Mechanical Engineering Intern

As a mechanical intern on our engineering team, you will play a critical role on our team, increasing production rate, quality, and safety by:

• Evaluating potential solutions for product and process inefficiencies with technical analysis and prototyping, and validating economic feasibility through business principles with management.
• Designing and managing large assembly models, overseeing configuration management, and document control in accordance with ASME standards.
• Implementing design-build improvements and carrying change implementations through Engineering Change Order Processes on a live production line.
• Operating cross-functionally with manufacturing, quality, and industrial systems teams for cohesive engineering execution.
• Maintain Bill of Materials (EBOM, MBOM, PBOM) and alignment with ERPsystems.
• Work alongside Supply Chain with contracted manufacturers/suppliers.
• Coordinating design solutions with various Architectural, Structural, MEP, Inspection Teams and following through with submittals to city and state government agencies.
• Undergoing Root Cause Analysis to elevate the current production process and design features to identify possible pain points.
• Apply industry-standard Automotive and Aerospace Manufacturing principles to an antiquated construction industry.
• Identifying and fixing product and process inefficiencies
• Fabricating and integrating precision tooling into the production line
• Solving difficult technical problems to optimize for our ultimate goal of reducing the cost of housing in Southern California

Program Details:

• Duration: (Jan-March) three months
• Location: 800 E 111th Place, Los Angeles, CA 90059
• Compensation: $20.00 per hour
• Schedule: 8:30 am-4:30 pm
• Monday to Thursday.

ABOUT MODEL/Z

Model/Z was started in 2024 to design and build affordable housing at a rate, cost, and quality unknown to the industry. The Model/Z product and process is designed to produce a high-quality, low-cost, net-zero ready, and most importantly, standardized, modular housing product. Model/Z is a Black-owned and operated business based in Southern California that will deliver between 1,000 – 1,500 modular housing units per year by 2025. We offer a rapidly growing, fast-paced environment which is intellectually challenging and extremely rewarding and fulfilling as we collectively aim to solve Model/Z’s affiliate, SoLa Impact is a real estate private equity firm with a double bottom line strategy focused on preserving, rehabbing, and building high-quality affordable housing in Black and brown communities. SoLa is Southern California's largest for-profit affordable housing developer and is currently in construction on over 2,000 affordable housing units across Southern California. SoLa currently owns and manages over $1.2 billion of multifamily assets, almost all of which are in low-income, black and brown communities.

• Pursuing B.S. in mechanical engineering or similar discipline

• Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals
• Basic machine shop build/fabrication experience
• 1+ year of experience in mechanical design or build (internship and project experience counts)
• Experienced using 3D mechanical design, analysis, and drafting tools (Autodesk Inventor, NX, CATIA, SolidWorks, ANSYS, etc.)
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Passion for reducing homelessness in Southern California

NICE TO HAVE QUALIFICATIONS

• Pursuing advanced degree in mechanical engineering
• Advanced fabrication experience (CNC machining, welding, precision assembly)