Role Summary:
This internship provides hands-on experience contributing to internally developed automation tools used by controls project engineers.
The intern will primarily support efforts to reduce technical debt by converting existing code into standardized, documented, and maintainable formats, while learning industrial controls concepts and internal engineering workflows.
Under the guidance of experienced engineers, the intern will help improve code quality, structure, and consistency across internal tooling.
Essential Functions
- Learn the electromechanical operation of material handling equipment and gain exposure to controls systems and interfaces.
- Gain familiarity with internal automation tools (e.g., ESoT, Generator Suite, ViGen, VIPER, VICTOR, Amazon Allen Bradley Code Generator, ACADE tool suite), including how they are used by engineering and project teams.
- Assist in refactoring and standardizing existing automation and controls tooling code to align with internal coding standards and best practices.
- Help convert legacy or prototype code into formalized, production-ready formats under guidance of senior engineers.
- Support documentation of tool functionality, assumptions, and usage for engineering teams.
- Perform basic testing and validation to ensure refactored code maintains expected behavior.
- Collaborate with controls, software engineers, and product owner to understand how internal tools support controls project workflows.
- Identify opportunities to improve code readability, structure, and maintainability.
- Learn how engineering teams prioritize and plan product and tooling development efforts.
- This role is not expected to independently own projects or make final technical decisions.
Required Education and Experience:
- Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in: Mechatronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electromechanical Engineering Technology, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering or a related engineering discipline
- Coursework, academic projects, internships, or co-op experience involving automation, controls, or software development is preferred.
- Experience with programming (C#, .NET, or similar) through coursework
Technical Skills:
- C# / .NET application development (required)
- Python (required)
- Code refactoring and technical debt reduction techniques (required)
- Version control (Git) (required)
- Coding standards, documentation, and code reviews (required)
- Basic industrial automation and controls concepts
- Prior coursework or projects in software engineering
- Interest in industrial automation or mechatronics systems
- Experience in AutoCAD is a plus
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time internship position, Monday through Friday. Flexible start times are available between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., with end times between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., including a one-hour lunch break.
Travel:
No travel required.
Supervisory Responsibility:
This position has no supervisory responsibilities.
Work Environment and Physical Demands:
- Office-based environment with extended periods working at a computer
- Occasional movement within the office to access equipment
Other Duties:
This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties. Responsibilities may evolve as skills develop and project needs change.
Top Skills
What We Do
Vanderlande is the global market leader for future-proof logistic process automation at airports. The company is also a leading supplier of process automation solutions for warehouses and in the parcel market.
Vanderlande’s baggage handling systems are capable of moving over 4 billion pieces of baggage around the world per year. Its systems are active in more than 600 airports including 12 of the world’s top 20. More than 52 million parcels are sorted by its systems every day, which have been installed for the world’s leading parcel companies. In addition, many of the largest global e-commerce players and retailers have confidence in Vanderlande’s efficient and reliable solutions.
The company focuses on the optimisation of its customers’ business processes and competitive positions. Through close cooperation, it strives for the improvement of their operational activities and the expansion of their logistical achievements. Vanderlande’s extensive portfolio of integrated solutions – innovative systems, intelligent software and life-cycle services – results in the realisation of fast, reliable and efficient automation technology.
Established in 1949, Vanderlande has more than 7,500 employees, all committed to moving its customers’ businesses forward at diverse locations on every continent. With a consistently increasing turnover of 1.8 billion euros, it has established a global reputation over the past seven decades as a highly reliable partner for future-proof logistic process automation.
Vanderlande was acquired in 2017 by Toyota Industries Corporation, which will help it to continue its sustainable profitable growth. The two companies have a strong strategic match, and the synergies include cross-selling, product innovations, and research and development.
.png)
