Mechanical Engineer Intern (Starting Summer 2027)

About the Role

Dennis Group’s Mechanical Engineers design and implement mechanical systems as part of a broad engineering and architectural team in designing and building food and beverage production facilities. Specifically, HVAC, plumbing / utility, and fire suppression systems. Our mechanical team is involved with designing the mechanical systems, calculating space heat and cooling loads, determining and selecting equipment sizes, and vetting and selecting suitable vendors, suppliers, and sub-contractors.

Responsibilities

• Perform heating and cooling load calculations.
• Perform code reviews for HVAC/plumbing/fire protection designs.
• Perform mass energy balance calculations.
• Perform drainage and line loss calculations.
• Perform flow test (hydrant or other) analysis.
• Sanitary design considerations (layouts, process exhaust).
• PID Drafting.
• Bid packages: equipment and sub-contractor – bid list, scope of work, milestone schedule.
• Create mechanical schedules.
• Vendor shop inspection / FAT.
• Develop HVAC, plant utility, plumbing, and fire suppression systems.
• Assist in mechanical system design development and coordinate with other internal and external team members.
• Develop Mechanical / Utility equipment and construction specifications.
• Develop P&ID’s, equipment layout plans, plant / process utility distribution plans, and system details.
• Size and develop layouts for ductwork and piping plans.
• Assist with the development of the building management system (BMS) controls, details, and plans with electrical and controls engineers.
• Create project documents such as calculations, reports, and construction drawings and specifications, etc.
• Fixture selection.
• Perform construction administration in the form of submittal reviews, RFI responses, and field visits to verify construction scope is proceeding per the intent of the design.
• Research mechanical / utility materials and best practices.
• Support talent growth within our organization.

Requirements

• Sophomore, Junior, or Senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• HVAC and/or Utilities design experience is a plus.
• Familiarity with heat transfer, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics.
• Experience working with computer operations for engineering design programs and computer-aided drafting is preferable (AutoCAD, Revit, etc.).
• Understanding of the fundamental basics of performing calculations in areas of energy, drainage, line loss, etc.
• Past Mechanical experience in food and beverage, pharmaceutical, or other sanitary environments is a plus.
• Have a motivated and results-oriented attitude.
• Willing to travel to project sites – 25%.
• GPA: 3.0 or above.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

Travel

10-25% travel required to visit project sites and other offices.

About Us

We plan, design, engineer, and build food plants for major brands across the country and the world. For the past three decades, we’ve focused exclusively on the food and beverage industry, helping your favorite brands put your favorite foods in the grocery store. Simply put, food isn’t one thing we do, it’s all we do.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation packages.
• Comprehensive employee benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• Paid time off including an open vacation policy.
• Bonus, profit-sharing, and retirement plans.