Electrical/Avionics Engineering Intern

Astro Mechanica; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive hourly pay

Mentorship from engineers

Team activities

Job summary

Astro Mechanica is seeking an in-person Electrical Engineering/Avionics intern for Summer 2027 in San Francisco. You will help design, build, and validate avionics subsystems for engines and aircraft, bridging hardware and software with mentorship from senior engineers.

Expect hands-on experience on real flight hardware and cross-discipline problem solving at a formative development stage. The role emphasizes fault-tolerant design, subsystem testing, and a strong test-to-flight mindset.

Qualifications

• Pursuing aBachelor's/Master's/PhD in Electrical Engineering or related field
• Hands-on experience with electrical or avionics systems
• Experience with wire harnesses, connectors, soldering or crimping
• Familiarity with sensors and electronic components
• Proficiency with electrical test equipment (multimeters, scopes)
• Exposure to schematic capture or PCB design tools (Altium, KiCad)
• Scripting in Python, Bash or similar for automation
• Familiarity with embedded systems and comms protocols (CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet)

Responsibilities

• Assist design and build-out of electrical avionics systems for flight hardware and test beds
• Select and analyze electrical avionics components and integration
• Design, build, and test wire harnesses and sub-components
• Install, configure, and troubleshoot sensors and components
• Write scripts/tools to automate testing and data collection
• Support subsystem and integration testing and analyze data against requirements
• Collaborate with software, GNC, propulsion, and structures engineers on interfaces
• Own a scoped project and present results at internship end

Skills

Electrical design

Avionics systems

Python scripting

Soldering/Crimping

Electrical test equipment

CAN/SPI/I2C/UART

Education

Bachelor/Master/PhD in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

Altium

KiCad

Job description

ABOUT US:

Astro Mechanica is a vertically integrated aerospace company developing a scalable technology platform to power critical infrastructure, mission operations, and the future of flight. We apply aerospace engineering and quality standards across our products, delivering high performance, reliability, and efficiency for the most demanding operating environments. Astro Mechanica is backed by leading venture and strategic investors, including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Giant Step Capital, United Airlines Ventures, and Voyager Ventures.

WHO WE ARE:

We're a team of passionate engineers dedicated to advancing aerospace. We're generalists with specialist depth, united by a flat structure and a shared obsession with building things that work well. We move fast, stay pragmatic, and let engineering excellence speak louder than hierarchy.

WHO YOU ARE:

Astro Mechanica is seeking an intern to join our Electrical Engineering and Avionics Team for the summer of 2027 (program begins on June 7, 2027 for semester schools and June 27, 2027 for quarter schools). The ideal candidate is excited to help design, build, and improve the electrical subsystems for our engines and aircraft. Your work will bridge hardware and software at a formative stage of development and will involve frequent cross-discipline problem solving. As an intern, you'll be embedded with the avionics team in San Francisco, working on real flight and test hardware alongside full-time engineers.

In this role, your mission will be to help take avionics designs from concept through validation, with mentorship from senior engineers along the way. You'll learn how to build avionics that interface reliably with other systems using fault-tolerant design, and how to prove them out through rigorous subsystem and integration testing before anything leaves the ground. You embody the test-like-you-fly philosophy.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Support the design and build-out of electrical avionics systems, including in-house designed boards, for flight hardware and ground test infrastructure, including hardware-in-the-loop test beds
• Assist with electrical avionics component selection, analysis, and integration
• Design, build, and test wire harnesses and associated sub-components
• Install, configure, and troubleshoot sensors and electronic components
• Write scripts and tools (e.g., Python, Bash) to automate testing, data collection, and hardware bring-up
• Support subsystem and integration testing, and analyze data to verify requirements and performance
• Work with software, GNC, propulsion, and structures engineers to define and support electrical interfaces
• Own a scoped project through the summer and present your results to the team at the end of the internship

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR:

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline
• Club, project, research, or internship hands-on experience with electrical or avionics systems
• Experience with wire harnesses, connectors, and soldering or crimping
• Familiarity with installing and troubleshooting electronic sensors and components
• Competence with electrical test equipment (multimeters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, etc.)
• Exposure to schematic capture or PCB design tools (e.g., Altium, KiCad)
• Experience with Python, Bash, or a similar language for scripting and test automation
• Familiarity with embedded systems and communication protocols (e.g., CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, Ethernet)
• Attentive to detail and committed to a high level of quality in all work
• Flexibility to work in a fast-paced environment
• Available for a full-time, in-person internship in San Francisco during Summer 2027 (approximately 10-12 weeks)

PERKS & BENEFITS:

• Competitive hourly pay
• Hands-on mentorship from experienced engineers
• Company-funded perks, including team lunches, game nights, and other activities

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

At Astro Mechanica, we highly value in-office work to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. We consider working in the office five days a week an essential part of the employee's role.

Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer. We proudly recruit and hire a diverse workforce and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.