Electrical Engineering Intern/Co-op (Spring or Summer '27)

Rugged Robotics; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 25,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Rugged Robotics in Houston, TX is seeking an Electrical Engineering Intern to join the hardware team. You will help build and test PCBAs, develop firmware, and support the deployment of robot fleets in real construction environments.

This onsite internship spans Spring/Summer 2027, offering hands-on prototyping, data analysis, and cross-functional collaboration with vendors to deliver reliable robotics solutions.

Qualifications

• Experience with electro-mechanical or electrical systems from internships, projects, or lab work.
• Hands-on prototyping and debugging of electrical systems.
• Ability to learn new techniques quickly in a fast-paced startup.

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, and evaluate product solutions for construction customers.
• Develop firmware to power and control electromechanical systems.
• Use Altium to design PCBs for prototypes and products.
• Perform simulations, data collection, and analyses of circuit performance.
• Collaborate with vendors to refine designs and meet timelines.

Skills

Electro-mechanical systems

Prototype electrical systems

Firmware basics

Data collection & analysis

Tools

Altium

Oscilloscope

Multimeter

Job description

Rugged Robotics is on a mission to empower the construction industry to build better by innovating new approaches to tough problems using automation. We are a fast-paced start-up environment where every employee takes on multiple roles and wears many hats. To help our customers to build better, we need to build the best team.

The hardware team at Rugged Robotics is responsible for prototyping, designing, and manufacturing robotic solutions that automate construction services with speed, precision and reliability. As an Electrical Engineering Intern working on robots at a start-up, you'll be creating power, communication, & control PCBAs, and testing, debugging, and evaluating circuit performance, and supporting the making & commissioning of our fleet of robots.

Internship / Coop Term: Spring 2027 and/or Summer 2027

Location: Onsite in Houston, TX

The Role

• Develop, build, evaluate, and test product solutions to meet the challenging needs of our construction customers.
• Develop firmware to power, communicate with, and control complex electro-mechanical systems.
• Use Altium to craft circuits, schematics, and board layouts of new PCB designs for prototypes and product.
• Make informed engineering decisions by creating simulations, running tests, methodically collecting data from measuring equipment, and conducting analyses with a range of techniques.
• Engage and collaborate with vendors around the world to refine designs and deliver hardware to meet project timelines.

You Are

• Experienced working with electro-mechanical or electrical systems from a prior internship, extra-curricular project, or lab research.
• Passionate about creating product that works reliably and exceeds customer's expectations.
• Hands-on with prototyping, building, & debugging electrical systems to quickly generate proof-of-concepts and root cause issues.
• Enthusiastic about learning new techniques & technologies and are comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

Rugged Robotics is headquartered in Houston, TX in the vibrant neighborhood of East Downtown. This role requires close collaboration with teammates, and we value the interactions that come from working together around the robots in the lab.

Rugged Robotics is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity at our company. All qualified candidates will receive consideration regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, identity, age, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or other protected legal status.