Materials Engineering Intern

ZF Group • Northville, MI

23h • Onsite

About The Position

ZF is seeking a Materials Engineering Intern for its Materials Engineering Department in Northville, Michigan, for Winter Internship 2027. The intern will gain exposure to material technologies including polymers, metals, tribology, electronics, mechanical testing, corrosion, and non-destructive testing, and work with materials such as thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, lubricants, electronic materials, coatings, iron, steel, and aluminum. The role also involves exposure to processes such as extrusion, forming, heat treating, joining, soldering, welding, coatings, and platings.

The intern will support laboratory staff with routine work, testing, and equipment maintenance; collect and interpret data for R&D, warranty, and quality topics across ZF products; and prepare supervised technical reports to address customer concerns. The intern will also prepare specimens for failure analysis and materialography, using automated and semi-automated equipment, and use laboratory instruments to analyze polymer and organic materials.

Requirements

• Be enrolled full-time at an accredited university pursuing a degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Have advanced reading, mathematical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Be proficient with computers and various software applications.
• Be available to work fully onsite, 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday.

Nice To Haves

• Degree study in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or Materials Science is preferred.
• Materials laboratory testing experience is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Support Materials laboratory engineers and technicians with daily work, testing, and laboratory equipment maintenance.
• Collect testing data for R&D, warranty, and quality topics involving a variety of ZF products.
• Interpret test data and generate supervised technical reports to help solve customer concerns.
• Prepare specimens for failure analysis and materialography using automated and semi-automated equipment.
• Use laboratory equipment to test and analyze polymer and organic materials.

Benefits

• 401k Plan
• Health Care Benefits
• Supportive collaborative team environment
• Strong diversity culture
• Supportive Employee Groups and community outreach activities

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed