Internship Optimization Engineer Jobs in Elgin, IL

nVenia, a member of the Duravant family of operating companies, is a manufacturer and supplier of integrated solutions and packaging equipment machinery. With over 300 years of combined experience, our long-standing brands of Arpac, Fischbein, Hamer and Ohlson serve end customers in the consumer-packaged goods, food and beverage, industrial, and other markets.
At nVenia, we believe in developing talent and providing meaningful learning experiences. Interns gain hands on exposure to real world manufacturing operations while working alongside experienced professionals in a collaborative environment.
nVenia offers:
•    Competitive compensation for internship positions
•    Hands on learning and mentorship from experienced team members
•    Exposure to manufacturing, supply chain, and operational best practices
•    A supportive, safety focused, and team oriented work environment
•    Opportunities to develop skills that support future career growth

POSITION SUMMARY
The Manufacturing Engineer, Operations & Assembly is responsible for improving assembly and manufacturing performance through process optimization, continuous improvement, production readiness, and scalable manufacturing systems. This role partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Product Management to enhance safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost performance.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

•    Develop, maintain, and optimize the routing of assembly machines through each stage of production.
•    Lead continuous improvement initiatives, Kaizen events, and process optimization projects.
•    Conduct value stream mapping, workflow analysis, and waste-reduction activities.
•    Identify and eliminate manufacturing waste, production constraints, and non-value-added activities.
•    Develop and maintain assembly processes, standard work, work instructions, and manufacturing documentation.
•    Drive improvements in productivity, throughput, quality, and operational efficiency.
•    Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for recurring production issues.
•    Support new product introductions by developing manufacturing processes, tooling, fixtures, and training requirements.
•    Evaluate production capacity, workflow, labor utilization, and manufacturing bottlenecks.
•    Support automation, capital equipment, and facility improvement initiatives.
•    Analyze manufacturing data and performance metrics to identify and implement improvement opportunities.
•    Provide data-driven recommendations related to capacity, labor, equipment, layout, and future manufacturing needs
•    Work collaboratively across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Research and Development, and Product Management.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

•    Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field; equivalent manufacturing experience may be considered.
•    3-5 years of experience in a manufacturing, assembly, or operations environment.
•    Experience developing and maintaining manufacturing routings, Bills of Materials (BOMs), and work center configurations.
•    Knowledge of assembly processes, production flow, line balancing, and capacity planning.
•    Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, value stream mapping, and continuous improvement methodologies.
•    Experience in creating standard work, process documentation, and work instructions.
•    Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and root cause problem-solving skills.
•    Experience supporting New Product Introduction (NPI) and product launches.
•    Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems, manufacturing reporting, and production data analysis.
•    Ability to evaluate production capacity, labor utilization, and manufacturing bottlenecks.
•    Strong project management, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
•    Ability to work effectively with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Production teams.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand for a minimum of 8 hours per day.  The employee is frequently required to grasp, handle, and feel objects, control and manage tools, and use hands and arms.  The employee is occasionally required to walk, stoop, kneel and crouch.  The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but at times loud.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles.  

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
nVenia is a packaging machinery manufacturing and service organization widely known to have the widest selection of packaging technology under one roof and is dedicated to providing our distributors and end-users the highest quality product and support.

nVenia brings Duravant packaging leaders Arpac, Hamer-Fischbein and Ohlson Packaging together to create next-level packaging equipment integration and innovation.  One name, in one location, with one shared focus: our customers and the problems we need to solve.