
Mechanical Engineering Co Op/Intern - All Mills
Packaging Corporation of America
International Falls, MNFull-time$25–30/hrSeen 1w agoSeen in employer's feed 4 days ago
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Job overview
Packaging Corporation of America is seeking mechanical engineering co-op/intern candidates for reliability or project engineering assignments at its mills. The work supports mill safety, efficiency, equipment performance, and cost effectiveness. Reliability work includes maintenance techniques and mill-data analysis; project work includes capital-project support and use of engineering tools and systems. Applicants must meet the stated GPA, residency, driver’s license, major, and freshman-year criteria.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
Job Duties
As a Fortune 500 company, Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) is an ideas and solutions company. Our corrugated packaging business seeks to be the leader in helping our customers - large and small - package, transport and display products of all kinds. Our white paper business delivers Paper With Purpose by providing the highest level of customer service and operational excellence. We have approximately 15,000 team members in more than 100 locations in the United States that strive to meet the local needs of our customers. Our mission is to serve the needs of our customers, today and tomorrow, with products and services that exceed expectations for performance and environmental responsibility.
People * Customers * Trust
Mechanical Reliability and Project Engineering Co Op/Intern
We are seeking resumes for a mechanical engineering co-op. This application may lead to two potential job titles depending on mill needs: a mechanical reliability engineering co-op and a mechanical project engineering co-op. The primary responsibilities for both are detailed below.
Mechanical Reliability Engineering Co-Op
Support mechanical reliability assignments that improve mill safety, efficiency, equipment performance, and cost effectiveness.
Apply predictive and preventive maintenance techniques, such as lubrication practices, optical alignment, vibration analysis, and root cause failure analysis to improve equipment reliability.
Collect, analyze, and use mill data to support process optimization, troubleshooting, operational cost tracking, quality, product safety, and business decision-making.
Work with engineering, maintenance, operations, outside resources, and multi-disciplinary teams to coordinate improvement efforts and support mill operations.
Additional duties as requested by management.
Mechanical Project Engineering Co-Op
Support mechanical project engineering assignments that improve mill safety, efficiency, equipment performance, and cost effectiveness.
Assist with capital projects from funding request through completion, including planning, estimating, engineering design exposure, contractor field oversight, and project coordination.
Use tools and systems such as AutoCAD, Microsoft Office, process information systems, and PCA's CMMS program, Trident, to complete engineering and reliability work.
Work with engineering, maintenance, operations, outside resources, and multi-disciplinary teams to coordinate improvement efforts and support mill operations.
Additional duties as requested by management.
Basic Qualifications:
Required:
A minimum grade point average of 3.0/4.0 is required and must be a permanent U.S. resident with a valid driver's license. Must be majoring in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, or a related field and have completed freshman year or will have completed freshman year at time of co-op or internship.
Preferred:
Currently a member of the paper foundation at the following schools: Auburn University, Georgia Tech University, University of Maine, Miami University (Ohio), University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, NC State University, SUNY ESF, University of Washington - Seattle, Western Michigan University, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, or currently enrolled at any State University or Technological University in the following states: AL, FL, GA, IL, ID, LA, MI, MN, MS, NC, ND, OH, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI. Students that sign up for interviews during the Career Fairs and On-Campus Interview days at the schools listed will be given first consideration.
Completing this application makes you eligible for consideration at any of PCA's 10 mill locations as follows:
Counce, TN
Deridder, LA
Filer City, MI
International Falls, MN
Jackson, AL
Massillon, OH
Riverville, VA
Tomahawk, WI
Valdosta, GA
Wallula, WA
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Starting salary for position: $25-$30 per hour
Paid Holidays.
Within the first 30 days of employment, an employee (and their dependents) is eligible to enroll in certain benefit coverages -- medical, dental, and vision - and are automatically enrolled in life, AD&D, and disability coverages.
Upon hire, an employee is automatically enrolled in the 401k plan. The plan offers both pre-tax and Roth contribution options along with employer provided matching contributions.
Disclaimer: The Compensation and Benefits information in this posting represents PCA's good faith and reasonable estimate of what it may pay for this position. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.
PCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Qualified Applicants must apply at careers.packagingcorp.com to be considered.
PCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories.
Minimum Education Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent
Minimum Experience Required
None
Shift
First (Day)
Number of Openings
1
Public Transportation Accessible
Yes
Veterans Encouraged to Apply
No
Physical Required
Yes
Drug Test Required
Yes
Compensation
$25.00 - $30.00 / Hourly
Postal Code
56649
Job Type
Full Time
Place of Work
On-site
Requisition ID
62853
Job Benefits
Not specified
How this job compares
Set against the 1,734 open Mechanical Engineering jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 4, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$25–30/hr
- Minnesota median$23–28/hr21 hourly ranges
- US median$25–32/hr274 hourly ranges
This range's midpoint, $27.50/hr, is 10% above the Minnesota median midpoint ($25/hr) — in the middle half of Mechanical Engineering hourly ranges in Minnesota.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 42 open Mechanical Engineering jobs in Minnesota and 1,734 across the US. 2% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Minnesota
- nVent3 open
- Oracle3 open
- Bracco Medical Technologies2 open
- Experience
- Mechanical Engineering postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 3 to 8 years (968 postings).
- Education
- 763 of the 1,734 open Mechanical Engineering jobs (44%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 4, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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