Engineering Intern, Rapid Prototyping Group

In-Q-Tel's Technology Architecture Group; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

In-Q-Tel's Technology Architecture Group in McLean, VA, seeks technically curious interns to explore hardware, software and AI at the intersection of national interest projects. You will join a multidisciplinary team delivering hands-on prototyping and assessments.

Interns will work on real-world problems using Python, Raspberry Pi, and ML deployment in a hybrid in-office and teleworking setup. Applications reviewed starting November; strong problem-solving and written/verbal communication are

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship is required for contractual reasons.
• Pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's in a STEM field with potential for full-time after graduation.
• Applicant should be responsive, proactive, enthusiastic, curious, and adaptable.
• Self-starter with initiative and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Projects typically intersect hardware, software and AI.
• Contribute to data collection and analysis efforts.
• Work on real-world prototyping problems across the project life cycle.

Skills

Python

Problem solving

Communication

Self-starter

Education

Pursuing Bachelor's or Master's in STEM

Rising senior or graduate student

Tools

Docker

Raspberry Pi

ML deployment

Job description

Compensation

$40 - $55 per hour. Offers will be commensurate with level of experience.

Job Locations

US-VA-McLean

Location Classification

Hybrid - In Office & Teleworking

Overview

IQT's Rapid Prototyping Group explores the vast range of risks and opportunities emerging in Open-Source and commercial technical capabilities around the world. We seek to better understand evolving design methodologies, new techniques, and approaches that are fundamentally redefining global technical development. In working at the Rapid Prototyping Group, you will join a multidisciplinary team of engineers addressing problems of national interest through hands-on work. We operate on a rapid prototyping philosophy that includes efforts in all phases of a project life cycle (design, development, testing, and assessment). Interns are provided the unique ability to work on real-world problems and be part of providing impactful solutions.

*Applications will start being reviewed in November*

Responsibilities

Specific projects will be identified in the spring of 2026 but are typically found at the intersection of hardware , software and AI. Two previous project examples from these themes include:

• Maritime Autonomy: experimentation with open-source autopilots on maritime platforms to understand the state of the art with respect to open-source.
• Data Collection and Analysis: Developed a hardware/software system for collecting images of passing aircraft to collect, label, and train machine learning models.

Qualifications

• Due to contractual reasons, U.S. Citizenship is required
• Preferred: Rising seniors or graduate students pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a STEM field (e.g., Computer Science, Physics, Engineering) who are interested in a potential full-time role upon graduation.
• Responsive, pro-active, enthusiastic, curious, and adaptable
• Self-starter with demonstrated capacity for independent initiative and an attention to detail.
• A love of solving problems and building things in the hardware, software, and Hacker/Maker/DIY spaces
• An ability to communicate key results in verbal, visual, and written media
• Game design experience, Maritime Robotics, ML Engineering and Data Wrangling, RF Collection, Anything Rocket Related, exceptional Lego builds, among many others will win you bonus points
• Strong programming background. We typically use Python
• Experience with Raspberry Pi Single Board Computers
• Experience with deploying machine learning models is a plus
• Experience with Docker is a plus

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.