Manufacturing Coating & Bonding Intern

Body Shop Intern

At Slate, we're building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them.

The Body Shop Intern will support the manufacturing engineering team in maintaining and improving vehicle body assembly processes. This role is designed for students or recent graduates seeking hands-on experience in automotive manufacturing, with exposure to production support, process optimization, and cross-functional collaboration on the plant floor.

Production Support & Learning

• Assist in monitoring day-to-day production operations to ensure safety, quality, and throughput targets are met.
• Support engineers and production teams in troubleshooting basic process issues on the body line.
• Participate in data collection related to downtime, scrap, and rework.
• Observe and learn how running changes are implemented in a production environment.

Process Improvement Exposure

• Support time studies, line balancing activities, and bottleneck identification.
• Assist in documenting opportunities for process improvements.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives (Lean / Six Sigma projects).

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with Production, Quality, Maintenance, and Dimensional teams to understand plant operations.
• Gather feedback from operators and team leaders to identify improvement opportunities.
• Support root cause analysis activities and corrective action tracking.

Quality & Safety Awareness

• Learn and follow established quality standards and manufacturing procedures.
• Support monitoring of key process parameters under guidance of senior engineers.
• Adhere to all safety and environmental requirements on the shop floor.

Documentation & Reporting

• Assist in updating process documentation, work instructions, and standard operating procedures.
• Help track basic production and process performance metrics.
• Document observations and findings from assigned projects.

Education

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field.

Skills

• Strong interest in automotive manufacturing and production systems.
• Basic understanding of engineering principles and problem-solving methods.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Excel and data analysis is a plus.
• Exposure to Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma concepts is a plus (not required).
• Strong communication skills and willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work on-site in a manufacturing environment.

Real-world experience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment

Exposure to Lean manufacturing, process engineering, and continuous improvement tools

Opportunities to lead small projects and present findings to engineering leadership Mentorship from experienced engineers and cross-functional teams

A deeper understanding of how products are built, scaled, and optimized

Hands-on experience within the body shop

Opportunity to convert to a full-time role based on performance and business needs.

At Slate, we're fueled by grit, determination, and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, and mutual respect, and is motivated by shared principles.

• Safety First
• Delight Customers
• One Team
• Relentless Improvement
• Fast, Frugal, and Scrappy
• Respectful Collaboration
• Positive Legacy

Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.

Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected].