Senior Industrial Engineering Intern (Graduate Students)

The Stations, Facilities, & Structures division oversees inspections, operations, and maintenance of MBTA facilities, from stations to office buildings. As a graduate student intern and industrial engineer, you will help optimize the operations of various teams within the division and help maintain continuous improvement, focusing on user-centered, efficient, and collaborative solutions.

You will apply industrial engineering fundamentals by driving asset management programs, flow analysis, and optimization / production / capacity analyses, and, as appropriate, motion and time studies for light manufacturing processes. You will also familiarize yourself with systems, tools, and teams entrusted with ensuring Stations, Facilities, & Structures deliverables across the MBTA system.

Examples of typical projects include the following:

1. Asset Management: Developing an equipment audit strategy to validate the tagging, location, and maintenance schedule of equipment used in the organization against internal records, MBTA Finance, and Asset Management policies.
2. Production Optimization: Proposing improvements to the existing production process by identifying opportunities for optimization, through process simplification, production floor redesign, and process improvements through equipment update or automation.
3. Process Control: Identify opportunities to establish Manufacturing Execution System (MES) capabilities by looking at current production methods and identifying ways to implement control tools throughout various processes.

We are seeking a problem solver who enjoys diving deep into challenges and wants to drive innovation within the MBTA to support its overall mission.

You will receive mentorship from department leadership. Working in the Stations, Facilities, & Structures division will enable you to collaborate with teams and individuals who are redefining how the MBTA maintains its facilities to deliver a superior experience for customers and employees.

The most qualified (or ideal) candidates would already possess a bachelor’s degree and be enrolled in a master’s / graduate degree program in industrial engineering, at least one of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, and / or project management. We are looking to hire one (1) intern, who will work onsite 4 – 5 days per week (40 hours per week) for at least three months.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities 

• Work closely with operators, technicians, and maintenance personnel to optimize workflows, eliminate bottlenecks, and improve overall efficiency.
• Employ various tools for data analysis, equipment performance, process simulation, optimization modeling, and project management. Familiarity with asset management tools, or a willingness to learn on the job, is critical for this role.
• Map key business processes and identify areas of improvement, simplification, and cost reduction.
• Provide relevant data analysis to support decision-making.
• Develop robust working relationships with diverse sets of internal MBTA and external stakeholders.
• Participate in team / staff meetings, organization events, fieldwork, project teams, or other duties as needed.
• Additional responsibilities may include focusing on one or more departments or locations. See applicable addendum or hiring manager for department or location specific functions. 
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

* The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and complexity of the work being performed by staff assigned to this job and do not represent an exhaustive list of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities required of staff assigned to this position. The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here-in are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations can be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Minimum Education 

• Enrolled, for entire duration of employment, in the master’s / graduate degree program of an accredited college / university in Industrial Engineering or related field.
  • Applicants must already possess a bachelor’s degree.

Minimum Experience and Required Skills

• Interest in public transportation, public service, and making people’s lives better.
• At least one course completed in industrial engineering or related field as an undergraduate or in graduate school.
• At least one year of on-the-job experience (or related), demonstrating interest in manufacturing.
• Above average experience with planning, operations, engineering, and / or project management.
• Above average proficiency in tools and data that support planning, such as asset and database management, data visualization, simulation tools such as ARENA, and interest in software tools relevant to manufacturing and operations.
• Valid U.S. driver’s license.
• Ability to pass writing and / or Excel modeling assessment, demonstrating skills related to the position.
• Above average ability to communicate effectively in English, both in written and oral forms.
• Highly organized, motivated, and have great attention-to-detail.
• Ability to independently commute to assigned work locations in the Boston, MA metro area, as required by the role.
• Authorized to work in the United States (international students in CPT, STEM, or OPT programs through a university are eligible to apply). The MBTA does not provide visa sponsorship, such as H1-B status.

* The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and complexity of the work being performed by staff assigned to this job and do not represent an exhaustive list of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities required.