Product Development Co-op - Year-Round R&D in Belting

Continental Industry; Halstead (KS); On-site; USD 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Co-op

Mentorship by experienced engineers

Hands-on manufacturing exposure

Opportunities across multiple semester

Job summary

Continental invites a driven mechanical engineering student to join our Product Development team as a year‑round co-op at the Halstead, Kansas facility. You will assist design, testing, and optimization of rubber belting products used across agricultural applications, gaining exposure to calendering, extrusion, and curing processes.

You will collaborate with engineers and cross‑functional teams to evaluate belt performance, improve designs, and contribute to durability and efficiency

Qualifications

• Pursuing a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering with sophomore standing and a 2.8+ GPA.
• Fundamental knowledge of mechanical design, materials, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with CAD software (SolidWorks, AutoCAD or similar).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities.
• Legal eligibility to work in the United States; no visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Assist design and development of rubber belting products and components.
• Support product testing and validation (tensile strength, adhesion, wear, durability).
• Collect, analyze, and report test data and performance results.
• Create/update CAD models, technical drawings, and product specifications.
• Participate in prototype development and manufacturing trials.
• Assist with root-cause analysis of failures or quality issues.
• Support continuous improvement of product design and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and operations to ensure producibility.
• Document findings and present reports to engineering leadership.

Skills

CAD software proficiency

Analytical skills

Data interpretation

MS Office

Communication & teamwork

Mechanical design understanding

Manufacturing processes familiarity

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Sophomore standing with 2.8+ GPA

Tools

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

Job description

Continental invites a driven mechanical engineering student to join our Product Development team as a year‑round co-op at the Halstead, Kansas facility. You will assist design, testing, and optimization of rubber belting products used across agricultural applications, gaining exposure to calendering, extrusion, and curing processes.

You will collaborate with engineers and cross‑functional teams to evaluate belt performance, improve designs, and contribute to durability and efficiency