Mechanical Engineer (Spring 2027 Co-op)

What We're Looking For

We're looking for a Mechanical Engineering Co-op to join our team at FAB1, our first full-scale microfactory in Billerica, MA, this fall. This role is built for someone who loves the full loop of engineering: sketch it, model it, build it, test it, and fix it - fast. You'll rotate across active projects on our Mechanical Engineering team, working alongside engineers designing the workcells, fixturing, and production infrastructure that make our factory run.

This is a hands-on role. You'll spend real time in the shop - cutting, welding, printing, and machining your own parts - not just handing drawings off to someone else. We move quickly here, so we need someone who can take a rough idea, iterate on it in CAD, get a physical version in hand, and improve it based on what they learn, on a tight timeline.

What You'll Do

• Design and Iterate Fast: Take on real mechanical design problems across FAB1 projects - fixtures, workstations, material handling, tooling - and move quickly from concept to CAD to working prototype.
• Build What You Design: Fabricate and assemble your own prototypes and production hardware using mills, lathes, laser cutters, welders, 3D printers, and standard shop tools.
• Rotate Across Projects: Work across multiple active workstreams on the ME team rather than a single fixed project, picking up context quickly and contributing wherever the team needs hands and ideas.
• Test and Improve: Validate your designs on the shop floor, troubleshoot what doesn't work, and iterate toward a production-ready result.
• Support Documentation: Produce clear CAD models and basic technical drawings that a teammate or vendor could build from.
• Learn the Full Stack: Get exposure to how mechanical design connects to robotics, automation, and factory operations in a live manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a BS in Mechanical Engineering or a related field; junior or senior standing preferred.
• Solid CAD skills (Onshape, SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or similar) and the ability to go from a rough idea to a modeled part quickly.
• Comfortable and safe operating shop tools and equipment - mills, lathes, laser cutters, welding, 3D printing, hand and power tools.
• A fast learner who can pick up new tools, processes, and project context with minimal ramp-up.
• Bias toward action: you'd rather build a rough prototype and learn from it than perfect a design on paper.
• Strong communicator who works well within a team and can take direction from multiple engineers across rotating projects.
• Available for a full-time, semester-length co-op in Billerica, MA this fall.

Nice to Have

• Prior shop, machine design, or robotics club/competition experience (FSAE, FRC, Baja SAE, etc.).
• Experience with sheet metal, weldments, or basic structural design.
• Exposure to manufacturing, construction, or factory automation environments.
• Familiarity with GD&T fundamentals.