Product Design & Manufacturing Engineering Internship

Farmvent; Ede; Remote; EUR 3,900 - 6,700; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Monthly internship allowance

Workshop access at WUR/ ROOTS Campus

Mentorship from engineers

Job summary

Farmvent is seeking a Mechanical/Industrial Design Engineering intern to take our vertical farming unit to production-ready status at the World Food Center in Ede. You will redesign hardware, create fabrication-ready drawings, and see parts built into units shipped to paying customers.

You will own subsystems from concept through first article, starting in September or January 2027 for 4–6 months. Responsibilities include redesigning for manufacturability, maintaining Fusion 360 models, creating

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a Dutch university (BSc or MSc).
• Solid 3D CAD skills (Fusion 360, Onshape or equivalent).
• Able to produce dimensioned drawings that a fabricator can build from.

Responsibilities

• Redesign the farm unit for manufacturability with fewer parts and faster assembly.
• Build and maintain the parametric CAD model of the full system.
• Produce production-ready drawings and DXF patterns for sheet metal and machined parts.
• Design and 3D print assembly jigs, fixtures, and functional prototype parts.
• Request and compare quotes from fabrication suppliers; manage BOM and cost metrics.
• Build a full prototype and document assembly issues; write clear work instructions.
• Feed field data back into next design revision.

Skills

Fusion 360

3D CAD

Industrial Design

Autonomy

Education

BSc/MSc Mechanical Engineering

Industrial Design Engineering

Manufacturing / Production Technology

Tools

Fusion 360

Onshape

Job description

We\'re looking for a Mechanical / Industrial Design Engineering intern to take our vertical farming unit toproduction-ready.

You\'ll redesign real hardware, produce the technical drawings that go to fabricators, and see your parts built into units that ship to paying customers.

This isn\'t a CAD-monkey role. You\'ll own the design of subsystems from concept to first article.

Starting : September or January2027

Duration:4–6 months

& World Food Center - ROOTS Innovation Campus - Ede

Compensation:Monthly allowance

Responsibilities.

• Redesign our current farm unit for manufacturability — fewer parts, fewer cuts, faster assembly
• Build and maintain the parametric CAD model (Fusion 360) of the full system
• Produce production-ready technical drawings and DXF flat patterns for sheet metal, extrusion, and machined parts
• Design and 3D print assembly jigs, fixtures, and functional prototype parts
• Request and compare quotes from laser cutting, bending, and powder coating suppliers
• Own the Bill of Materials: track cost per line, find substitutions, model cost at 1 / 10 / 50 / 100 units
• Build one full prototype unit yourself, time the assembly, and document every issue you hit
• Write the Work Instructions that our assembly team will actually use
• Feed field data from our installed units back into the next design revision

Must Have.

• Currently enrolled BSc or MSc student in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Design Engineering, Manufacturing / Production Technology, or a related field at a Dutch institution
• Solid 3D CAD skills — Fusion 360, Onshape, or equivalent
• Able to produce clean, dimensioned technical drawings that a fabricator can build from without calling you
• Available for 4–6 months
• Startup mindset: scrappy, proactive, results-driven
• Comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy
• You must remain enrolled at a Dutch higher education institution throughout the entire internship period

Nice to have.

• Sheet metal design experience — bend allowances, k-factor, relief cuts, flat patterns
• Familiarity with DFM / DFA principles
• Hands-on experience with 3D printing, laser cutting, or aluminium profile systems
• Experience requesting quotes from or communicating with suppliers
• Comfort with a screwdriver and tools— you like building the thing, not only drawing it only.
• PLM experience

What We Offer

• Real-world impact — Your drawings go straight to a fabricator and come back as parts in units at actual client locations. Not a theoretical exercise.
• Competitive compensation — Monthly internship allowance.
• Lead your own design — Full ownership of subsystems, from architecture through to first article inspection.
• Startup immersion — See firsthand how a product moves from CAD to shop floor to customer in a fast-paced agtech environment.
• WUR ecosystem access — Based at WUR Campus, with direct connections to founders, investors, and the broader university network.
• Cross-functional learning — Collaborate with plant scientists, business team, and clients. This is far more than drafting.
• Career launchpad — Over 90% of our interns transition into a paid role at Farmvent or within our network after graduation.
• Mentorship — Guidance from experienced engineers, with real design reviews on your work.
• Entrepreneurial skills — Build commercial acumen alongside your technical depth: cost modelling, supplier negotiation, and production planning.
• Purpose-driven mission — Contribute to sustainable food systems while building a portfolio of tangible, real-world hardware.

What\'s great in the job?

• Real ownership — You lead the redesign, not just support it. Your parts get made.
• Fast impact — Design on Monday, quote on Wednesday, part in your hands the following week. Startup speed beats corporate bureaucracy every time.
• A real workshop — Fusion 360 , 3D printers, laser cutting access, and units on the bench to take apart.
• Founder access — Work directly with leadership in a small team where your voice genuinely shapes decisions.
• Career launchpad — We\'re proud that over 90% of our interns transition into a paid role at Farmvent or within our network after graduation. This internship is genuinely the front door to a full-time career in agtech.
• Perfect timing — Onsite farming is exploding. Build deep expertise in a booming field right from the ground up.
• WUR ecosystem — Based at StartHub on Wageningen Campus & World Food Centre. Network with entrepreneurs, investors, and other innovators
• Engineering freedom — Question every part, every fastener, every cut. If you can prove it\'s better, we build it.
• Human scale — A small, passionate team with weekly celebrations and a culture where you\'re valued, not just a number.
• Inclusive culture — A collaborative team that actively values diverse perspectives and backgrounds.

AboutFarmvent

Farmvent is revolutionizing urban food production by bringing vertical farms directly into retail spaces and food service restaurants. We combine automation, IoT AI, and plant science to enable hyperlocal, sustainable food production at scale.

Our mission:Make fresh, locally-grown produce accessible everywhere while minimizing environmental impact.

We\'re proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team.

We\'re a small, passionate team moving fast. Here, your work goes straight to market, not into a drawer.

Start with the customer – find out what they want and give it to them.