R&D Engineering Co-op

STERIS•Chicago, IL

1d•$23 - $27•Hybrid

About The Position

At STERIS, we help our Customers create a healthier and safer world by providing innovative healthcare and life science product and service solutions around the globe. Position Summary The R&D Engineering Co-op position will provide an opportunity to be exposed to the medical device field and offer hands on experience working within the Research & Development group in an engineering capacity. As a co-op in the R&D department, you will work with cross-functional product development teams and alongside experienced engineers, you will contribute to design solutions and the advancement of new product development projects. You will have the opportunity to use state of the art equipment and take advantage of training courses offered on-site. The position also works with existing products to make them more efficient and cost-effective while assisting in day- to day production. The co-op may be responsible for building test samples, compiling, analyzing and reporting data to establish performance standards for newly designed or modified products, processes or materials. Key Program Info: Duration: Summer-Fall 2026 (May-December) Location: Vernon Hills, IL Work Environment: Hybrid (3 days/week in-office) Hours: Full-time for the duration of your co-op

Requirements

Required: Enrolled in an accredited college/institution and be in good academic standing pursing a Bachelors or Masters degree in Engineering - Biomedical, Mechanical, Materials, or Industrial Engineering preferred
Strong working knowledge of MS Office software (Word, Excel, Access, & Outlook)
Basic CAD skills - Solidworks preferred
Clear written and oral communication skills required
Outstanding interpersonal skills, with the specific ability to work in cross-functional teams

Nice To Haves

Preference is for candidate to return for multiple co-op positions

Responsibilities

Undertake and successfully complete simple or basic project/product development tasks to include any of the following: building and evaluating product prototypes, developing and writing test methods, developing and documenting new product concepts/specifications
Attend and contribute to product development meetings, which may include representatives from Marketing, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Quality, and other functions
Create/invent new concepts and designs/approaches for new products/processes/test methods
Create new and revise CAD models and drawings in Solidworks
Design, procure and fabricate simple tooling and fixtures
Design and coordinate engineering tests and experiments
Work with quality and operations personnel to ensure ISO 13485 compliance
Communicate technical results/findings to a broad audience of varied technical expertise
Establish and maintain design history files for projects/products
Identify areas for improvement, suggests solutions and submits idea records