Mechatronics intern, Machine Design and Build

Mechatronics intern, Machine Design and Build Location: Kelburn, Wellington. This role is fully on-site at our lab. The work must be done at our Kelburn lab, not remotely or from university. Hours: Up to 16 hours per week during semester, fitted around your timetable, then full-time from the end of semester through to the Christmas break. Pay: $29.90 per hour Start date: August 2026 About us Bactosure is a fast-growing Wellington technology company building automated instruments for water testing. We design our own hardware, write our own firmware, and ship real products to real customers across New Zealand and Australia. You would be working directly with the engineering team on equipment that goes into production, not a classroom exercise. The role We need a capable Mechatronics student to review and help build a machine that applies labels to plastic bags using motors and pneumatic actuators. We already have a prototype that gives you a solid starting point for the basic design, so you are refining and building on a real foundation rather than starting from a blank page. You will take it through design review, custom PCB design, parts procurement, assembly, and testing, and write the firmware that runs it. This is genuine end-to-end ownership of a working machine. If it goes well, there are several other similar projects lined up for you. We are looking for someone who wants ongoing work, not a one-off. What you will do Review the existing prototype and design, and recommend improvements to the motion and pneumatic systems Design a custom PCB for the control electronics, then source and procure the components and parts Assemble the hardware and run testing and debugging through to a reliable working unit Write and iterate the firmware, using Claude Code or similar AI-assisted tooling to move quickly Document the build so the next project can pick up from a solid base What you will bring Currently studying Mechatronics, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering Comfortable with PCB design and willing to own a board from schematic to procurement Solid firmware and embedded coding skills, ideally on microcontrollers such as ESP32 boards. Confident using AI coding tools like Claude Code to speed up firmware development Hands-on and practical, happy to assemble, wire, and test your own work Reliable, self-directed, and able to see a project through to something that actually works Nice to have Experience with pneumatics and motor control Familiarity with CAD and basic mechanical design To be considered, you must: Be currently studying, or have recently studied, science, technology, engineering, design, or business at a New Zealand tertiary education institution (degree-level, NZQA Level 6 or higher) If you have already finished study, have had your final semester end within the last 12 months Be legally entitled to work in New Zealand for the full duration of the role. International students are welcome provided your visa allows you to work here for the whole period Be available to work full-time and on-site at our Kelburn lab over the summer period Why this is worth your time You will finish with a real machine you designed, built, and coded, plus a pipeline of further projects and a strong reference. This is the kind of work that stands out on a graduate CV. #J-18808-Ljbffr