Engineering Intern

Designformaking; Idaho Falls (ID); On-site; USD 21,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Design For Making offers a hands-on, supervised internship in Idaho Falls, working alongside engineers, machinists, fabricators, and assemblers on real custom automation projects.

You will contribute to the full project arc, learning how design decisions affect machining, fabrication, assembly, testing, installation, and commissioning. Onshape is used as the primary design platform, with guidance from senior engineers.

Qualifications

• Enrollment in mechanical/ manufacturing/ mechatronics or related program, or equivalent shop/CAD experience.
• Foundational 3D CAD and mechanical drawing skills; experience with Onshape, SolidWorks or Fusion helpful.
• Willingness to work hands-on in manufacturing and assembly, not only at a desk.

Responsibilities

• Design brackets, fixtures, guards, frames, simple mechanisms, and sub-assemblies for real automation projects.
• Assist with conveyors, tooling and material-handling components as skills develop.
• Create Onshape models, assemblies, drawings, and BOMs with reviewed revisions.

Skills

3D CAD

Mechanical drawing

Hands-on work

Clear communication

Education

Enrollment in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechatronics, engineering technology, or related program

Tools

Onshape

SolidWorks

Fusion 360

Job description

Design For Making builds custom robotic cells and automation for production lines. Interns work in the same Idaho Falls shop as the engineers, machinists, fabricators, and assemblers—not on a separate, hypothetical project track.

This is a supervised design-and-build internship. Working under the direction of a senior engineer or assigned design lead, you will contribute to real custom automation projects, then get on the shop floor and help build, test, and improve the equipment you helped design. This is not a drafting-only or CAD-only internship.

You will work from clear assignments, receive coaching and regular design reviews, and have your designs reviewed before release. You will learn DFM’s standards while seeing how design decisions affect machining, fabrication, assembly, testing, installation, and reliable operation. We use Onshape as our primary mechanical design platform.

You will work on

• Brackets, fixtures, guards, frames, simple mechanisms, and assigned sub-assemblies for real custom automation and robotic cells
• Conveyors, tooling, material-handling components, and other equipment as your skills develop
• Onshape models, assemblies, manufacturing drawings, and BOMs, with reviewed revisions and organized design documentation
• Hands-on shop-floor manufacturing, fit-up, mechanical assembly, and build preparation alongside engineers, machinists, fabricators, assemblers, and controls engineers
• Build and fit-up troubleshooting; help return approved shop and field changes to CAD, drawings, and BOMs
• Guided participation in build, debug, FAT, SAT, installation, and commissioning alongside senior engineers. You will contribute to the full project arc without being expected to own a complete machine independently
• Occasional travel to customer sites may be available to support installation, SAT, and commissioning with the project team.

Must have

• Enrollment in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechatronics, engineering technology, or a related program—or equivalent practical shop/CAD experience
• Foundational 3D CAD and mechanical drawing skills; SolidWorks, Fusion, Onshape, or similar experience is welcome, with Onshape experience helpful but not required
• Willingness and ability to work hands-on in manufacturing and assembly, not only at a desk
• Ability to accept direction and feedback, ask useful questions, and communicate clearly about progress, problems, and safety concerns
• Interest in designing parts and assemblies that can actually be fabricated, assembled, maintained, and operated

Nice to have

• Mill, lathe, welding, fabrication, or mechanical assembly experience
• Onshape parts, assemblies, drawings, configurations, or version-control experience
• GD&T, engineering prints, or DFMA coursework
• Exposure to robots, pneumatics, motion systems, conveyors, or machine safety

What's great about the job

• On-site in Idaho Falls
• Full-time internships follow the shop’s 4/10 schedule
• Learn from senior engineers on real custom automation and robotics projects
• See your design work become physical equipment, then help build and improve it
• Guided exposure across design, manufacturing, testing, installation, and commissioning—not drawing-only work
• Small team; your parts show up on a machine

Who this is for

You like making things and want to understand why a design works on the shop floor—not just on the screen. You ask whether a machinist can make a part, whether it will assemble, and what might fail first.

You take direction and feedback, ask questions, learn from machinists and technicians, and are willing to pick up tools and help turn your work into a working machine.