Automation & Controls Engineering Intern — Hands-On Plant

Steel Dynamics, Inc.; Columbus (MS); On-site; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Furnished Housing Free of Cost

401(k) & Company Match

Employee Discounts

Employee Assistance Program

Intern Extravaganza

Competitive Pay

Job summary

Steel Dynamics, Inc. invites motivated students for an Automation/Controls Engineering Intern role at the Columbus, MS site. The internship blends office engineering work with hands-on production-floor experience, designing and testing solutions alongside operators and maintenance teams.

You will gain exposure to PLC/HMI programming, control-system documentation, and equipment upgrades, while collaborating with a broad team to implement improvements on real-world systems.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Automation/Controls Engineering, or a related field.
• Basic understanding of programming principles and troubleshooting methodologies.
• Strong interest in industrial automation, controls engineering, and manufacturing technology.
• Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented industrial environment.

Responsibilities

• Follow all safety policies, participate in risk assessments, and support lockout/tagout (LOTO) verification under supervision.
• Assist with PLC and HMI programming, testing, troubleshooting, and documentation for industrial automation systems.
• Support automation projects through programming, software development, and control system modifications under the guidance of engineering mentors.
• Develop and maintain control system documentation, including electrical schematics, network diagrams, operating procedures, and technical reports.
• Assist with automation hardware selection, specification, and implementation for equipment upgrades and new projects.
• Support troubleshooting efforts involving PLCs, HMIs, industrial networks, instrumentation, drives, and control system hardware.
• Work with Siemens automation platforms, including STEP 7 and TIA Portal.
• Support HMI and visualization updates and develop dashboards or reports.
• Assist with industrial networking activities and device communications troubleshooting.
• Participate in planned outages, equipment upgrades, start-ups, and commissioning activities by executing test plans and verifying system functionality.
• Create and maintain software, database, and configuration backups while following change management procedures.
• Collaborate with operators, electricians, mechanics, maintenance personnel, IT, and production teams to implement automation improvements.
• Document troubleshooting activities, standard work procedures, and project outcomes to support knowledge transfer and long-term system reliability.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Teamwork

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

STEP 7

TIA Portal

PLC programming

Job description

Steel Dynamics, Inc. invites motivated students for an Automation/Controls Engineering Intern role at the Columbus, MS site. The internship blends office engineering work with hands-on production-floor experience, designing and testing solutions alongside operators and maintenance teams.

You will gain exposure to PLC/HMI programming, control-system documentation, and equipment upgrades, while collaborating with a broad team to implement improvements on real-world systems.