What are the responsibilities and job description for the Future Opportunities Electrical Controls Co-Op (Summer 2026) position at The Hershey Company?
Location: Stuarts Draft, VA
Duration: Summer 2026 (Full-time Co-Op May 2026– August 2026 with possible additional 6-month rotation)
We are currently prioritizing recruitment for Summer 2026 Co-Ops. However, we do have a Fall 2026 opening as well. Please refer to the correct job posting based on your availability to complete a Co-Op or Internship.
Overview:
This Controls Engineering Co-Op has the potential for the selected candidate to work 2 consecutive rotations within the Controls Engineering department depending on your availability.
The available Intern/Co-op position would have the opportunity to begin in Summer 2026. Successive rotations would then follow school schedule for a co-op experience.
Responsibilities
This position may include but is not limited to the following:
Project Work: Under the guidance of the controls engineer, the intern may be involved in project work which may include electrical design, equipment/instrument installation, equipment/instrument checkout, project startups and maintenance troubleshooting and support.
Intern Project: Working on their own assigned project. Projects may involve developing electrical elementary drawings, writing program logic controller (PLC) programs, Human Machine Interface (HMI) screen development. Project work may also include observing existing plant processes, making recommendations, setting up a test design and working with plant operators and supervisors to troubleshoot existing systems. Researching new technologies to implement in production environments.
Other: The student intern may also gain experience in talking to vendors, equipment/instrument selection, equipment/instrument set up and training of manufacturing personnel. The intern may also work with process engineering, packaging engineering, quality assurance, industrial engineering and other Hershey personnel.
Qualifications
Major: Sophomore or junior working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Engineering Technology with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0.
Coursework: The candidate must have completed the basic or introductory courses in the following areas:
Coursework or experience in the following areas is not necessary but would be a plus:
Candidate must have a valid driver’s license.
This position may involve international travel.
Technical Skills: Ability to use basic electrical instruments such as digital multimeter, current probes and signal calibrators. The successful candidate must also have basic electrical troubleshooting experience.
Personal Skills: The successful candidate works well with others, is organized, takes initiative, is dependable, has common sense and is flexible and willing to travel.
Please be advised that The Hershey Company welcomes all applicants to internships. However, Hershey will not provide immigration-related support for these internships.
Hershey also will not provide immigration-related sponsorship (such as H-1B) for entry-level roles should you later apply for one of those roles in the future.
Duration: Summer 2026 (Full-time Co-Op May 2026– August 2026 with possible additional 6-month rotation)
We are currently prioritizing recruitment for Summer 2026 Co-Ops. However, we do have a Fall 2026 opening as well. Please refer to the correct job posting based on your availability to complete a Co-Op or Internship.
Overview:
This Controls Engineering Co-Op has the potential for the selected candidate to work 2 consecutive rotations within the Controls Engineering department depending on your availability.
The available Intern/Co-op position would have the opportunity to begin in Summer 2026. Successive rotations would then follow school schedule for a co-op experience.
Responsibilities
This position may include but is not limited to the following:
Project Work: Under the guidance of the controls engineer, the intern may be involved in project work which may include electrical design, equipment/instrument installation, equipment/instrument checkout, project startups and maintenance troubleshooting and support.
Intern Project: Working on their own assigned project. Projects may involve developing electrical elementary drawings, writing program logic controller (PLC) programs, Human Machine Interface (HMI) screen development. Project work may also include observing existing plant processes, making recommendations, setting up a test design and working with plant operators and supervisors to troubleshoot existing systems. Researching new technologies to implement in production environments.
Other: The student intern may also gain experience in talking to vendors, equipment/instrument selection, equipment/instrument set up and training of manufacturing personnel. The intern may also work with process engineering, packaging engineering, quality assurance, industrial engineering and other Hershey personnel.
Qualifications
Major: Sophomore or junior working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Engineering Technology with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0.
Coursework: The candidate must have completed the basic or introductory courses in the following areas:
- Electrical Theory
- Electronics
- Electrical Design
Coursework or experience in the following areas is not necessary but would be a plus:
- Networking
- SCADA Systems
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) Programming - Ladder Logic, Function Blocks, Structured Text
- Human Machine Interface (HMI) Development – Using Visualization Software
- Food Processing or Manufacturing
Candidate must have a valid driver’s license.
This position may involve international travel.
Technical Skills: Ability to use basic electrical instruments such as digital multimeter, current probes and signal calibrators. The successful candidate must also have basic electrical troubleshooting experience.
Personal Skills: The successful candidate works well with others, is organized, takes initiative, is dependable, has common sense and is flexible and willing to travel.
Please be advised that The Hershey Company welcomes all applicants to internships. However, Hershey will not provide immigration-related support for these internships.
Hershey also will not provide immigration-related sponsorship (such as H-1B) for entry-level roles should you later apply for one of those roles in the future.