Controls Engineer Internships
Controls engineer internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience working alongside working engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Roles in Manufacturing and Food & Beverage are actively recruiting, with Tesla, Dennis, and Dematic among the employers posting roles now.
Find Controls Engineer InternshipsOverview
Showing 5 of 12+ Controls Engineer Internships
POSITION SUMMARY
Our student programs are designed to introduce candidates to a career in the field of Controls Engineering for the Design/Build HVAC, Plumbing, and Building Automation construction and service industry. Primary responsibility is to assist the design and operations team in all aspects of our work.
What you’ll do:
- Will support product and service training to customers. Provides and documents feedback on problem evaluation and resolution to project leaders.
- Performs low to medium complex software design and programming, trial runs and investigative tests.
- Attends pre-booking meetings to gain knowledge of the sales estimate and project scope. Works with engineering group and/or supervisors to analyze plans, specifications, and contract to determine system requirements. Selects products, sizes, types, and location placement to ensure products meet specification requirements.
- Maintains accurate and thorough project documentation and redlines, plus supports owner training as required by the project.
- Works with engineering group to create and/or verify point database.
- Creates/reviews job specific programming via computer for various systems (controls, creates /reviews and uploads point database, uploads graphics in the Central Processing Unit (CPU).
- Verifies point database and programming operations are consistent with scope of work for the intended integration and sequence.
- Backs up data from data servers and/or creates automated backup procedure.
- Troubleshoots and resolves inconsistencies in the functions or sequence of operations.
- Participates in final inspection and testing, assures customer acceptance, and conducts training for end user customers on system operations.
- Works with senior engineers to assist in designing building automation systems consisting of mechanical system layouts, electrical drawings, bill of materials, sequence of operations, valve and damper schedules, DDC panel layouts to meet the intent of the based on project plans, specifications and contract documents.
- Maintain record of signed safety tailgate meeting forms.
What you’ll need to be successful:
- A strong work ethic
- Initiative and drive to get the job done
- Strong communication skills
- The ability to be resourceful and resilient
- Able to solve problems with limited support
- Quick learner, seeks answers on their own
- Positive attitude during adverse/non-ideal situations
- Exercises Accountability in stressful situations (avoids placing blame)
- Goal Oriented
- Collaborative spirit and a Good Teammate – has a “We Me” attitude
- Strong active listening skills
- Competent general business writing and public speaking
YOU Matter
PEOPLE FIRST: BUILDING TALENT BY DESIGN
At Southland we aspire to build a workforce that’s as diverse as the people who occupy the buildings we design, build and maintain. Building talent by design is our intentional approach to creating a truly safe, collaborative, and inclusive work environment that fosters growth, empowers professional achievement, and where people are treated with respect at all levels.
Our Internship and New College Graduate program is best designed for those students who seek a truly immersive and hands-on experience. At Southland, we view every student as a potential hire and ensure each intern, co-op student, and every new college graduate is truly set up for success to accomplish short and long term career goals. If a student program that exposes you to exciting projects and potential career paths with one of the country’s largest MEP building systems firms appeals to you and you're ready for the next big step in your career, then JOIN our team and become a part of an organization that values PEOPLE, SAFETY, INNOVATION, COLLABORATION, INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY & SUSTAINABILITY.
Internship/Co-op Program Benefits:
- Hands-on classroom and on-the-job experience in your specific role
- Opportunity to work side by side with company leaders
- Socially distant group activities and team events
- Paid housing (some locations)
- Paid internship/Co-op
- Potential full-time employment opportunities
Full-time Employee Benefits:
As an employee-owned company, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent benefits for you and your family:
- 401(k) Plan with 50% Company Match (no cap) and immediate 100% vesting
- Annual incentive program based upon performance, profitability, and achievement
- Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance – 100% Paid for Employee
- Term Life, AD&D Insurance, and Voluntary Life Insurance
- Disability Income Protection Insurance
- Pre-tax Flexible Spending Plans (Health and Dependent Care)
- Holidays/Vacation/Personal Time/Life Events Leave
- Numerous training opportunities and company paid membership for professional associations and licenses
Pay: For California-based internship roles, the pay rate is set at $26.00 per hour, in alignment with program guidelines and market standards.
