Operations Summer Intern - Operations/Production Planning

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory•Cambridge, MA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is for students looking for engineering opportunities for Summer 2026. As a student in Production Planning, you will be exposed to a broad range of technical challenges where you can apply your knowledge as well as learn new skills while seeing how problems of national interest are solved. Your experience can range from applying engineering principles and best practices to lead process improvements to designing layouts and completing time studies on the manufacturing floor. While working under guidance, you will lead data-driven decision-making and new production initiatives. You will work directly with engineering, operations, and leadership teams to optimize manufacturing processes, improve efficiency, and support the launch of new production lines. This is a great opportunity for someone energetic and process-driven who wants real plant exposure, ownership, and strong career growth. You will also have the opportunity to interact with other teams such as materials management or metrology. Assignments are designed to develop a practical knowledge of processes, procedures, facilities, and systems. Assignments will also provide an opportunity to develop valuable networking connections which will help prepare and develop your skills for future career opportunities. Actual project tasks will depend on immediate program priorities.

Requirements

College student in Industrial Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
Must be a US citizen and enrolled in an accredited Engineering curriculum.
Enrolled in an accredited full-time undergraduate or graduate degree program required.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Excellent work ethic with the ability to work independently or in a team environment.
Ability to adapt to ever-changing environments, risks, and vulnerabilities.
Strong computer skills including MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
Must be a US citizen.
Applicants with dual citizenship may not be considered.

Responsibilities

Document scheduling procedures, update standard operating procedures (SOPs), and support schedule reporting for leadership.
Support continuous improvement efforts to streamline scheduling workflows, planning tools, and communication processes.
Assist in building, updating, and maintaining daily, weekly, and monthly production schedules based on manufacturing capacity, material availability, and demand priorities.
Analyze production data, historical performance, and capacity constraints to support schedule accuracy and feasibility.
Conduct time studies and data analysis to uncover bottlenecks.
Collaborate with supply chain to optimize material flow.
Analyze and improve business processes to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
Process development.
Continuous improvement.
Other duties as required.
Design, develop, and enhancement engineering solutions for challenging problems.
Implement, test, perform analysis, and provide documentation support.
Generate and present test reports including plots, tables, evaluation criteria, and conclusions from data collected and analyzed throughout the test process.
Complete assignments designed to develop a practical knowledge of processes, procedures, equipment, facilities, and systems as well as their interrelationships within engineering disciplines.
Performs other duties as assigned.