INTERNSHIP DETAILS

Quality Intern - Summer 2027

CompanyMacLean-Fogg
LocationSterling
Work ModeOn Site
PostedSeptember 28, 2026
Internship Information
Core Responsibilities
The Quality Intern will collaborate with engineering and production teams to investigate defects, analyze process data, and implement quality improvements. They will take ownership of a specific project and present findings and recommendations to facility leadership at the end of the program.
Internship Type
intern
Company Size
1281
Visa Sponsorship
No
Language
English
Working Hours
40 hours
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About The Company
MacLean-Fogg is a fourth-generation, family-owned American manufacturing company headquartered in Mundelein, Illinois. Founded in 1925, the company designs and manufactures American-made engineered metal and plastic components and systems serving automotive, industrial equipment, material handling, renewable energy, construction, heavy equipment, and infrastructure markets. With approximately 2,400 employees across U.S.-based manufacturing facilities, MacLean-Fogg works side-by-side with customers to turn requirements into manufacturable solutions through practical engineering, disciplined operations, and reliable delivery. The company is led by President and CEO Duncan MacLean. His father and former CEO, Barry MacLean, serves as Chairman of the Board, continuing a century of family stewardship and reinvestment in American manufacturing. MacLean-Fogg operates through a portfolio of specialized businesses. MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions provides engineered components through core process expertise including cold forming, cold extrusion, hot forging, warm forming, precision machining, automated assembly, and injection and insert molding, alongside fastener, plastic, and additive manufacturing solutions. Threadstrong serves the aftermarket and direct-to-consumer market with high-performance fasteners developed in partnership with MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions. OMCO expands structural and fabricated metal capability through Roll Forming Plus, OMCO Solar, and OMCO Fabrication. Mallard Manufacturing designs and produces engineered pallet flow and carton flow storage systems for manufacturing and distribution facilities.
About the Role
  • Location: Sterling, Illinois

  • Pay: $28.00 per hour

  • Program start: Tuesday, May 25, 2027, with limited flexibility for academic calendars

  • Duration: 10 weeks, with the possibility of extending up to two additional weeks based on business needs and intern availability

  • Schedule: Full time, 40 hours per week, on site

Help Build Quality into Every Part

As a Quality Intern at MacLean-Fogg, you will connect what you are learning in the classroom with the products and processes behind a manufacturing business. You will work with quality professionals, engineers, and production teams to understand requirements, investigate problems, and help make products and processes more consistent.

You will take ownership of a meaningful project with guidance from an experienced team. Depending on your assignment, you might analyze defect trends, investigate a recurring issue, improve an inspection method, or make quality information easier to use. At the end of the program, you will present your work, findings, and recommendations to facility leadership.

One application connects you with the Quality internship assignments available at this manufacturing facility. Tell us which areas interest you. We will consider your interests, coursework, and experience alongside available projects and business needs.

Quality Areas You Could Explore

Assignments vary by manufacturing facility and may include:

  • Quality Engineering and Problem-Solving: Investigate defects, help identify causes, and support actions that prevent problems from recurring.

  • Measurement, Inspection, and Testing: Learn how teams check product requirements, use measurement tools, and document reliable results.

  • Quality Data and Process Improvement: Analyze trends in defects, scrap, or rework and help teams evaluate opportunities for improvement.

  • Quality Systems and Documentation: Help improve inspection instructions, records, and processes that support consistent work and traceability.

  • Supplier and Customer Quality: Support the review of quality concerns, organize evidence, and help teams track follow-up actions.

You do not need prior experience in these areas. Not every assignment is available at every location.

What You Will Do

  • Learn the products, processes, and quality requirements relevant to your assignment.

  • Gather and organize measurements, observations, and other evidence to understand a problem.

  • Use spreadsheets or other tools to identify patterns and communicate findings.

  • Work with team members to investigate causes and evaluate potential improvements.

  • Support testing or verification of changes under the guidance of qualified team members.

  • Document your work accurately, ask questions when results are unclear, and raise concerns promptly.

  • Follow safety procedures, required training, and instructions for working in manufacturing and laboratory areas.

  • Share project progress, seek feedback, and present your results and recommendations.

What You Bring

  • Enrollment in a bachelor's or master's degree program in engineering, engineering technology, quality technology, materials science, statistics, or a closely related technical field.

  • Interest in manufacturing, product quality, measurement, or process improvement.

  • A thoughtful approach to solving problems and checking your work.

  • Willingness to ask questions, learn from feedback, and work with people in different roles.

  • Ability to organize information and explain your reasoning clearly.

  • Availability for a full-time, on-site summer internship. Limited start-date flexibility may be available for academic calendars.

All college class levels are welcome. Previous internship experience is not required. Coursework, labs, projects, volunteering, student activities, and other jobs can demonstrate your potential.

Helpful, but Not Required

  • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

  • Coursework or projects involving statistics, measurement, manufacturing, materials, or process improvement.

  • Experience using Excel or another tool to organize and analyze data.

  • Exposure to drawings, measurement tools, inspection methods, or structured problem-solving.

What You Will Gain

  • Ownership of a project with a clear business purpose and defined deliverable.

  • Coaching and feedback from experienced team members.

  • Practical experience working with manufacturing data, products, and processes.

  • Opportunities to collaborate across functions and present your work to leadership.

  • A closer look at potential career paths in Quality and manufacturing.

Housing Assistance

At approved locations, eligible interns may receive a one-time $3,000 taxable housing allowance. To qualify, your available summer residence must be more than 50 miles from the worksite, you must need temporary housing for the internship, and you cannot receive equivalent company-provided housing or relocation support. Payment occurs after the internship begins and required documentation is complete.

Key Skills
Quality engineeringProblem-solvingData analysisMeasurement toolsInspection methodsProcess improvementTechnical documentationStatistical analysisManufacturing processesProject managementCommunicationCollaborationAttention to detailMicrosoft Excel
Categories
ManufacturingEngineeringData & Analytics
Benefits
Housing allowance