Future Opportunities Electrical Controls Co-Op (Fall 2026)

Future Opportunities Electrical Controls Co-Op (Fall 2026)

Location: Hershey, PA Duration: Fall 2026 (Full-time Co-Op June 2026 – December 2026 with possible additional 6-month rotation)

Overview: This Controls Engineering Co-Op has the potential for the selected candidate to work 3 consecutive rotations within the Controls Engineering department depending on your availability. The available Intern/Co-op position would have the opportunity to begin in Fall 2026. Successive rotations would then follow school schedule for a co-op experience.

Responsibilities

This position may include but is not limited to the following:

• Project Work: Under the guidance of the controls engineer, the intern may be involved in project work which may include electrical design, equipment/instrument installation, equipment/instrument checkout, project startups and maintenance troubleshooting and support.
• Intern Project: Working on their own assigned project. Projects may involve developing electrical elementary drawings, writing program logic controller (PLC) programs, Human Machine Interface (HMI) screen development. Project work may also include observing existing plant processes, making recommendations, setting up a test design and working with plant operators and supervisors to troubleshoot existing systems. Researching new technologies to implement in production environments.
• Other: The student intern may also gain experience in talking to vendors, equipment/instrument selection, equipment/instrument set up and training of manufacturing personnel. The intern may also work with process engineering, packaging engineering, quality assurance, industrial engineering and other Hershey personnel.

Qualifications

Major: Sophomore or junior working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Engineering Technology with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0. Coursework: The candidate must have completed the basic or introductory courses in the following areas: Electrical Theory Electronics Electrical Design Coursework or experience in the following areas is not necessary but would be a plus: Networking SCADA Systems Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) Programming - Ladder Logic, Function Blocks, Structured Text Human Machine Interface (HMI) Development – Using Visualization Software Food Processing or Manufacturing Candidate must have a valid driver's license. This position may involve international travel. Technical Skills: Ability to use basic electrical instruments such as digital multimeter, current probes and signal calibrators. The successful candidate must also have basic electrical troubleshooting experience. Personal Skills: The successful candidate works well with others, is organized, takes initiative, is dependable, has common sense and is flexible and willing to travel.