For more information on Southland Industries, please visit our website: Southland Careers or on Facebook or LinkedIN
To hear what our employees are saying about working at Southland Industries, check out our Culture site - Explore Our Culture
Southland Industries and all its subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing our employees with a safe work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Southland Industries are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, gender identity, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, family care or medical leave status, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Southland Industries will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
**All employment offers are contingent upon successful, drug tests, background checks and professional reference checks. **
**We are not able to offer sponsorship of employment at this time**
If you don’t feel this position is a match for you, we encourage you to share it with others. Feel free to share throughout your social networks and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to keep up to date on what we’re doing as a company.
POSITION SUMMARY
Our student programs are designed to introduce candidates to a career in the field of Controls Engineering for the Design/Build HVAC, Plumbing, and Building Automation construction and service industry. Primary responsibility is to assist the design and operations team in all aspects of our work.
What you’ll do:
- Will support product and service training to customers. Provides and documents feedback on problem evaluation and resolution to project leaders.
- Performs low to medium complex software design and programming, trial runs and investigative tests.
- Attends pre-booking meetings to gain knowledge of the sales estimate and project scope. Works with engineering group and/or supervisors to analyze plans, specifications, and contract to determine system requirements. Selects products, sizes, types, and location placement to ensure products meet specification requirements.
- Maintains accurate and thorough project documentation and redlines, plus supports owner training as required by the project.
- Works with engineering group to create and/or verify point database.
- Creates/reviews job specific programming via computer for various systems (controls, creates /reviews and uploads point database, uploads graphics in the Central Processing Unit (CPU).
- Verifies point database and programming operations are consistent with scope of work for the intended integration and sequence.
- Backs up data from data servers and/or creates automated backup procedure.
- Troubleshoots and resolves inconsistencies in the functions or sequence of operations.
- Participates in final inspection and testing, assures customer acceptance, and conducts training for end user customers on system operations.
- Works with senior engineers to assist in designing building automation systems consisting of mechanical system layouts, electrical drawings, bill of materials, sequence of operations, valve and damper schedules, DDC panel layouts to meet the intent of the based on project plans, specifications and contract documents.
- Maintain record of signed safety tailgate meeting forms.
What you’ll need to be successful:
- A strong work ethic
- Initiative and drive to get the job done
- Strong communication skills
- The ability to be resourceful and resilient
- Able to solve problems with limited support
- Quick learner, seeks answers on their own
- Positive attitude during adverse/non-ideal situations
- Exercises Accountability in stressful situations (avoids placing blame)
- Goal Oriented
- Collaborative spirit and a Good Teammate – has a “We Me” attitude
- Strong active listening skills
- Competent general business writing and public speaking
YOU Matter
PEOPLE FIRST: BUILDING TALENT BY DESIGN
At Southland we aspire to build a workforce that’s as diverse as the people who occupy the buildings we design, build and maintain. Building talent by design is our intentional approach to creating a truly safe, collaborative, and inclusive work environment that fosters growth, empowers professional achievement, and where people are treated with respect at all levels.
Our Internship and New College Graduate program is best designed for those students who seek a truly immersive and hands-on experience. At Southland, we view every student as a potential hire and ensure each intern, co-op student, and every new college graduate is truly set up for success to accomplish short and long term career goals. If a student program that exposes you to exciting projects and potential career paths with one of the country’s largest MEP building systems firms appeals to you and you're ready for the next big step in your career, then JOIN our team and become a part of an organization that values PEOPLE, SAFETY, INNOVATION, COLLABORATION, INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY & SUSTAINABILITY.
