Materials Engineering Intern

ZF Group • Livonia, MI

4d • Onsite

About The Position

We are looking for a new colleague in the Materials Engineering Department at our location in Northville, Michigan starting Summer 2026. This internship offers exposure to diverse material technology types including polymers, metals, tribology, electronics, mechanical testing, corrosion, and non-destructive testing. You will work with various materials such as thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, lubricants, electronic materials, coatings, iron, steel, and aluminum, as well as diverse processes like extrusion, forming, heat treating, joining/soldering/welding, and coatings/platings. The role involves supporting Materials laboratory staff with daily work, including testing and lab equipment maintenance. You will collect testing data for R&D, warranty, and/or quality topics on ZF products, interpret data, and generate technical reports to solve customer concerns. Additionally, you will be responsible for the preparation of specimens for failure analysis and materialography using automated and semi-automated equipment, and utilize equipment such as SEM/EDS, FTIR, DSC, TGA, thermal chambers, hardness, and tensile testing for polymer and organic materials.

Requirements

• Enrolled full-time at an accredited university pursuing a degree in Engineering or related field (preferably Chemical Engineering or Chemistry, or Materials Science) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Advanced reading, mathematical, written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with computers and various software applications.

Nice To Haves

• Materials laboratory testing experience preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Support Materials laboratory staff (Engineers and Technicians) with daily work including testing and lab equipment maintenance.
• Collect testing data for diverse R&D, warranty, and/or quality topics on a variety of ZF products.
• Interpret data and generate technical reports (supervised) to solve customer concerns.
• Preparation of specimens for failure analysis and materialography using automated and semi-automated equipment.
• Utilize equipment such as SEM/EDS, FTIR, DSC, TGA, thermal chambers, hardness, tensile testing, etc. for polymer and organic materials.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern