Systems Engineering Intern

Franklin Electric•Fort Wayne, IN

About The Position

We are seeking a Senior-Level Systems Engineering Intern to support the development and sustainment of integrated water pumping systems. This role is designed for students who are ready to apply systems engineering principles —requirements, interfaces, system behavior, risk, and verification—to real, fielded products. The intern will work at the system level, bridging electrical, mechanical, controls, and application domains to understand how subsystems interact and how performance, reliability, and usability are achieved across the product lifecycle. This role is well suited for students pursuing a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering or senior-level undergraduates with strong systems coursework and interest in complex electromechanical systems.

Requirements

Pursuing a Master’s degree in Systems Engineering, or senior standing in Electrical, Mechanical, Controls Engineering, or a related field with strong systems emphasis
Solid understanding of systems engineering concepts, including: Requirements definition and flow-down, System interfaces and integration, Failure and risk analysis (e.g., DFMEA), Verification and validation, Use Case development
Strong analytical and system-level debugging skills
Understanding of control system principles, including PID concepts
Ability to clearly document and communicate system behavior and trade-offs

Nice To Haves

Experience with CODESYS-based controls development, including C and ladder logic programming
Proficiency with MATLAB and/or Python for system modeling, data analysis, or test result evaluation
Coursework or experience with electromechanical systems, including VFDs, motors, or pump systems
Familiarity with systems engineering methods, including requirements flow-down, failure analysis, and risk assessment (e.g., DFMEA)
Experience translating lab and field data into system-level insights and design recommendations

Responsibilities

Analyze and understand system-level requirements and how they flow down to motors, drives, controls, and mechanical subsystems
Support root cause analysis of field issues by evaluating system behavior across operating conditions, interfaces, and use cases
Identify and document system interactions and failure modes using structured methods (e.g., DFMEA, fault trees, causal analysis)
Evaluate potential corrective actions and design trade-offs, considering performance, robustness, risk, and user impact
Assist in defining and executing system verification and validation activities, including lab testing and field correlation
Provide system-focused feedback to improve technical documentation, manuals, and technical bulletins
Communicate findings in a clear, structured systems-engineering format to field engineers and cross-functional teams
Configure and evaluate VFD–motor–pump system behavior across different operating scenarios
Analyze control system behavior (e.g., stability, response, limits) in the context of overall system performance
Use lab testing to validate hypotheses about system interactions, not just component functionality
Support integration and system debug efforts that span controls, electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic domains