Manufacturing Coating & Bonding Intern at Slate Auto in Warsaw, IN

Summary: Slate Auto is committed to building safe and reliable vehicles while promoting reindustrialization in the USA. The Body Shop Intern will support the manufacturing engineering team in improving vehicle body assembly processes, providing hands-on experience in automotive manufacturing and process optimization. Responsibilities: - Assist in monitoring day-to-day production operations to ensure safety, quality, and throughput targets are met - Support engineers and production teams in troubleshooting basic process issues on the body line - Participate in data collection related to downtime, scrap, and rework - Observe and learn how running changes are implemented in a production environment - Support time studies, line balancing activities, and bottleneck identification - Assist in documenting opportunities for process improvements - Participate in continuous improvement initiatives (Lean / Six Sigma projects) - Work with Production, Quality, Maintenance, and Dimensional teams to understand plant operations - Gather feedback from operators and team leaders to identify improvement opportunities - Support root cause analysis activities and corrective action tracking - Learn and follow established quality standards and manufacturing procedures - Support monitoring of key process parameters under guidance of senior engineers - Adhere to all safety and environmental requirements on the shop floor - Assist in updating process documentation, work instructions, and standard operating procedures - Help track basic production and process performance metrics - Document observations and findings from assigned projects Required Qualifications: - Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field - Strong interest in automotive manufacturing and production systems - Basic understanding of engineering principles and problem-solving methods - Familiarity with Microsoft Excel and data analysis is a plus - Strong communication skills and willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment - Ability to work on-site in a manufacturing environment Preferred Qualifications: - Exposure to Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma concepts is a plus (not required) Required Skills: Automotive Manufacturing, Production Systems, Engineering Principles, Microsoft Excel, Data Analysis, Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Process Improvement, Root Cause Analysis, Quality Standards, Manufacturing Procedures Benefits: Real‑world experience in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment, Exposure to Lean manufacturing, process engineering, and continuous improvement tools, Opportunities to lead small projects and present findings to engineering leadership, Mentorship from experienced engineers and cross‑functional teams, A deeper understanding of how products are built, scaled, and optimized, Hands-on experience within the body shop, Opportunity to convert to a full-time role base on performance and business needs.