RD Engineering Intern Machinery Material Performance

Vizor; New York (NY); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Free snacks and meals

Hands-on engineering experience

Fortune 500 customers exposure

Job summary

Vizor, a Brooklyn Navy Yard-based material coating company, seeks a Mechanical or Chemical Engineering student for a hands-on internship. The role centers on operating and optimizing industrial lab-scale equipment to understand how material properties drive machine configurations.

You will run trials with high-shear mixers, mills, and homogenizers, adjusting variables and documenting results, with on-site work 2–3 days per week and exposure to Fortune 500 customers.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering.
• Hands-on experience operating shop tools, lab equipment, or industrial machinery.
• Proficiency in Excel for data tracking and disciplined scientific method.

Responsibilities

• Operate processing equipment including high-shear mixers, mills, and homogenizers.
• Adjust speed, pressure, temperature, and dwell time to optimize configurations.
• Record and organize performance metrics and material properties across trials.
• Assist setup, teardown and calibration of equipment and maintain instrument accuracy.
• Investigate failures and propose changes to resolve inconsistencies.

Skills

Shop tools

Lab equipment

Excel proficiency

Education

BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering

Job description

ABOUT THE COMPANY

VIZOR is a material coating technology company with offices in NYC and NJ. The company has created a suite of active ingredients and specialty raw materials that go into various consumer goods. The team is comprised of some of the leading technical minds in personal care with over 50 years of combined experience in the industry.

THE MISSION

We are looking for a Mechanical or Chemical Engineering student who finds their flow in the "scientific grind." At Vizor, we develop high-performance industrial materials where success isn't just about the right formula—it's about the right configuration.

This is a hands-on role for an engineer who wants to master the relationship between raw material properties and machinery mechanics. You won't just be watching; you will be operating, tweaking, and optimizing.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Iterative Machinery Operation: Execute the processing of various raw materials through industrial and lab-scale equipment, including high-shear mixers, mills, and homogenizers.
• Process Optimization & Configuration: Conduct systematic trials by adjusting equipment variables—such as speed, pressure, temperature, and dwell time to identify the ideal configuration for desired material outcomes.
• Technical Data Management: Meticulously record and organize performance metrics and physical properties across multiple trials to identify trends and ensure process repeatability.
• Mechanical Maintenance & Calibration: Assist in the setup, teardown, and cleaning of processing equipment; perform routine calibrations to ensure instrument accuracy.
• Root-Cause Analysis: Investigate mechanical or material failures during the production process and propose configuration changes to resolve inconsistencies.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

We are looking for a specific mindset that thrives on the "trial and error" nature of R&D:

• The "Tinkerer" Spirit: You have a natural mechanical intuition. You're the person who wants to take things apart to see how they work and put them back together even better.
• Resilient Repetition: You understand that world-class engineering requires running the same experiment 50 times with 50 different micro-adjustments. You don't find this boring; you find it necessary to achieve perfection.
• Problem-Solving Obsession: When a material behaves unexpectedly or a machine configuration fails, you stay engaged until you find the "ideal state" where the equipment and the material are in perfect sync.
• Self-Motivated: You take pride in a clean lab and a perfectly calibrated machine. You notice what needs to be prepped for the next trial and take the initiative to get it done.

REQUIREMENTS

• Education: Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related scientific field.
• Hands-on Skillset: Previous experience (or a strong desire to learn) operating shop tools, lab equipment, or industrial machinery.
• Analytical Skills: Proficiency in Excel for data tracking and a disciplined approach to the scientific method.
• Availability: Able to work on-site at our facility in the Brooklyn Navy Yard (near Dumbo).

COMPENSATION & PERKS

• $18 per hour for 2-3 days per week.

• 8-week program, potentially longer depending on project requirement

• Free office snacks and occasional free breakfasts & lunches

• Excellent opportunity to get hands-on engineering and lab experience with a company that has customers in the Fortune 500