Internship/Co-op Program Benefits:
- Hands-on classroom and on-the-job experience in your specific role
- Opportunity to work side by side with company leaders
- Socially distant group activities and team events
- Paid housing (some locations)
- Paid internship/Co-op
- Potential full-time employment opportunities
Full-time Employee Benefits:
As an employee-owned company, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent benefits for you and your family:
- 401(k) Plan with 50% Company Match (no cap) and immediate 100% vesting
- Annual incentive program based upon performance, profitability, and achievement
- Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance – 100% Paid for Employee
- Term Life, AD&D Insurance, and Voluntary Life Insurance
- Disability Income Protection Insurance
- Pre-tax Flexible Spending Plans (Health and Dependent Care)
- Holidays/Vacation/Personal Time/Life Events Leave
- Numerous training opportunities and company paid membership for professional associations and licenses
Pay: For California-based internship roles, the pay rate is set at $26.00 per hour, in alignment with program guidelines and market standards.
For more information on Southland Industries, please visit our website: Southland Careers or on Facebook or LinkedIN
To hear what our employees are saying about working at Southland Industries, check out our Culture site - Explore Our Culture
Southland Industries and all its subsidiaries are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing our employees with a safe work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Southland Industries are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, gender, gender identity, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, family care or medical leave status, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Southland Industries will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
**All employment offers are contingent upon successful, drug tests, background checks and professional reference checks. **
**We are not able to offer sponsorship of employment at this time**
If you don’t feel this position is a match for you, we encourage you to share it with others. Feel free to share throughout your social networks and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to keep up to date on what we’re doing as a company.
Controls Engineer Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing
- Food & Beverage
Tips for Your Controls Engineer Internship Search
Apply earlier than you think you need to
Large manufacturers, utilities, and automation firms recruit summer interns the preceding fall, with some cohorts closing before winter break. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so check regularly. Starting your search in September gives you the widest pool of structured opportunities.
Build a portfolio before you send a single application
Hiring teams for controls engineer interns expect limited work history, so documented projects carry more weight than past jobs. Put together two or three projects showing PLC logic, control system design, MATLAB simulations, or CAD schematics, with the tools named and the work visible, a linked repository or PDF portfolio works well.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured programs tied to your university, and professors or career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts alongside campus activity reaches employers who never visit your campus at all.
Practice your technical screen out loud before you apply
Controls engineer intern interviews commonly include a technical screen covering circuits, control theory, or hands-on problem-solving with tools like MATLAB or a PLC environment. Practice explaining your reasoning aloud as you work through problems, interviewers weigh how you think through a system as much as the final answer.
Target structured rotational and university cohort programs early
Larger industrial and automation companies run formal internship cohorts designed to train people new to controls engineering, cycling interns through different engineering functions. These programs recruit in the fall and fill fast. Identify the ones that match your degree program and apply in the first wave, not after the new year.
Set your work-type filter before you start searching
On-site roles are 83% of the controls engineer internships listed here, since hands-on plant and lab work doesn't transfer to remote setups. Decide what you can commit to before you start sorting listings, then filter by location and work type so you aren't spending time on roles you can't actually take.
Controls Engineer Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a controls engineer internship?
Lead with coursework and personal projects rather than work history, hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. A portfolio of documented controls or automation projects, even from class, gives recruiters something concrete to assess. Combine direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for candidates they meet in person.
Can a controls engineer internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. What actually drives it is performance on real project work, available headcount on the team, and whether you communicate interest in returning before the offer window closes. Position for a return offer without counting on one.
When should I apply for controls engineer internships?
Earlier than most students expect. Large employers, including major manufacturers and automation firms, recruit summer interns the preceding fall, sometimes opening applications in August or September. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to start dates, so openings appear year-round and it pays to check back regularly.
Are controls engineer internships paid?
Most professional controls engineer internships in the U.S. are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location, and listings show it where the employer discloses it. Unpaid internships exist mainly in nonprofit or research settings and are less common in industrial and manufacturing environments.
What should a controls engineer internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented projects that name the tools used, PLC programming environments, SCADA platforms, MATLAB, or CAD software, and link to the work where possible. Add relevant coursework in control systems, circuits, or automation. Keep it to one page.
Are there remote controls engineer internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 17% of the controls engineer internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast, so apply early and filter by work type to see them before they close.
Can international students get controls engineer internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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