Product Development Engineering Co-Op

Shape Corp. • Grand Haven Charter Township, MI

1d

About The Position

The Shape Corp student engineering program provides hands-on experience in an automotive product development environment. The Product Development Engineering Co-Op supports the design, development, analysis, testing, and launch of products while working alongside engineering and cross-functional teams. Across three semester-long rotations at Shape Corp, the student builds technical knowledge, takes on increasing project responsibility, and applies classroom learning throughout multiple stages of product development.

This position is available only to co-op students and is not structured as a single-semester internship. Candidates must be able and willing to complete three semester-long work rotations, alternating with academic terms according to their school’s co-op schedule. Continued participation in later rotations depends on successful performance, continued enrollment, and ongoing alignment with business needs.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree from an accredited program in Mechanical Engineering, Product Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a closely related field.
• Enrolled in, or eligible to participate in, an academic co-op program and able to complete three semester-long work rotations at Shape Corp.
• Minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale.
• Coursework or project experience involving engineering design, mechanics, materials, manufacturing processes, CAD, testing, or data analysis.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Able to work independently and contribute effectively within a cross-functional team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills, with attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

• Exposure to 3D CAD software such as CATIA, NX, Creo, or SolidWorks through coursework, student projects, or prior work experience.
• Familiarity with engineering drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, design for manufacturability, or product lifecycle management systems.
• Experience with prototyping, testing, data analysis, technical documentation, or structured engineering problem-solving.
• Participation in engineering design teams such as Formula SAE, Baja SAE, robotics, capstone design, or similar technical projects.
• Interest in automotive structures, lightweighting, product development, and advanced manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Assist with product design and development from concept through validation and production launch.
• Create, review, and revise engineering drawings, models, specifications, and other technical documentation using CAD and product lifecycle management tools.
• Support engineering calculations, tolerance analysis, design reviews, and evaluation of product performance against customer and internal requirements.
• Assist with prototype builds, test planning, validation activities, data collection, and analysis of test results.
• Participate in design failure mode and effects analysis, problem-solving, root-cause investigation, and corrective-action activities.
• Support selection of materials, manufacturing processes, and components, considering performance, quality, cost, timing, and manufacturability.
• Coordinate assigned project activities with Engineering, Program Management, Manufacturing, Quality, Test, Purchasing, and other teams.
• Track assigned deliverables, document project status, and communicate technical findings, risks, and recommendations.
• Participate in benchmarking, continuous improvement, and value engineering activities.
• Develop working knowledge across rotations and apply lessons from prior assignments to increasingly complex projects.
• Follow applicable safety, quality, customer, and engineering standards while performing assigned work.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the supervisor.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern