Process & Mechanical Engineer Intern

Blount Fine Foods•Fall River, MA

About The Position

This Winter Term internship provides experiential learning that connects classroom concepts to real-world applications and supports students’ professional readiness. Interns receive timely feedback, accessible supervision, bi-weekly meetings with the internship program lead, career-readiness assistance, and networking opportunities. The role collaborates with process and design engineering personnel to improve equipment, processes, products, and packaging quality. It includes establishing and monitoring performance metrics through data mining, analysis, and reporting; supporting asset-list and critical-spares work under a senior team member’s guidance; and applying quality-control methods such as statistical process control, inspection, and testing. The intern spends time on the production floor of a fast-paced USDA- and FDA-regulated food manufacturing facility and provides real-time project support for a multi-year facility expansion. The stated pay range is $24.00 per hour.

Requirements

Be a degree candidate in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
Have above-average mathematics skills and familiarity with statistics, including SPC and control charts.
Have a thorough knowledge of computers and their programs; AutoCAD is required.
Be proficient with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Be detail-oriented and have above-average organizational skills.
Be self-motivated and energetic, with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Be able to work and problem-solve, maintain a positive attitude toward continued learning, and support the overall business.
Be able to interact in a dynamic team environment and demonstrate tact and diplomacy with peers and management.
Be willing to adhere to the Quality Engineering Philosophy.
Follow applicable food-safety, employee-safety, GMP, SOP, allergen-control, and HACCP requirements.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency with MiniTab, Smart Draw, and Simscale is a plus.
Lean Six Sigma certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

Conduct a thermal efficiency audit and present recommendations for maximizing efficiency.
Work with management to identify business-process inefficiencies and determine ways to align processes with financial goals.
Evaluate and develop manufacturing processes using knowledge of products, processes, design, assembly, tooling, and materials; consult equipment vendors and solicit operator observations.
Improve manufacturing efficiency by analyzing and planning workflow, space requirements, and equipment layout.
Establish performance metrics and standards based on equipment and process capabilities, and monitor manufacturing processes against them.
Mine, analyze, summarize, and report performance and business data to identify issues, trends, and potential solutions.
Work with the Safety department on job safety analyses (JSAs).
Maintain, analyze, manage, and improve metrics; aggregate information; create dashboards; and prepare internal reports.
Provide technical assistance in identifying, analyzing, evaluating, and developing quality systems and procedures.
Report issues at set frequencies to appropriate departments to support continuous improvement and corrective and preventive actions.
Develop, implement, and maintain performance metrics, including trends in complaints, right-first-time product, product holds, yields, raw-material supplier performance inspections, and internal and external audit results.
Improve and define data-editing and standardization processes; monitor, document, and provide feedback on completed initiative controls.
Act as a liaison between departments and business partners, and assist with developing and implementing data-capture systems.
Monitor manufacturing standards and controls for soup and seafood products across receiving, staging, preparation, processing, packaging, storage, and shipping.
Conduct batch-control tests and product sampling, including SPC, to ensure processes remain in control; use sample data to create control charts and identify process shifts.
Support smooth process flow and maximize volume and efficiency while maintaining specifications and product quality.
Work with other departments to ensure appropriate techniques, staffing, training, and methods produce consistent, high-quality products.
Confer with engineers and other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information.
Interact with vendors or customers regarding technical or design issues.
Complete required paperwork accurately and honestly; follow corporate GMPs, SOPs, food-safety and employee-safety policies, and applicable allergen-control procedures.
Report suspicious packages, activities, and individuals; when monitoring CCPs, complete HACCP training and follow approved HACCP plans.
Perform other responsibilities of similar skill, working conditions, and responsibility as assigned.