Purdue Applications Engineering Co-op

Title: Purdue Applications Engineering Co-op Location: Lafayette, IN, USA Posted Date: 2026-09-14

About the location: Lafayette, IN is located approximately 60 miles from the state's capital, Indianapolis, and is the home to Purdue University.  Our Lafayette location has been continuously running in Lafayette community since 1938.  We are an Aluminum Extrusions plant for Aerospace, Automotive, Industrial and Defense facility. 

ABOUT ARCONIC  Arconic Corporation is a leading provider of aluminum sheet, plate and extrusions, as well as innovative architectural products, that advance the automotive, aerospace, commercial transportation, industrial and building and construction markets. Building on more than a century of innovation, Arconic helps to transform the way we fly, drive, and build.   

Basic Qualification: •    Working on Bachelor’s Degree in Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and/or Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University •    Minimum 1 year of engineering coursework completed •    Involvement in at least 1 extracurricular activity (school club, part-time employment, etc.) •    Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This position requires access to controlled technology, as defined in the Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. §730, et seq.) and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Qualified candidate must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the relevant government agency. Business demands may require employer to proceed with candidates who are immediately eligible to access controlled technology.   Preferred Qualifications •    2+ years of engineering coursework completed •    Experience with metallurgical research and/or production •    Basic understanding of materials characterization techniques, particularly optical and scanning electron microscopy  

Essential Functions: •    Coordinate material, product, and/or process qualifications per customer test plans •    Support product and process development efforts on the manufacturing floor •    Acquire and Analyze production data to identify areas for change and improvement •    Work in partnership with the Metallurgical and Quality Systems (MQS) team to resolve customer quality issues •    Collaborate with commercial teams on reviewing new business opportunities   Working alongside professionals in their field, Arconic co-ops have the opportunity to sharpen their skills by applying their education to real-world complexities through hands-on learning. A co-op with Arconic will provide you with invaluable experience that you could utilize in any role, and it is Arconic’s goal to evaluate its co-op associates for potential entry-level openings, although full-time employment after completion of the program is not guaranteed.

The Arconic Co-Op program requires that a student spend two semesters employed in a full-time capacity at one of our locations. Arconic prefers that the student alternates between education and employment so the student can build off what they’ve learned in school and what they’ve experienced working with Arconic.   An Engineering co-op associate will be assigned as a manager and a mentor for each rotation. They may or may not be the same for both rotations. The students will work at times in an office environment and other times in a manufacturing environment with varying temperatures. The associate will work with other like Engineering employees working on projects that have a real impact on the business. Other day-to-day aspects of engineering work at our facility may include assisting with maintenance, repairs, project planning, and other tasks as assigned.  

Basic Qualification: •    Working on Bachelor’s Degree in Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and/or Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University •    Minimum 1 year of engineering coursework completed •    Involvement in at least 1 extracurricular activity (school club, part-time employment, etc.) •    Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This position requires access to controlled technology, as defined in the Export Administration Regulations (15 C.F.R. §730, et seq.) and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Qualified candidate must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the relevant government agency. Business demands may require employer to proceed with candidates who are immediately eligible to access controlled technology.   Preferred Qualifications •    2+ years of engineering coursework completed •    Experience with metallurgical research and/or production •    Basic understanding of materials characterization techniques, particularly optical and scanning electron microscopy  

Essential Functions: •    Coordinate material, product, and/or process qualifications per customer test plans •    Support product and process development efforts on the manufacturing floor •    Acquire and Analyze production data to identify areas for change and improvement •    Work in partnership with the Metallurgical and Quality Systems (MQS) team to resolve customer quality issues •    Collaborate with commercial teams on reviewing new business opportunities   Working alongside professionals in their field, Arconic co-ops have the opportunity to sharpen their skills by applying their education to real-world complexities through hands-on learning. A co-op with Arconic will provide you with invaluable experience that you could utilize in any role, and it is Arconic’s goal to evaluate its co-op associates for potential entry-level openings, although full-time employment after completion of the program is not guaranteed.

The Arconic Co-Op program requires that a student spend two semesters employed in a full-time capacity at one of our locations. Arconic prefers that the student alternates between education and employment so the student can build off what they’ve learned in school and what they’ve experienced working with Arconic.   An Engineering co-op associate will be assigned as a manager and a mentor for each rotation. They may or may not be the same for both rotations. The students will work at times in an office environment and other times in a manufacturing environment with varying temperatures. The associate will work with other like Engineering employees working on projects that have a real impact on the business. Other day-to-day aspects of engineering work at our facility may include assisting with maintenance, repairs, project planning, and other tasks as assigned.