Internship Program Executive Summary

The Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. Intern Program provides students the opportunity to learn and gain practical experience in a hands-on environment within a leading equipment manufacturer in the water and wastewater industry. Students are immersed into the work environment and given real project responsibilities to complete during their internship. These projects provide a wealth of real-world experience, which allows interns to apply knowledge that contributes to the overall success of the business while they develop skills related to their program of study. 

Aqua-Aerobic Systems is a growing company with many technological and personal development opportunities. Past interns have continued on with the company for additional internships and full time positions after graduation. We’re continually looking for new talent to join our community and help to further our mission of making a good company a great one. 

This position will be onsite at Aqua-Aerobic Systems, Inc. in Loves Park, IL.

Aqua-Aerobic Systems is offering internships in several disciplines during the upcoming summer season. Each intern shall undertake activities necessary to the success of the business, as suited to the department they are selected for. 

Departments with internship positions available include Applications Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Human Resources, Information Technology, Marketing, Mechanical Engineering, or Research and Development. Please indicate your preference when you apply. 

Within the selected department, the intern shall meet with their manager and an in-department mentor on a routine basis to discuss the progress and particulars of the assigned tasks. Throughout the term of the internship, the intern’s responsibilities will vary depending on the needs of the department to which they are assigned, however each intern will be solely responsible for their assigned project(s). While input and advice will be available when requested, each intern will be responsible for making critical decisions and managing the work. 

Each intern will be expected to summarize their contributions and growth in written and/or verbal format(s) at the conclusion of the program. 

As they close out their summer, top performers may also be offered a part-time, remote position during the following academic year, continuing with similar responsibilities. 

Aqua-Aerobic Systems places a high value on continued innovation, and demonstrates this through our ongoing research and development of new products and technologies and further development of our existing capabilities to service customers now and in the future. The opportunities listed below are integral to this continued innovation. The exact scope of each internship will depend on the status of our ongoing endeavors at the start of the internship. 

Department Objective: To evaluate design requests and assist in the pre-sale design and costing of water and wastewater treatment equipment, and to provide technical assistance to both Internal and External Customers including Consulting Engineers, end users, Plant Operators, Sales Representatives, Cost Estimating, and Customer Service with the end goal of securing systems orders for the company.

Interns within the Applications Engineering department may be tasked with the following:

• Evaluate design requests and assist in the preparation of preliminary designs and costing of wastewater treatment equipment for biological and filtration treatment systems.
• Determine electrical and mechanical equipment costs for preliminary process designs.
• Performs operations, testing and reporting within pilot studies to meet objectives in coordination with other departments, at customer sites. 
• Provide technical assistance to Internal and External clients including Consulting Engineers, End Users, Plant Operators, Sales Representatives, Sales Cost Estimating, and Customer Service.

Prior coursework in wastewater systems is strongly encouraged for this position.

       Department Objective: To generate electrical designs and control programs to satisfy electrical contractual obligations based on review of customer’s project documents; to assist in troubleshooting field problems and provide technical support to Internal and External Customers. 

       Interns within the Electrical Engineering department may be tasked with the following:

• Develop and test project specific PLC, HMI interface and SCADA programs to satisfy contract requirements. 
• Design and/or inspect full scale control panels and/or equipment for specification compliance and functionality.
• Support Development and Maintenance of Electrical and Programming Standards of new pilot and product commissioning. 

Working knowledge of PLC & HMI Programming software is required for this position.

Department Objective: The Human Resources Department supports organizational success by attracting, developing, and retaining talent while fostering employee engagement, compliance, and a positive workplace culture for all employees.

Interns within the Information Services department may be tasked with the following:

•  Assist with the full life cycle of the recruitment and onboarding process
•  Conduct research on the latest HR trends and best practices
•  Propose an employee engagement opportunity
•  Involvement with HR compliance and regulatory requirements

Department Objective: To recommend, evaluate, test, order, receive, install, troubleshoot and maintain PC/Network hardware and software solutions for internal customers. 

Interns within the Information Services department may be tasked with the following:

• Perform upgrades to and troubleshooting of software, firmware and hardware systems, while coordinating with internal customers and external vendors. 
• Conduct research on hardware and software upgrades
• Keep department knowledge up to date on PC/Network security threats and trends, utilizing virus, spamware and malware software to remove security threat from PC/Network. 

Current networking knowledge, familiarity with Windows operating Systems and Microsoft Exchange, and MPC and Network certification is preferred for this position.

Department Objective: To coordinate and support the company’s seminar program, annual trade shows, and support the sales and marketing efforts for the company’s product lines along various avenues with communications to customers, reps and internal staff. 

Interns within the Marketing department may be tasked with the following:

• Assist with the coordination of variously formatted seminars, tradeshows, and other events throughout the summer.
• Aid in the generation & alteration of marketing materials for new and existing product lines.

Due to the nature of the department, candidates for this position must have access to a vehicle throughout their term of employment (mileage reimbursement available).

Department Objective: To conduct design work for new and existing Company products while being responsible for the accuracy and utility of all drawings. To create Bills of Materials, Operation and Maintenance Manuals, and all design calculations required both for the initial design and subsequent production, and provide technical assistance to Manufacturing, Sales and Customer Service.

Interns within the Mechanical Engineering department may be tasked with the following:

• Prepare and review layout drawings for new and existing products.
• Produce Bills of Materials for installations and assemblies.
• Maintain records and Engineering Standards.

Working knowledge of AutoCAD and/or SolidWorks is required for this position.

Department Objective: To conduct applied research on existing products and new technologies in the fields of wastewater treatment, reclamation and water treatment. To manage the execution of pilot studies to meet objectives in coordination with other departments, and facilitate testing at customer sites, producing documentation that may be used for internal and external purposes. 

Interns within the Research & Development department may be tasked with the following:

• Manage data collection and interpretation to prepare effective, meaningful statistical evaluations, graphs, and tabulations within written and oral reports for accessibility by other internal departments, and external customers. 
• Use and maintain process simulation and modeling tools to support internal departments.

Due to the location of testing services, candidates for this position must have access to a vehicle throughout their term of employment (mileage reimbursement available).

Each intern may also have the opportunity for additional experience within Aqua-Aerobic Systems as time permits. These may include working within one of the above departments outside of the intern’s focus, as described above. Opportunities for travel to wastewater treatment plants, or consulting engineer offices may also arise. 

While the start and end dates are somewhat flexible, each intern should plan to begin their program within two weeks of the end of their term (finals included), and should plan on finishing their program within two weeks of the first day of instruction for their fall term. Throughout the summer, the intern will be expected to be present for 40 hours/week spread across weekdays during normal business hours. Occasionally, evening events may also occur. 

Salary: $22.00 - $25.00 per hour