria. Execute it with the senior automation engineer and document results.
Handoff. Produce final documentation and give a wrap-up presentation to the engineering and facilities teams.