Engineering Intern

Are you a student interested in the mobility of the future and curious about life at Volvo Cars? Then our summer internship can be something for you!

Each year, Volvo Cars welcome students as Summer Interns to our site in Charleston, SC. As a Summer Intern at Volvo Cars you can work in production, in one of our storages or at the office. Spending a few weeks in our team is a great way for you to get an insight to what life at Volvo Cars can be like and gives you a basic understanding of our operations. It also provides you with a strong network in our organization, which can be of value in your future career.  The number of Summer intern positions and work areas varies from year to year.

About the program: 

The Student Internship Program at Volvo Cars in Charleston is designed to introduce students to the fast paced, high tech, and ever-changing industry of automotive manufacturing. In this program students will receive direct hands-on learning experiences and a deeper understanding of lean principles and lean manufacturing processes. 

We offer paid full-time work and a safe learning environment, for our interns to practice applying the knowledge gained in the classroom in a professional environment. 

Our internships for college students interested in engineering include Plant Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering and R&D Engineering.  Please state in your Resume/Cover Letter your areas of interest.

Plant Engineering:

The Plant Business Office (PBO) functions inside the Plant Engineering (PE) department and is responsible for securing VCCH’s overall plant strategies (ambitions, roadmaps, footprint/m2, vision layout, flow, long term masterplan) and providing leadership for key on-going activities including production manpower planning and management, manufacturing cost improvement, and the implementation of critical projects.   

This position will be working within our PBO group with the Plant Strategy Engineer and the Plant Project Engineer on important improvement activities and supporting critical projects. We will focus on developing the intern’s skills in data analysis on real-world manufacturing issues, developing proposals for improvement, negotiating with stakeholders, getting things done through meetings and pre-discussion (“nemawashi”), and executing on deliverables, and how to effectively report-up to senior leaders. 

Manufacturing Engineering:

Manufacturing Engineering (ME) Painted Body & Geometry (PBG) is responsible for preparation, designing, manufacturing and commissioning of production lines to be used by new car models into our production facilities. Within this department, the group ME PBG Industrialization Body is located in Charleston and consists of engineers that are currently occupied optimizing  the two new car models that have been integrated into the production lines. The team consists of generic area engineers and leaders, but also technology specialists within automation, robotics, joining and geometry. 

R&D Engineering:

R&D is a central Volvo organization but in VCCH we have resident department that support both launches of new products and concepts as well as running production. R&D VCCH represent all the functions of central R&D: Propulsion, Top hat, Platform, SW Electronics and Vehicle Engineering.

Critical functions both regarding legal, safety and customer function is very important that we control both in concept, process and all way down to station where we build the car and the Control Plan is how we secure this.

Competencies/Requirements: 

• Preferred areas of study: Industrial, Mechanical, Electrical, R&D Engineering or related field 
• Level of education: Junior year of college or above preferred
• Data analytics experience preferred
• Adjusts behavior style to match the demands of the situation. 
• Listens to others; respects their differences. 
• Ability to interact cross-functionally and to act in a multi-cultural environment. 
• Ability to work cooperatively in team environment. 
• Strong ability to organize and prioritize own work and to manage multiple tasks. 
• Positive mind-set and pro-active attitude must be a self-starter. 
• Well-organized working methods and ability to report in a structured and concise format. 
• Collaborates: Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.   
• Drives results: Consistently achieves results, even under tough circumstances.   
• Self-development: Actively seeking new ways to grow & be challenged using both formal & informal development channels.   
• Builds trust: Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity. 

Volvo Car is an equal opportunity employer. The successful candidate must be legally authorized to work in the US without sponsorship.

Volvo Cars - Driving change together​

Volvo Cars’ success is the outcome of a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive working environment. Today, we are one of the most well-known and respected car brands, with around 43,000 employees across the globe. At Volvo Cars, your career is designed around your skills and aspirations, allowing you to reach your fullest potential.​