Undergraduate Intern – Mechanical Engineering/Automation and Controls

About the role

NLR is seeking a part-time undergraduate intern to support ongoing research and operational activities at the High Flux Solar Furnace (HFSF).

Responsibilities

• Assisting engineering staff with setting up and executing thermal tests on experimental hardware, utilizing principles of hardware testing in extreme environments (similar to aerospace or collegiate-level rocket/payload testing).
• Supporting efforts to transition manual laboratory setups to automated operations, specifically assisting with the implementation and testing of closed-loop PID temperature control systems.
• Data Acquisition (DAQ) Support: Helping to configure, calibrate, and troubleshoot DAQ instrumentation using LabVIEW and National Instruments (NI) hardware to monitor furnace sensors (drawing on experience with automotive or team-based DAQ setups).
• CAD and Mechanical Design: Utilizing SolidWorks to draft and model custom mounting brackets, sensor fixtures, and structural components for the furnace.
• Software and Interface Development: Assisting with script writing and the development of basic web-based monitoring tools using Python, Django, and React to display real-time data from HFSF instrumentation.

Requirements

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average
• Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months.
• Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months.
• Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled as an undergraduate pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field.
• Experience with SolidWorks is highly desired/required.
• Hands-on academic or project experience with LabVIEW and National Instruments (NI) DAQ hardware.
• Experience with basic scripting in Python.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified SolidWorks Professional (CSWP) designation is highly preferred.
• Hands-on experience designing and building closed-loop PID temperature control systems using LabVIEW and National Instruments (NI) DAQ hardware.
• Experience developing data acquisition (DAQ) systems.
• Background in hardware testing for extreme environments.
• Familiarity with full-stack software development and frameworks (specifically Python, Django, etc.) for system monitoring or data visualization.
• Experience with signal processing or hardware decoding systems (e.g., DTMF decoding).