Engineering and Design Services Administrative Intern

Engineering & Design Services (EDS) — Administrative Intern

Location: Wilmington (Must be legally eligible to work in the United States)
Term: Full-Time (40 hours/week)
Start Date: August/September
Type: In-Office Only

Are you an organized and detail-oriented engineering student looking for real-world experience? Do you enjoy structured work and want to play a meaningful role in how engineering teams operate?

At Protocase / 45Drives, we’ve been building and growing our Wilmington, North Carolina operation over the past year, and we’re looking for an Engineering & Design Services (EDS) Administrative Intern to support our EDS team.

This is a chance to contribute to a growing team where your work helps engineers, production, and sales move faster and more efficiently.

About the Role

EDS is the technical bridge between our customers, sales, and the production floor. Every job that runs through our shop — 500 to 1,000 each week — passes through this department in some form. The team reviews incoming files for manufacturability, modifies CAD when needed, generates build documentation, and supports internal teams and customers throughout production.

This is an administrative and workflow support role. While you won’t do engineering design work, you’ll be embedded in the systems that drive it: organizing files, supporting workflow, validating job data, maintaining documentation, and keeping work moving so engineers can focus on higher-complexity technical tasks.

The role is structured and process-driven, ideal for someone who thrives on organization, accuracy, and consistency. It’s a strong fit for someone interested in manufacturing operations, engineering administration, or production workflows in a high-volume, fast-turnaround environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Reporting & Workflow Support

Pull and distribute daily/weekly queue and job reports (RFQs, approvals, build sheets, customer/account updates)

Monitor queue health and flag stalled jobs, aging WIP, or bottlenecks

Support workflow tracking, KPI snapshots, and system upkeep

Track approvals and help keep jobs moving through the pipeline

File & Data Management

Organize and route incoming CAD files (SolidWorks, STEP, PDF, DXF, DWG) into correct project structures

Maintain file naming, revision control, and folder standards

Support cleanup, archiving, and internal data upkeep

Perform light data entry and record maintenance

RFQ & Build Sheet Support

Perform first-pass RFQ reviews to confirm completeness before engineering review

Identify missing information, inconsistencies, or file issues during pre-flight checks

Review build sheets against templates and standards before production handoff

Support re-orders, standard setups, and low-complexity workflow tasks

Technical & Administrative Support

Provide first-line support to EDS and Sales (job status, file location, process questions)

Route and escalate technical issues to engineers

Follow up on customer approvals and missing information

Maintain internal documentation and process materials

Support onboarding, training records, and administrative needs

Assist with continuous improvement and documentation accuracy

About You

We’re looking for someone who is detail-oriented, reliable, and comfortable working within structured systems.

You:

Are currently pursuing or recently completed a degree/diploma in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Technology, Manufacturing, Business Administration, or similar

Take pride in accurate, organized work

Learn systems and software quickly

Communicate clearly in writing and verbally

Can manage tasks independently

Want hands-on exposure to a manufacturing environment

Nice to Have

Exposure to SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or CAD viewers

Familiarity with machining or sheet metal concepts

Experience with ERP, ticketing, or job tracking systems

Basic understanding of mechanical drawings

What You’ll Learn

How a high-mix, high-volume manufacturer operates day-to-day

The full lifecycle of a job from RFQ to production handoff

Manufacturing processes (laser cutting, bending, machining, finishing)

How engineering, sales, and production coordinate under tight timelines

Real-world exposure to engineering workflows and quality systems

About Us

Established in 2001, Protocase combines advanced software with innovative manufacturing to deliver custom solutions worldwide. With over 16,000 customers — including NASA, Google, Apple, and Boeing — we’re known for speed, quality, and customer focus.

45Drives builds open-source data storage solutions using commodity hardware, offering flexibility and value without vendor lock-in.

Why Join Us?

We work a little differently. This isn’t just a place to gain experience — it’s a place to do meaningful work. We believe people should feel good about what they do every day, and we build environments where that’s possible.

Learn more about how we work differently: www.workdifferently.info 

Benefits & Perks

While this is an internship and full benefits don’t kick in until a permanent offer, you’ll still experience the best parts of our culture — and if we’re a good fit, a full-time role could be your next step.

Immediate Benefits & Perks

🏋️‍♂️ Gym access (Skyline Center)

🎓 Training, coaching, and development

🎉 Social events and team activities

🏅 Rewards & recognition program

🛍️ Community discounts

💵 $19 USD/hour + potential incentives

📚 Hands-on engineering workflow experience

🏭 Exposure to manufacturing and quality systems

📈 Pathway to future engineering/technologist roles

🤝 Team-focused environment

Available if you join us full-time

🩺 Medical, dental, life insurance, 401(k)

🏖️ Vacation starting at 2 weeks, increasing with tenure