Associate System Engineer

AeroVironment, Inc.; Simi Valley (CA); On-site; USD 29,000 - 44,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Paid holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is looking for an Associate Systems Engineer (Part-Time) to join the Design Team working on unmanned systems for defense and commercial applications.

You will collaborate with experienced engineers to design, develop, and integrate UAS components, while gaining hands-on experience with Digital Engineering, Docker, and Git in an agile environment. This entry-level role requires US citizenship and offers growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Must be a high school graduate
• U.S. Citizen required
• Currently enrolled or recently completed post-secondary program in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Background interest in software development, embedded software development, software testing, data analysis

Responsibilities

• Assist in designing and implementing Digital Engineering and Digital Thread solutions to connect lifecycle data across engineering domains
• Support the development of AI-ML automation models to optimize workflows and analyze complex datasets
• Collaborate with senior engineers to build, clean, and preprocess data pipelines for training ML algorithms
• Learn foundational DevOps by maintaining CI/CD pipelines
• Provide basic technical support for automated environments, troubleshooting infrastructure alerts and build failures
• Gain hands-on exposure to Docker and version control workflows using Git
• Document system requirements, testing workflows, and deployment steps to improve knowledge sharing
• Participate in agile team meetings, technical training, and cross-functional code reviews

Skills

Java

JavaScript

C++

Python

GitHub

GitLab

Docker

CI/CD

Data analysis

Unit testing

Education

High school diploma

Pursuing/completed post-secondary in CS/CE/EE

Tools

GitHub

GitLab

Docker

Job description

Worker TypeRegularJob DescriptionSummaryThe Associate Systems Engineer Part-Time (PT) position works with the Design Team to develop innovative uncrewed systems for defense and commercial applications.Candidate will work alongside experienced systems engineers to support the design, development, and integration of advanced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and their subsystems.Position ResponsibilitiesAssist in designing and implementing Digital Engineering and Digital Thread solutions to seamlessly connect lifecycle data across engineering domains.Support the development of AI-ML automation models to optimize workflows, analyze complex datasets, and streamline repetitive engineering processes.Collaborate with senior engineers to build, clean, and preprocess data pipelines necessary for training machine learning algorithms.Learn foundational DevOps methodologies by actively participating in the maintenance of continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.Provide basic technical support for automated environments, helping troubleshoot infrastructure alerts and build failures.Gain hands-on exposure to containerization tools like Docker and version control workflows using Git to manage code infrastructure.Document system requirements, testing workflows, and software deployment steps to improve team knowledge sharing.Participate in agile team meetings, technical training sessions, and cross-functional code reviews to accelerate engineering skills.Basic Qualifications (Required Skills and Experience)Must be a high school graduate.Must be a US Citizen.Currently enrolled or recently completed post-secondary program in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.Possess strong written and verbal communication skills.Strong background and interest in one or more of: software development, embedded software development, software testing, data analysis.Other Qualifications and Desired CompetenciesExperience with integrating machine learning algorithms into larger processes and systems.Competency in unit testing and debugging.Familiarity with GitHub and/or GitLab.Proficiency with object-oriented programming (e.g. Java, JavaScript, C++, Python) with the ability to write clean, well-documented code.Participation in extracurricular student engineering competitions.Physical DemandsAbility to work in both office and manufacturing environments. (constant)Ability to sit and stand for extended periods and frequently talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard. (frequent)Special RequirementsU.S. citizenship, U.S. permanent residency (Green Card) as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), is required.Must be able to travel domestically within the continental United States and internationally, if required.Clearance LevelNo ClearanceThe salary range for this role is:$21 - $32AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.ITAR Requirement:This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.Benefits: AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.Principals only need apply. NO agencies please.About AV:AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission-obsessed. The best of the best.We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve.Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next.If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.ITARU.S. Citizenship required