2026 Summer Intern: Operations Support (Defense)

Flight begins at Spirit AeroSystems, where our products are taking off somewhere around the world every minute of every day. We design and build large structural parts for the world's premier commercial aircraft (think Boeing and Airbus), as well as top Defense and other cutting-edge programs.

Spirit AeroSystems is a global company headquartered in Wichita, Kansas with a diverse work force spread across three continents. Our Summer Internship Program has been rated a US Top 100 Internship Program, and this is based on our program focusing on meaningful projects/work, intern professional development, social activities, career shadowing opportunities, mentoring support, and our history of offering interns full time positions. At Spirit AeroSystems we are focused on inventing, designing, and building what's best in aerospace and we welcome you to consider joining us in this endeavor!

Responsibilities:

Flight begins with you at Spirit AeroSystems, a place where you can explore your interests and grow your career by working on impactful projects. As an Engineering intern, you will work in one of these disciplines:

Methods Analyst:

• Determines the labor and machine resources required to accomplish production tasks
• Uses time standards to establish, measure, monitor, and adjust the resource capacity limits or levels necessary to execute the production plan
• Develops and uses time standards
• Reports on capacity constraints that may hinder the completion of the production plan and provides methodologies to overcome those constraints
• Performs detail shop scheduling and reporting to ensure production deliverables are completed to support downstream customers

Manufacturing Planner:

• Implements fabrication, assembly, or installation of manufacturing plans by coordinating with suppliers, engineering, and manufacturing teams
• Has the ability to demonstrate configuration control of the hardware, within the manufacturing build-plan
• Understanding the application of principles, concepts, practices, and standards of industry practices
• Knowledge to develop tooling, interchangeability, replacement, and functional test plans
• Using the established manufacturing process flow, defines sequences of events, develops text and graphics work instructions, manufacturing datasets, tooling requirements, and manufacturing bills of material
• Communicates with engineering teams to influence and clarify design concepts. Coordinates change incorporation, optimizes processes, addresses producibility issues, production & post-production problems
• Coordinates with a variety of other organizations
• Ability to apply process knowledge in one or more of the following areas: Composite non-metallic, Machining, Sheet metal, and Structures
• Some experience with CATIA V5, SAP, Right Hemisphere or equivalent
• Must be willing to work in the manufacturing environment

Operations Support Specialist:

• Provides guidance to the build-plan including methods and techniques, sequence of steps, tool plans, layouts, etc.
• Responsible for keeping up with industry best practices and implementing them within operations
• Develop labor hour estimates as well as tooling and build concepts for new bid proposals
• Provides expertise in production engineering disciplines
• Apply principles and practices typically associated with quality engineering, industrial engineering, and manufacturing engineering functions and coordinates with other support disciplines or core functions as required
• Develops quality and cost-effective methods, standards, and systems for production by applying production engineering principles
• Leads and participates in long-range technical research on proposed projects
• Provides guidance to less experienced manufacturing support staff

There are multiple opportunities in each area listed above. If you are selected to be an intern on this requisition, we will place you in an above area based on your top preferences and the needs of the business.

Also, should you be selected as a 2026 Spirit AeroSystems Summer Intern, you will have exposure to several activities including:

• Multiple Manufacturing Plant Tours
• Professional development workshops
• Project Expo (An opportunity to present an intern project for Executive Leaders)
• Social/Networking Events

Requirements:

• You must be a US Person (US Citizen or US Permanent Resident)
• You must be enrolled full time in a university degree program aligned to the area of internship.
• You must be a current sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student in good academic standing.

Spirit AeroSystems is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected factor under federal, state or local law.