Mechanical Design Engineer Intern

Design Engineer Intern

Application Engineering | Peoria, IL (In-Person) | Full-Time | Summer 2027 Internship

Pay: $21 per hour

Reports To: Director of Engineering - Application Engineering

Most internships mean fetching coffee and shadowing meetings. This one means real projects, real deadlines, and your name on drawings that go to production. If that sounds better than watching from the sidelines, keep reading.

Rheo Engineering designs and builds the powder handling equipment that helps make life-saving medicine — and because we're vertically integrated, you'll see your work move from concept to CAD to the shop floor, all in the same building.

As a Design Engineer Intern, you'll work alongside our Application Engineering team on live customer projects, from early concepts through design review to hand-off for manufacturing.

What You’ll Do

Work with the product design team to develop machine and system concepts

Research new technologies, industry processes, and relevant compliance regulations/guidelines

Conduct design feasibility reviews

Assemble system design drawings

Work with theoretical calculation tools to determine static and dynamic force requirements

Participate in design review meetings

Create project hand-off documents for the Manufacturing team

Draft and assemble project documentation packages (operator's manuals, etc.)

What We’re Looking For

Experience

On track to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or higher

2+ years of CAD experience — classroom or self-taught/independent experience counts

Software

Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Visio)

Traits

Mechanical Aptitude — excellent mechanical aptitude and analytical skills

Superb Communication — you understandably and naturally get your ideas, instructions, and points across

Extreme Ownership — you see a project through from beginning to end, no matter the obstacle

Team Spirit — you embrace working with others, and they like working with you

Self-Starter — you don't need someone else to keep you motivated

Values Alignment

Initiative: instinct for taking action to improve, solve, and deliver.

Collaboration: proactive communication with your stakeholders.

Competence: ability to do your job well.

Reliability: persistent follow-through on commitments.

Bold Humility: courage to speak, act, and listen without arrogance.

Preferred Qualifications

Specialization or coursework in one or more of: mechanical actuation systems, structures & FEA, fluid dynamics, control systems, electrical and/or automation systems, or process engineering

Prior internship experience in an engineering role

Why Rheo

Real ownership — you won't just shadow projects, you'll be responsible for some of your own, from concept through hand-off to Manufacturing

See your work built — we're vertically integrated, so what you design gets built and tested in the same building

Meaningful work — the equipment you help design supports the safe, reliable production of medicine around the world

Learn from experienced engineers — you'll work alongside our Application Engineering team on live customer projects

A small team that invests in you — around 100 team members and a strong in-person culture

Benefits

401(k) with 4% employer match

PTO - 5 days

Employee referral program

Working Conditions

This is an office-based internship with regular time on the manufacturing floor for design reviews, prototyping, and testing. You must be able to move about the office and production floor and occasionally lift up to 25 lbs. Appropriate PPE is required when on the manufacturing floor, where you'll work in proximity to operating machinery and equipment. Standard full-time hours during the internship, with occasional additional time as needed to meet project deadlines.

Rheo Engineering is an equal opportunity employer.