Hands-On Automation/Controls Intern

Steel Dynamics, Inc; Columbus (MS); On-site; USD 25,000 - 34,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Furnished housing

Company 401(k) match

Employee discounts

Competitive hourly wages

Intern Extravaganza

Job summary

Steel Dynamics, Inc. in Columbus, MS offers an Automation/Controls Engineering Internship for the 2026-2027 school year. The role blends office-based engineering work with hands-on production-floor experience, enabling you to apply principles to equipment, systems, and processes.

You will design, test, and implement solutions under mentorship, participate in outages and commissioning, and develop documentation while collaborating with operators and maintenance teams.

Qualifications

• 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 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 and operating procedures.
• Assist with automation hardware selection, specification, and implementation for equipment upgrades and new projects.
• Support troubleshooting 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 outages, upgrades, start-ups, and commissioning activities by executing test plans.
• Create and maintain backups following change management procedures.
• Collaborate with operators, electricians, mechanics, maintenance, IT, and production teams to implement automation improvements.
• Document troubleshooting activities and project outcomes for knowledge transfer.

Skills

Programming principles

Troubleshooting

Teamwork

Automation interest

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Automation/Controls Engineering, or related field

Job description

Steel Dynamics, Inc. in Columbus, MS offers an Automation/Controls Engineering Internship for the 2026-2027 school year. The role blends office-based engineering work with hands-on production-floor experience, enabling you to apply principles to equipment, systems, and processes.

You will design, test, and implement solutions under mentorship, participate in outages and commissioning, and develop documentation while collaborating with operators and maintenance teams.