Undergraduate Intern – Mechanical Engineering/Automation and Controls

About the role#

This is a part-time undergraduate internship supporting research and operational activities at the High Flux Solar Furnace (HFSF). You will work under the guidance of experienced engineering staff to assist with daily laboratory operations, experimental thermal testing, and the modernization of facility hardware.

What you'll do#

• Assist engineering staff with setting up and executing thermal tests on experimental hardware.
• Support efforts to transition manual laboratory setups to automated operations, including the implementation of closed-loop PID temperature control systems.
• Configure, calibrate, and troubleshoot DAQ instrumentation using LabVIEW and National Instruments hardware.
• Use SolidWorks to draft and model custom mounting brackets, sensor fixtures, and structural components.
• Assist with script writing and the development of basic web-based monitoring tools using Python, Django, and React to display real-time data.

What you'll need#

• Current enrollment as an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Environmental Engineering, or Computer Science.
• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
• Hands-on academic or project experience with LabVIEW and National Instruments (NI) DAQ hardware.
• Experience with SolidWorks.
• Experience with basic scripting in Python.

Location & details#

• Location: Golden, Colorado.
• Work Modality: On-site.
• Term: Rolling.
• Employment Type: Full-time (20 hours per week).
• Note: All candidates must be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card, which includes a background investigation. Employment is conditional on the ability to obtain work authorization and facility access from the Department of Energy.