Electrical Engineering Intern (Fall 2026)

Second Order Effects; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work hours

Housing stipend

Catered lunches

Job summary

Second Order Effects is looking for an Electrical Engineering Intern for Fall 2026. In this role, you will engage in hands-on tasks such as designing, developing, and testing electrical systems under the guidance of a mentor. This position aims to enhance your technical skills while allowing you to contribute to real-world projects.

The internship includes a competitive salary of $70,400 per year, with flexible working hours and valuable benefits such as paid time off and a housing stipend. Ideal candidates are enrolled in an engineering program and have a passion for electrical engineering.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of electrical engineering fundamentals.
• Current enrollment in a relevant college program.
• Experience with embedded C code or HDL (e.g., Verilog/VHDL).

Responsibilities

• Contribute to designing electrical and embedded systems.
• Perform schematic capture and PCB layout.
• Use lab equipment for troubleshooting and system-level debugging.

Skills

Electrical engineering fundamentals

Programming languages (Python, C, C++)

Problem-solving skills

Technical communication

Education

Currently enrolled in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Math

Tools

ECAD tools (Altium Designer, KiCad)

Circuit simulation programs (LTspice, Pspice)

Job description

Electrical Engineering Intern (Fall 2026)

Role Overview As an Electrical Engineering Intern, you will play a hands‑on role in designing, developing, and testing solutions for customer‑facing projects. In this role, you will take technical ownership over key components, rapidly prototype ideas, and participate in the hardware development process from ideation to production. Whether it’s laying out a custom PCB, debugging firmware on a prototype board, or integrating embedded systems, you’ll have the opportunity to apply what you know and quickly level up on what you don’t. This internship is designed to accelerate your technical growth, giving you the chance to make measurable contributions while building a strong foundation in professional engineering practices.

What You Will Do

• Ownership: Contribute to the design of electrical and embedded systems for customers across various industries
• Technical Mentorship: Partner closely with a mentor who will provide technical guidance, feedback, and support throughout the entire internship
• Hardware Development: Perform schematic capture, PCB layout, component selection, and electrical prototyping
• Test & Validation: Utilize standard lab equipment (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, etc.) to perform board bring‑up, troubleshooting, and system‑level debugging
• Embedded Systems: Write and debug embedded C code or HDL (e.g., Verilog/VHDL)

What You Will Need

• Current enrollment in college (Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Math, or related field)
• First or second year circuits classes and knowledge of electrical engineering fundamentals
• Familiarity with at least one programming language (e.g., Python, C, C++, R, etc.) or hardware description language (e.g., Verilog, VHDL)
• Demonstrated passion and curiosity for electrical engineering
• Strong problem‑solving skills and initiative to overcome technical challenges
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills; ability to explain design decisions and component selections
• Experience with one or more of the following: analog circuits, mixed‑signal designs, embedded programming, RF, power electronics, or optical systems development

What Would Be Useful

• Experience in team‑based design and build projects (e.g., Formula SAE, Solar Car, CubeSat, Rover Challenge, etc.)
• Experience with analog small‑signal circuit design (filters, op‑amp circuits, signal conditioning) and/or power electronics designs: regulators, load drivers, supply filters, protection circuitry
• Experience in any common ECAD tool, such as Altium Designer, KiCad, Cadence, PADS, EAGLE, etc.
• Experience with circuit simulation using LTspice, Pspice, or similar programs

Benefits

• Salary: $70,400 annual salary, prorated for length of internship
• Flexible work hours and work from home policy
• Accrued paid time off policy, accrued sick days policy, and paid company holidays
• 401(k) retirement account and employer matching (Safe Harbor 4%)
• Housing stipend bonus
• EV charging ports
• Catered lunches, snacks, and accessible kitchen

Our Values in Practice

• Lead with Curiosity: Approach every system with a desire to understand not just how it works, but why it was designed that way. Ask questions early and often of your mentor, teammates, and yourself. The best engineers are the ones who never stop learning.
• Own the Outcome: Take genuine ownership of your work, from first prototype through final validation. Communicate blockers early, document your work thoroughly, and follow through on what you commit to.
• Build the Right Thing: Understand the customer need behind each technical requirement and make design decisions that are practical, reliable, and built to last. Good engineering solves the real problem, not just the interesting one.
• Empower Others: Contribute to a team culture where knowledge is shared freely. Ask for feedback, act on it, and share what you learn with those around you. Your curiosity and fresh perspectives will make the whole team better.

About SOE

SOE is an engineering consulting firm that specializes in electrical, electromechanical, and embedded systems. Founded in 2016, we’ve grown from a 3‑person operation to a team of 25+ engineers across offices in El Segundo, CA and Redmond, WA. In that time, we’ve completed over 250 projects for more than 100 clients. Our designs control rocket engines, manage satellite communications, instrument fusion reactors, and are enjoyed by consumers around the world. The only thing we won’t build are weapons.

Additional Requirements

• Applicants must be able to commit to an internship from Tuesday, September 8, 2026 to Friday, December 18, 2026
• Applicant must be willing to work 40 hours a week on‑site in El Segundo, California, USA
• Applicant must be eligible to work on export controlled projects
• Job Type: Full‑time (Salary)

Export Control Requirements

• To conform with U.S. Government export control regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship at this time.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Second Order Effects is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SOE is governed on the basis of excellence and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.