Mechanical Engineer CO OP Counce Mill Fall

As a Fortune 500 company, Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) is an ideas and solutions company. Its corrugated packaging business seeks to be the leader in helping customers—large and small—to package, transport and display products of all kinds. Its white paper business delivers Paper With Purpose by providing the highest level of customer service and operational excellence. With approximately 15,000 team members in more than 100 locations in the United States, PCA strives to meet the local needs of its 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.

This position is for three rotating terms. Students will sign up in the co‑op program at their school.

• 1 Project Mechanical Engineering co‑op starting in Fall 2026.
• 1 Project Mechanical Engineering co‑op starting in Spring 2027.
• 1 Reliability Mechanical Engineering co‑op starting in Fall 2026.

You will work in Project Engineering (Capital Projects) or Reliability (Maintenance). One co‑op is needed for each area.

You will be immersed in a high‑energy, innovative culture—doing meaningful work, managing projects, and making decisions from the moment you walk into the mill. Daily interactions with PCA personnel in Engineering and Operations will sharpen your communication skills and strengthen your leadership qualities.

Your responsibilities include working on various capital projects throughout the mill. Each semester will involve different projects due to mill outage time frames. You will learn the project process from funding request through completion of the job. Skills gained or improved include planning/estimating, introduction to engineering design, contractor field oversight, AutoCAD, PCA’s CMMS program called TRIDENT, Microsoft Office, and working with multi‑discipline teams.

You will be immersed in a high‑energy, innovative culture—doing meaningful work, managing projects, and making decisions from the moment you walk into the mill. Daily interactions with PCA personnel in Maintenance and Operations will sharpen your communication skills and strengthen your leadership qualities.

As a reliability co‑op you will be mentored by Area Reliability Engineers and act as a resource on daily troubleshooting issues. You will work on special project assignments with Reliability Engineers, teaching responsibility and communication skills.

Your focus will be on predictive and preventive maintenance techniques to improve equipment reliability. Examples include lubrication techniques, optical alignment, and vibration analysis. You will learn best‑practice maintenance and assist in root‑cause failure analysis to resolve equipment failures. You will also have the opportunity to work with a variety of equipment and explore a wide range of working environments. Second and third term students will receive additional duties to further their development.

Must be currently enrolled at one of the following universities and majoring in mechanical engineering or a related field, with completion of the freshman year:

• Mississippi State University
• The University of Mississippi
• Auburn University
• University of Alabama
• University of Maine
• University of Cincinnati
• University of North Carolina State
• Texas A&M University
• University of Miami Ohio
• Tennessee Technology University
• Any University of Tennessee

Minimum GPA of 3.0 / 4.0 is required and applicants must be permanent U.S. residents.

Preferred
:
Students who sign up for interviews through their university during career fairs and on‑campus interview days will be given first consideration.

• Starting salary: $26–$30 per hour.
• Paid holidays.
• Within the first 30 days of employment, an employee (and their dependents) is eligible to enroll in certain benefits 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 401(k) plan, which 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  to be considered.