Sustaining Engineer Intern - Grand Rapids Site

Socket.dev; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

Acron Aviation is offering a Sustaining Engineer Intern position in Grand Rapids, MI. You will support the lifecycle management of existing products, updating mechanical designs and documentation, and improving knowledge retention through traceability.

You will work alongside mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and test engineers to sustain housings, enclosures, and structural assemblies, while developing documentation and BOMs to support product releases and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Ability to work onsite in Grand Rapids, MI.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Update mechanical drawings, CAD models, and docs to reflect changes.
• Support housings, enclosures, brackets, and structural assemblies.
• Document fit, form, function, and electrical interfaces for product enclosures.
• Assist with vacuum-jacketed designs, insulation concepts, and materials.
• Revise BOMs, specifications, and released drawings.
• Research historical design decisions from change records and test data.
• Capture design rationale and constraints to aid knowledge retention.
• Organize and improve engineering documentation within document control systems.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve documentation gaps.
• Support production activities and continuous improvement efforts.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Analytical mindset

MS Office proficiency

Education

Pursuing Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

AutoCAD

Job description

Acron Aviation is seeking a Sustaining Engineer Intern to join our Recorders Engineering Team in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this role, you will support the ongoing lifecycle management of existing products by assisting with updates to mechanical designs, drawings, and technical documentation. You will contribute to sustaining and improving released hardware, including structural components, housings, enclosures, and PCB/CCA documentation, while helping preserve critical engineering knowledge through design traceability and documentation improvements.

This internship provides hands‑on experience working alongside mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, and test engineering professionals supporting aerospace and aviation products.

What You Will Do

• Update and maintain mechanical drawings, CAD models, and engineering documentation to reflect approved design changes and as‑built configurations.
• Support sustaining engineering activities related to mechanical housings, enclosures, brackets, and structural assemblies.
• Assist with the development, refinement, and documentation of product housings and enclosures, including fit, form, function, and electrical interface considerations.
• Support analysis and documentation activities associated with vacuum‑jacketed designs, insulation concepts, materials, and manufacturing methods.
• Revise and maintain mechanical bills of material (BOMs), specifications, and released production drawings.
• Research historical design decisions by reviewing engineering change records, specifications, qualification reports, test data, and legacy documentation.
• Capture and document design rationale, assumptions, and constraints to improve long‑term product support and knowledge retention.
• Assist with organizing, standardizing, and improving engineering documentation within configuration and document control systems.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional engineering teams to clarify design intent and resolve documentation gaps.
• Support production activities, problem‑solving efforts, and continuous improvement initiatives as needed.

Required Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Must be able to work onsite in Grand Rapids, Michigan during the internship period.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to analyze technical information and document findings clearly and accurately.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• This position may require access to information, technology, software, or hardware that is subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations. To comply with these requirements, applicants must qualify as a US Person

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with 3D CAD and drafting software such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or similar tools.
• Familiarity with mechanical drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and tolerance analysis concepts.
• Exposure to enclosure, housing, sheet metal, machined part, or structural assembly design.
• Understanding of thermal management concepts, insulation methods, or vacuum‑jacketed systems.
• Ability to research and synthesize information from drawings, specifications, engineering change documentation, and test reports.
• Experience working on engineering design projects through coursework, labs, internships, or extracurricular activities.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Acron Aviation is proud to be an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We are committed to treating all employees and applicants with respect and dignity and to maintaining a workplace free from unlawful discrimination. All applicants will be considered for employment regardless of race, color, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or other related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Additional Information:

Acron Aviation maintains a drug‑free workplace and conducts pre‑employment substance abuse testing and background checks, where allowed by law. Acron Aviation is an E‑Verify employer