Automation Controls Intern – Hands-on PLC & HMI

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer, an aerospace company headquartered in San Jose, CA, invites a motivated intern to join the Automation Controls Engineering team for a hands-on learning experience. You will help design, assemble, and debug equipment, enhance HMI screens, and make supervised PLC changes for high-volume production lines.

You will also document work, support design reviews, and collaborate with engineers to drive process improvements.

Qualifications

• Sophomore or Junior in Electrical/Mechanical/Mechatronics or CS.
• Experience with PLC programming and structured logic.
• Familiarity with HMI GUI design or Python scripting; Ignition is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support design, assembly, and debugging of equipment and small-scale builds.
• Develop and modify HMI screens using Ignition to improve operator experience.
• Assist with installation, commissioning, and qualification of new production equipment.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to troubleshoot production lines.
• Create technical documentation and organize Confluence pages.
• Participate in design reviews to learn machine safety and hardware standards.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI design

Python scripting

Ignition

SQL basics

Structured logic

Reading electrical schematics

Education

Sophomore/Junior in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, CS

Tools

Ignition

AutoCAD Electrical

E-Plan

Confluence

Job description

Archer, an aerospace company headquartered in San Jose, CA, invites a motivated intern to join the Automation Controls Engineering team for a hands-on learning experience. You will help design, assemble, and debug equipment, enhance HMI screens, and make supervised PLC changes for high-volume production lines.

You will also document work, support design reviews, and collaborate with engineers to drive process improvements.