Automation Engineer Intern Jobs in Elmhurst, IL (NOW HIRING)

Description

At Sargent & Lundy, AI isn't a side experiment - it's how we're transforming 130+ years of engineering expertise into smarter, faster solutions for the power and energy sector. We're looking for an AI & Automation Intern who wants to be part of that - someone who sees a broken process or an unanswered question and immediately starts thinking about how to fix it. You'll join experienced engineers and data professionals on our Enterprise Data & Analytics team, contributing to real projects where AI and automation solve tangible problems in the power and energy sector.

This isn't about building models in a vacuum. You'll help us understand messy business problems, evaluate whether AI, automation, or a combination of both is the right fit, and then help build and test working solutions. You'll be expected to ask good questions, think critically about the tools and approaches you choose, and learn quickly in a fast-moving space.

The AI landscape has changed - agents, retrieval-augmented workflows, and AI-assisted development are no longer experimental. We want someone who's already leaning into these shifts and eager to apply them to real-world challenges.

What You'll DoUnderstand the Problem First

• Collaborate with team members and business stakeholders to understand challenges before jumping to solutions - learning how to translate a business need into a well-scoped technical approach.
• Ask clarifying questions, gather context, and help define what "success" looks like for a given project.

Build & Iterate on Solutions

• Contribute to the development of AI-driven solutions and automations using Python and modern frameworks, with guidance from senior team members.
• Help evaluate different approaches (AI, automation, hybrid) based on the problem at hand - not just default to the most complex option.
• Assist in building and testing notebooks, scripts, lightweight APIs, or workflow automations that deliver practical value.

Work with Data Thoughtfully

• Support data collection, cleaning, transformation, and feature engineering - learning to treat data prep as a critical problem-solving step.
• Help identify data quality issues, gaps, or biases and flag them with recommended next steps.

Use Modern AI Tools Effectively

• Use AI-assisted development tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, code generation models) as part of your daily workflow - while thinking critically about what they produce.
• Explore and contribute to agentic AI workflows, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) patterns, and prompt engineering as part of solution development.

Test, Learn & Communicate

• Help with solution testing, evaluation, and performance analysis - focusing on understanding results, not just reporting numbers.
• Participate in team discussions, bringing ideas, questions, and a willingness to challenge assumptions constructively.
• Contribute to documentation, reports, and presentations that explain what was tried, what worked, what didn't, and what you'd do differently.

This position offers the flexibility of a hybrid schedule with the expectation of 3 days per week in our downtown Chicago, IL office, and 2 days remote from home.

QualificationsWhat We're Looking ForMust-Have Skills & Experience

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science, or a related field.
• Problem-solving mindset - you can take an ambiguous question, break it into pieces, and make progress even when there's no clear playbook. You're comfortable with "I'll figure it out."
• Solid academic foundation in core technical areas (e.g., data structures & algorithms, linear algebra, probability/statistics).
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, data analysis, or application development.
• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts (supervised/unsupervised learning, regression, classification, clustering) and a basic sense of when each is useful.
• Experience with common Python libraries (e.g., NumPy, pandas, scikit-learn). Exposure to frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, or LangChain is a plus.
• Comfortable using AI-assisted development tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or similar) as a regular part of how you write and iterate on code.
• Familiarity with Git/GitHub and modern development workflows.
• Curious and coachable - you actively seek feedback, learn from mistakes, and adapt quickly.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills - you can explain your thinking clearly, not just your code.

Valued but Not Required

• Hands-on experience with agentic AI frameworks, RAG pipelines, or prompt engineering.
• Experience with data visualization (Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly) or interactive notebooks (Jupyter).
• Exposure to cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, or GCP) or development practices like CI/CD and containerization.
• Experience with automation or workflow tools (Power Automate, RPA, or scripting-based process automation).
• Participation in hackathons, side projects, research, or open-source work - especially examples where you identified a problem and built something to address it.
• A portfolio, GitHub profile, or project write-up that shows how you think through problems, not just what you shipped.
• Demonstrated initiative or ability to juggle academics, projects, and extracurriculars effectively.

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

Award-Winning Benefits

At Sargent & Lundy, we care about the health and well-being of our employees. Our commitment extends beyond the workplace, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off to support our team members in every aspect of their lives. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we are proud to provide competitive, award-winning benefits. Our dedication to employee satisfaction has earned us the prestigious Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Health & WellnessFinancial BenefitsWork-Life Balance

• Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
• Life & Accident Insurance
• Disability Coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Back-Up Daycare
• FSA & HSA

• 401(k)
• Pre-Tax Commuter Account
• Merit Scholarship Program
• Employee Discount Program
• Corporate Charitable Giving Program
• Tuition Assistance
• First Professional Licensure Bonus
• Employee Referral Bonus

• Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Flexible Work Arrangements

Compensation Range$18.00 - $30.00Transparency StatementSargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges that comply with all local and state regulations. The total compensation package for eligible positions will include a base salary or an hourly rate and a comprehensive benefits package, reflecting our commitment to rewarding performance and supporting the overall well-being of our employees. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus.Equal Opportunity

Sargent & Lundy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by applicable law.

Employment Type: OTHER