2026 Internship

Blackhornvc; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 3,031,000 - 3,857,000; Full time

Job summary

Formic, a robotics automation company in the San Francisco Bay Area, seeks an enthusiastic intern to support deployments and operational execution. You will gain hands‑on exposure to how robotic systems are built, tested, installed, and supported in live manufacturing environments.

The role emphasizes organization, documentation, and process improvement while learning across technical and non‑technical workstreams.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Robotics, Operations, Business, or a related field.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Interest in robotics, automation, manufacturing, or industrial technology.
• Comfortable using tools such as Google Workspace, Excel, Notion, Slack, or similar.
• Curious, self‑motivated, and eager to learn in a fast‑paced environment.
• Based in the greater San Francisco area and able to work onsite five days per week in Oakland, CA.

Responsibilities

• Support coordination between internal teams, external vendors, and customers
• Assist with deployment documentation, checklists, and installation readiness reviews
• Shadow customer calls and internal planning meetings and capture clear notes and action items
• Help prepare customer‑facing materials, FAQs, and onboarding documentation
• Support post‑deployment tracking, issue documentation, and follow‑up coordination
• Assist engineers and technicians with testing, setup, or validation of robotic systems
• Document edge cases, integration notes, and process improvements to improve repeatability
• Help organize and maintain SOPs, internal playbooks, and cross‑functional documentation

Skills

Strong organizational skills

Clear communication

Curious, self-motivated

On-site collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Robotics, Operations, Business, or related field

Tools

Google Workspace

Excel

Notion

Slack

Job description

Who we are:

Formic is on a mission to reshape American manufacturing by making automation accessible to every factory. As labor constraints rise, costs increase, and global competition intensifies, automation is no longer optional for manufacturers that want to stay competitive.

We deliver automation through a Robotics-as-a-Service model that combines industrial robotics, proprietary software, and full-service support into a single, integrated solution. By removing the traditional barriers of cost, complexity, and risk, we enable manufacturers to deploy automation quickly and realize measurable gains in throughput, safety, and operational efficiency without large upfront capital investment.

Backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Initialized Capital, Blackhorn Ventures, and Mitsubishi HC Capital North America, Formic is scaling rapidly and building the foundation for a new era of high-performance, Made in America production.

About the role:

As an Intern at Formic, you will support robotics deployments and operational execution while gaining hands‑on exposure to real-world automation systems. You will work across both technical and non-technical workstreams, supporting coordination, documentation, and process improvement while learning how robotic systems are built, tested, installed, and supported in live manufacturing environments.

This internship is ideal for someone who is highly organized, curious, and excited to learn how a robotics company operates at scale.

In this role you will:

• Support coordination between internal teams, external vendors, and customers
• Assist with deployment documentation, checklists, and installation readiness reviews
• Shadow customer calls and internal planning meetings and capture clear notes and action items
• Help prepare customer‑facing materials, FAQs, and onboarding documentation
• Support post‑deployment tracking, issue documentation, and follow‑up coordination
• Assist engineers and technicians with testing, setup, or validation of robotic systems
• Document edge cases, integration notes, and process improvements to improve repeatability
• Help organize and maintain SOPs, internal playbooks, and cross‑functional documentation

What makes you a great fit:

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Robotics, Operations, Business, or a related field
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities
• Clear written and verbal communication skills
• Interest in robotics, automation, manufacturing, or industrial technology
• Comfortable using tools such as Google Workspace, Excel, Notion, Slack, or similar
• Curious, self‑motivated, and eager to learn in a fast‑paced environment
• Based in the greater San Francisco area and able to work onsite five days per week in Oakland, CA

Compensation:

Internship compensation varies based on role scope, responsibilities, and legal classification under applicable federal, state, and local law. Some internships may be unpaid. Paid internships will be compensated at or above the applicable local minimum wage.

What we look for:

We’re building this company from the ground up, and every person we hire has an outsized impact on our culture, performance, and trajectory. While each team member brings unique strengths and perspectives, we look for people who align with our Operating Principles and embody them in action. If this sounds like you, Formic may be the right place for you!

• Fearless Optimism: You make bold bets and default optimistic. You believe in the mission, aren’t paralyzed by risk, and fear inaction more than failure. You see ambiguity as opportunity and bring energy to building what doesn’t yet exist.
• Create the Magic: You absorb complexity so customers don’t have to. Whether your customer is external or internal, you focus on delivering experiences that are clear, fast, value-added, and outcome‑driven. You don’t say “not my job.” You make things work.
• Today, Not Tomorrow: You have a bias to action. You close the loop. You take extreme ownership. You understand that speed compounds, and you don’t confuse activity with results.
• Seek Truth: You think from first principles. You value data over ego and strong opinions loosely held. You’re willing to challenge assumptions, including your own, in pursuit of the best answer.
• Made of Rubber: You are resolute and adaptable. When things break or priorities shift, you rebound stronger. You treat setbacks as learning moments and move forward with grit.
• One Formic: You operate without silos. You practice radical helpfulness, document clearly, and make clean handoffs. You assume positive intent and prioritize team success over individual credit.

Equal Opportunity Employment:

Formic is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, family or parental status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. All employment decisions are based on a person’s merit, business needs, and role requirements. If you require further accommodations or have questions regarding accessibility of our roles, please reach out to [e-mail].

AI Use:

At Formic, fairness and transparency are at the heart of our hiring process. We use AI‑powered tools in some interviews to help our teams evaluate candidate responses, but all final hiring decisions are made by humans. You can learn more about how AI is used in our recruitment process by reviewing our AI Hiring Disclosure linked here.