Contact Physics, Tribology & Plating Intern

TE Connectivity; Middletown Township (PA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onboarding & Orientation

Professional Development Workshops

Networking Opportunities

Operations Experience

Executive Exposure

Job summary

TE Connectivity offers an internship in the Middletown, PA area focused on materials science and tribology. The role involves learning fundamentals of materials, coatings, lubricants, and wear behavior while contributing to ongoing connector materials development projects.

Interns will document findings, present results, and collaborate cross-functionally. The program emphasizes professional growth, mentoring, and hands-on experience within TE’s internship framework.

Qualifications

• Pursuing or recent graduate in Materials Science, Mechanical Eng, Chemical Eng or related field.
• Hands-on tribology experience in a lab environment is preferred.
• Experience with plating or coating technologies is a plus.
• Familiar with lubricants formulation, characterization and evaluation.
• Knowledge of wear/friction testing, nanoindentation, SEM/EDS, FTIR or profilometry.
• Ability to document work clearly and present results.
• Collaborative team player with strong communication.
• GPA of 3.0 or higher in major.

Responsibilities

• Understand materials, contact physics, plating, lubricants and wear of materials.
• Support evaluations of process capabilities and material properties.
• Document findings and share project results in team presentations.
• Contribute ideas for development projects and drive tasks to completion.
• Work independently with initiative within a team setting.

Skills

Tribology methods

Lubricants knowledge

Characterization techniques

Documentation & presentation

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor/Master/PhD in Materials Science or related

GPA 3.0 in Major

Tools

Laboratory equipment

Job description

At TE, you will unleash your potential working with people from diverse backgrounds and industries to create a safer, sustainable and more connected world. Connections matter. Make yours here. TE Connectivity is a global industrial technology leader creating a safer, sustainable, productive, and connected future. Our broad range of connectivity and sensor solutions enable the distribution of power, signal and data to advance next-generation transportation, renewable energy, automated factories, data centers, medical technology and more. With more than 85,000 employees. Learn more at www.te.com and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

Segment, Business Unit or Corporate Group

This position will be part of the GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY

Work Location

The location for this position is 2901 Fulling Mill Road, Middletown, PA 17057

Working In The Middletown PA Corporate Technology Team, The Successful Candidate Will Contribute To New Connector Materials Developments. You Will Be Expected To

• Have a basic understanding of materials, contact physics, plating, lubricants, wear of materials and familiarity with the use of tribological test equipment and methods.
• Support evaluations of process capabilities and material properties.
• Document findings & share project findings in team presentations.
• Contribute to ideation for development projects.
• Demonstrate initiative and the ability to work independently, taking ownership of assigned tasks and driving projects toward completion.

Qualifications

• Recent graduate or currently pursuing a master’s or Ph.D. degree in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related disciplines from an accredited college or university or have equivalent work history.
• Knowledge of, or hands‑on experience in applying tribological methods to materials science problems in a laboratory environment.
• Knowledge of, or hands‑on experience with, electroplating, electroless plating, metallization, surface modification, or other coating technologies.
• Knowledge of, or hands‑on experience with, lubricants—including formulation, characterization, selection and application, performance evaluation, and common failure modes would be a plus.
• Be familiar with typical characterization techniques such as wear/friction testing, scratch testing, nanoindentation, optical microscopy, SEM/EDS, surface profilometry, FTIR and contact angle measurements.
• Be able to maintain effective project documentation with good presentation and communication skills.
• Be capable of working collaboratively within a team environment.
• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in Major

Internships with our team are expected to result in the execution of a limited scope project. This project may be associated with larger programs or be stand‑alone. The work provides the opportunity for students to gain an appreciation of the ways that they can apply their academic background to commercially relevant problems, to better understand how to define project objectives and to learn about the scope of opportunities within TE Connectivity.

I&D

TE Connectivity and its affiliates are equal employment opportunity employers. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, pregnancy, protected veteran status, order of protection status, protected genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.

Competencies

Values: Integrity, Accountability, Inclusion, Innovation, Teamwork

Compensation

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience: $20.91 – 45.04/hour (subject to change dependent on physical location)
• Posted salary ranges are made in good faith. TE Connectivity reserves the right to adjust ranges depending on the experience/qualification of the selected candidate as well as internal and external equity.

What TE Connectivity Internship Program Offers

TE has a robust internship program that provides our interns with an abundance of resources to feel included as part of our Team. Every summer we coordinate various educational and networking events for our interns. The TE University Relations team will be hosting virtual meetups, information sessions, tours, skill building presentations, and topping it off with National Intern Day celebration activities. A unique employee resource group we have is the Young Professionals Employee Resource Group (ERG). This group is committed to creating a highly engaged and empowered cross‑functional network of young professionals by placing high value in Professional Development, Networking Opportunities and Community Involvement to drive the success of our interns. In addition to the ERG, we also provide our interns with complete access to our internal library of self‑lead courses. These courses include academies like leadership to help the interns develop their development in becoming future leaders at our organization. To help with their professional growth, we provide access to Mentors via our NAVIGATE platform. Mentors serve as a guide to navigate the organization and provide additional support in their career endeavors at the company. Our program provides a holistic experience for interns that targets professional development and personal growth. Our Internship Program Typically Runs May Thru August And Gives Students The Opportunity To Work On Projects That Contribute To Their Team And Build On Their Classroom Experience. Throughout The 10–12‑week Program, Interns Will Be Provided With

• Onboarding & Orientation
• Professional Development Workshops
• Networking Opportunities
• Operations Experience
• Executive Exposure

Timeline

TE Connectivity recruits on campus between September and March for New Grad (FT), Rotational, Internship and Co‑op positions beginning in May. Once you have applied to a position, your resume and application will be reviewed. If you are selected to move to the next step in the application process, you will be contacted by a recruiter. Once you accept an offer, the onboarding process will begin in January for interns who have committed to offers in the fall semester and upon acceptance for interns who have committed to offers in the spring semester.

EOE, Including Disability/Vets