Engineering and Design Services Administrative Internship

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.

We work a little differently. We believe internships should provide meaningful work, real responsibility, and opportunities to learn—not just observation and administrative busywork. From day one, you'll contribute to workflows that help engineers, production teams, and customers succeed while gaining firsthand exposure to manufacturing operations and engineering processes.

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

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

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.

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

If you're organized, curious, and excited to learn how engineering and manufacturing teams operate behind the scenes, we'd love to hear from you!