What are the responsibilities and job description for the Embedded Hardware & Controls Engineering Intern position at University of Illinois?
About Cache Energy
Cache is one of the fastest-growing and U.S. Department of Energy award-winning energy storage startups. We are developing ultra-long duration energy storage technology to help some of the largest industries on the planet decarbonize their operations.
About the role
We are seeking a highly motivated Embedded Hardware & Controls Engineering Intern to help design, build and support the electronics and control systems behind our Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience designing and bringing up embedded hardware, from schematic and PCB layout through firmware and bench testing, and is eager to learn industrial automation. In this role, you will help develop custom electronics that connect sensors, instrumentation and power equipment to our industrial control systems. You will also support the design, build and commissioning of our control panels. Prior PLC experience is not required, and we will train you. If you enjoy taking a board from a blank schematic to a working unit installed on a real system, you will thrive in this fast-paced environment. This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience across embedded electronics, power control and industrial automation while contributing to cutting-edge thermal energy projects.
Your Responsibilities
Please include links to any relevant work along with your resume, such as GitHub repositories, project portfolios, schematics, or photos of boards you have designed and built. Projects from student teams, research and personal work are all welcome.
Location: Champaign, IL, Onsite work
Hours: 10-20 hours per week during the semester; 20-40 hours per week during break
Cache is one of the fastest-growing and U.S. Department of Energy award-winning energy storage startups. We are developing ultra-long duration energy storage technology to help some of the largest industries on the planet decarbonize their operations.
About the role
We are seeking a highly motivated Embedded Hardware & Controls Engineering Intern to help design, build and support the electronics and control systems behind our Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience designing and bringing up embedded hardware, from schematic and PCB layout through firmware and bench testing, and is eager to learn industrial automation. In this role, you will help develop custom electronics that connect sensors, instrumentation and power equipment to our industrial control systems. You will also support the design, build and commissioning of our control panels. Prior PLC experience is not required, and we will train you. If you enjoy taking a board from a blank schematic to a working unit installed on a real system, you will thrive in this fast-paced environment. This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on experience across embedded electronics, power control and industrial automation while contributing to cutting-edge thermal energy projects.
Your Responsibilities
- Design embedded hardware, including schematic capture, PCB layout, component selection and BOM preparation.
- Develop and test microcontroller firmware, including bring-up, debugging and validation of prototype boards.
- Build, assemble and test boards, and integrate them with sensors, industrial I/O and control panels.
- Support the design, wiring, documentation and commissioning of electrical control panels.
- Assist with PLC and HMI programming for our industrial control systems.
- Troubleshoot hardware and control issues on the bench and on site, and document designs, test results and procedures.
- Take ownership of assigned projects from concept to working hardware.
- Energy, Drive, and Speed
- Hands-on and safety-minded, comfortable working with lab equipment and industrial electrical systems.
- Ability to approach problems methodically and leverage technical knowledge for practical solutions.
- Works effectively both independently and in a team environment.
- Pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree in Electrical, Computer or Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience designing and building embedded hardware, such as PCBs you have designed and brought up through coursework, research, student teams or personal projects.
- Strong understanding of analog and digital circuits, power supplies and microcontrollers.
- Experience programming microcontrollers in C/C .
- Comfortable using an oscilloscope, multimeter, bench supply and soldering iron.
- Experience with PLCs, industrial communication protocols, control panel wiring or power electronics is a plus.
- Experience with Python for testing or data analysis is a plus.
Please include links to any relevant work along with your resume, such as GitHub repositories, project portfolios, schematics, or photos of boards you have designed and built. Projects from student teams, research and personal work are all welcome.
Location: Champaign, IL, Onsite work
Hours: 10-20 hours per week during the semester; 20-40 hours per week during break