Avionics Intern (Winter 2027) New San Francisco

Astranis; San Francisco, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 34,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

None

Job summary

Astranis invites interns to join a hands-on program building and testing flight hardware in collaboration with the avionics team. You will design test equipment, bring up designs, and write code to evaluate performance and automate satellite testing.

This twelve-week role prioritizes hands-on craftsmanship, learning, and real-world impact on space hardware. The program targets students in electrical or computer engineering and welcomes those with Python/C++ experience who are eager to contribute

Qualifications

• Pursuing a B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. in electrical or computer engineering (or equivalent).
• Interest in learning about spacecraft systems and subsystems.
• Passion for hardware development in a fast-paced environment; hands-on design and development.
• Experience with Python and/or C++.

Responsibilities

• Work with the avionics engineering team to build and test flight hardware.
• Design test equipment to validate designs under stressed conditions.
• Bring up and debug designs in the lab.
• Write code to evaluate performance and automate testing of satellite hardware.
• Assist with low level software interfacing with spacecraft subsystems.

Skills

Python

C++

Hardware design

US Citizenship/Green Card

Education

Electrical Engineering

Computer Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

LTSpice

Soldering

Job description

Astranis builds advanced satellites for high or orbits, expanding humanity’s reach into the solar system. Today Astranis satellites provide dedicated, secure networks to highly-sophisticated customers across the globe – large enterprises, sovereign governments, and the US military.

With five satellites on orbit and many more set to launch soon, the company is servicing a backlog of more than $1 billion of commercial contracts. Astranis is the preferred satellite communications partner for buyers with stringent requirements for uptime, data security, network visibility, and customization.

Astranis has raised over $1.2 billion from some of the world’s best investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Baillie Gifford, Blackrock, Fidelity, Franklin Templeton, and Snowpoint, and employs a team of 500 engineers and entrepreneurs. Astranis designs, builds, and operates its satellites out of its 153,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Northern California, USA.

Internships at Astranis typically last for twelve weeks, and are hourly roles designed for students who are currently enrolled at a four-year university.

As an Intern, you will have an amazing opportunity to work on hard problems — we pride ourselves on giving everyone at Astranis a chance to do meaningful work on challenging projects, no matter their seniority. Many past interns have designed and tested hardware/software that is heading to space on our first satellite, and many of them are now full‑time employees at Astranis.

Role

• Work with the avionics engineering team to build and test flight hardware
• Design test equipment to validate designs across a wide range of stressed conditions
• Bring up and debug designs in the lab
• Write code to help evaluate performance and automate testing of satellite hardware
• Assist with low level software to interface with various spacecraft subsystems

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. in electrical or computer engineering (or equivalent technical degree)
• Interest in learning about, designing, and working with various spacecraft systems and subsystems
• A passion for hardware development, including working in a fast-pace environment and hands‑on design and development
• Experience with Python and/or C++
• Demonstrated ability to personally design, build, and test hardware from scratch
• US Citizenship or Green Card
• Don't meet them all? Not a problem. Please apply even if you do not meet all these criteria.

Bonus

• Experience with Altium Designer (or other PCB design software)
• Experience with SPICE-based simulators (LTSpice, PSPICE, ADS, etc)
• Comfortable with soldering and rework
• Familiarity with standard EE lab bench (power supply, oscilloscope, multimeter, etc)
• Familiarity with basic switched mode converter design (boost and buck converters)

The base pay for this position is $29.00 per hour.

Base Hourly Pay

$29 - $29 USD

U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Residency, or Refugee/Asylee Status Required

(To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3))

Our mission and products are built for everyone, regardless of gender, race, creed, or background. We believe in a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we invite all people to join our team and bring their unique perspectives to make us stronger.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Astranis’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran’s discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

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