Program Management Intern - Process Development

SUMMARY:

The Engineering Program Management Intern will work directly with the Senior Engineering Program Manager in Irving, TX to capture, formalize, and document the business processes used by the Engineering Program Management department. Many of the team's day-to-day workflows currently exist only as tribal knowledge passed by word of mouth. The primary objective of this internship is to convert that undocumented institutional knowledge into clear, repeatable, written processes - including standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, process flow diagrams, checklists, and templates - that can be used to onboard new team members, drive consistency across programs, and serve as the foundation for future continuous-improvement efforts. This is a high-impact, short-duration role intended to leave a lasting deliverable: a documented, organized, and accessible process library for the Program Management function.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Interview, shadow, and observe Program Managers, Project Administrators, and cross-functional stakeholders to elicit and capture undocumented processes, decision points, hand-offs, and exceptions
• Translate verbal explanations and observed behavior into clear, written process documentation, including standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, swim-lane diagrams, and process flowcharts
• Develop reusable templates, checklists, and forms that support recurring program management activities (e.g., program kick-offs, status reviews, change management, risk reviews, customer milestone reporting)
• Map current-state ('as-is') processes and identify gaps, redundancies, bottlenecks, and inconsistencies between how work is described and how it is actually performed
• Recommend simple, low-cost process improvements where appropriate, with the understanding that documenting reality must come before changing it
• Organize the resulting documentation into a single, navigable, version-controlled process library or knowledge base accessible to the Program and Contracts Management team
• Validate completed documentation by walking through it with subject matter experts and incorporating their feedback
• Maintain a running log of open questions, conflicting accounts, and unresolved process items to be reviewed with the Senior Engineering Program Manager
• Provide weekly status updates to the Senior Engineering Program Manager and a final end-of-internship presentation summarizing deliverables, findings, and recommendations
• Comply with all safety, quality, environmental, and information-security regulations and works to create and promote a safe working environment
• Adheres to all FreeFlight Systems and Flight Data Systems rules and codes of conduct and quality procedures
• Make effective use of AI agents and toolsets (CoPilot, Claude)
• Performs other duties as requested by the Senior Engineering Program Manager

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate program pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Engineering Management, Business Administration, Operations Management, Technical Communication, Information Systems, or a related field
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 preferred
• Strong written communication skills with the ability to translate verbal, technical, and unstructured information into clear, concise written procedures
• Demonstrated attention to detail and the ability to organize complex or ambiguous information
• Comfortable interviewing subject matter experts and asking clarifying questions of people more senior than themselves
• Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision once direction is given
• Desire to own tasks and assignments; hunger for responsibility
• Proven ability to convert written and verbal direction into actionable deliverables
• Demonstrated ability to read, analyze, and interpret moderately complex documents, drawings, or specifications
• Demonstrated ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
• Proficiency in MS Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Familiarity with at least one process-mapping or diagramming tool (e.g., Microsoft Visio) preferred
• Exposure to basic process-improvement concepts (Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, BPMN, SIPOC) is a plus, but not required
• Familiarity with SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, or similar document-collaboration platforms is a plus
• Familiarity with Program Management concepts (PMP/PMBOK fundamentals) is a plus
• Prior coursework, project, or internship experience involving technical writing, process documentation, or quality systems is a plus

PERFORMANCE ATTRIBUTES & COMPETENCIES:

Leadership

• Vision & Strategic Thinking: Sees the value of clear, written processes and thinks ahead about how today's documentation supports tomorrow's team.
• Energy: Exhibits strong desire to achieve success and to leave a tangible, lasting deliverable behind.
• Problem-Solver: Objectively and logically recognizes inconsistencies, gaps, and ambiguity in current processes and works to resolve them.

Interpersonal & Teamwork

• Team Player: Reaches out to overcome challenges; builds rapport quickly with subject matter experts across departments; approachable and earns trust.
• Communication: Speaks confidently and effectively in one-on-one and small-group settings; writes clearly and concisely; comfortable asking 'why' until the answer is fully understood.
• Active Listening: Captures not only what people say, but what they do, and reconciles the two into accurate documentation.

Personal & Intellectual

• Integrity: Sets example; documents what is, not what sounds good; earns trust and respect.
• Intelligence: A 'quick study' demonstrates ability to absorb new information, terminology, and workflows rapidly.
• Curiosity: Constantly asks questions, looks for the underlying 'why' behind a process, and is unafraid to surface things that don't make sense.
• Self-Direction: Manages time and priorities effectively across a short, fixed-duration assignment.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Must possess the ability to write routine reports, work instructions, and standard operating procedures in clear, plain English. Should be able to communicate effectively in interviews and working sessions with engineers, program managers, and other internal stakeholders.

OTHER KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Have a strong command of computer desktop tools such as MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) to assist in completing essential duties. Effectively demonstrates strong written and verbal communication skills. Must have a willingness to constantly be learning. Comfort with simple automation or formatting features within the Microsoft 365 suite (e.g., Word styles, Excel tables, SharePoint lists) is preferred.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

The requirements listed below are representative of the education, knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student during the internship period and able to provide proof of enrollment.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States for the duration of the internship without current or future sponsorship.
• Ability to travel locally up to 5% (e.g., between FreeFlight Systems facilities in Waco and Dallas/Fort Worth area, if applicable).
• Must be able to handle confidential and proprietary information appropriately and sign any required non-disclosure agreements.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the individual is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, reach with arms and hands, climb stairs, stoop, kneel, crouch, talk or hear. The individual must occasionally lift and/or move up to 30lbs. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an individual to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The individual should be able to see, hear and understand speech, communicate, lift computer equipment, supplies and materials, use office equipment and computers. If requested by the employee, we may provide reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties required of personnel so classified. We have the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time without notice.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

While performing the duties of this job, the person is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time and an air-conditioned and heated office. The intern will spend time in both general office areas and engineering work areas (including labs and production-adjacent spaces) when shadowing team members. The noise level is occasionally high.