Field Instrumentation Design Internship

Fervo Energy; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Fervo Energy is offering a 12-week internship that places you on live geothermal projects, from hardware prototyping to data acquisition. You’ll design and test IoT solutions, deploy sensors, and work with cross-functional teams across Data Acquisition, IT, and OT.

You’ll gain experience in edge computing, cybersecurity, and field operations, delivering concrete results to executive leadership and mentors. This role blends office, lab, and field work at geothermal sites in Houston area.

Qualifications

• Rising Junior, Senior, Master's candidate or PhD candidate—pipeline toward full-time offers.
• Hands-on experience with embedded or edge computing platforms such as Raspberry Pi or Arduino, telemetry systems, electronics, or hardware prototyping.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort presenting to stakeholders and leadership.
• Eagerness to learn, take initiative, and adapt quickly to new challenges.
• Basic understanding of computer networking, including TCP/IP, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, routing, and common network troubleshooting concepts.
• Ability and willingness to participate in hands-on field assignments at geothermal sites, including instrumentation installation, commissioning, data collection and troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Develop, prototype, and test Industrial IoT and edge computing solutions using platforms such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, industrial edge controllers, and remote telemetry hardware
• Design and improve telemetry workflows connecting field sensors, edge devices, industrial networks, and centralized data systems
• Collaborate with Data Acquisition, IT, and OT teams to improve network connectivity, remote access, and cybersecurity for temporary data acquisition systems and distributed fiber optic sensing interrogators
• Perform pressure, temperature, flow, meteorological, and other field measurements using temporary data acquisition skids, point sensors, and fiber optic sensing systems
• Assist with the deployment, commissioning, monitoring, and troubleshooting of remote seismic stations and other field instrumentation
• Evaluate system reliability and data quality through analysis of sensor, network, and telemetry performance
• Document hardware configurations, network architectures, test results, and recommended practices for future field deployments

Skills

Embedded edge computing

Public speaking

Field work readiness

Networking basics

Python/Linux scripting

Education

Pursuing Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in engineering or related field

Tools

Raspberry Pi

Arduino

Industrial edge controllers

Remote telemetry hardware

Fiber optic sensing

Job description

Internship Overview

Description

Internship Overview

You won't be running coffee orders or shuffling paperwork this summer. At Fervo, interns are handed something real: a project of your own, scoped with your manager on day one and yours to drive for the full 12 weeks. You'll work side-by-side with the teams building the next generation of geothermal energy, tackling problems that genuinely move the business forward. At the end of the summer, you'll present your work to our executive leadership team, department leads, and fellow interns, sharing real results with a real audience. This is a real seat at the table — and a real shot at what comes next.

Position Description

This role sits at the intersection of field instrumentation, embedded systems, industrial networking, and cybersecurity. The intern will help develop, evaluate, and improve temporary sensing and telemetry systems used across Fervo's geothermal operations while testing approaches to make remote data acquisition networks more reliable, scalable, and secure.

Over the 12-week internship, the intern will own a technical project focused on improving the architecture, cybersecurity, edge computing capabilities, or reliability of Fervo's temporary data acquisition systems. The work will combine hardware prototyping, networking, data analysis, targeted field deployments, and collaboration with Fervo's Data Acquisition, IT, and OT teams.

The internship will include a combination of office and lab-based engineering work and hands-on field assignments at Fervo operating sites. The amount and timing of field work may vary based on project scope and operational needs. Field assignments may include multi-day deployments supporting sensor installation, telemetry commissioning, troubleshooting, system validation, and data collection.

Requirements

Responsibilities

• Develop, prototype, and test Industrial IoT and edge computing solutions using platforms such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, industrial edge controllers, and remote telemetry hardware
• Design and improve telemetry workflows connecting field sensors, edge devices, industrial networks, and centralized data systems
• Collaborate with Data Acquisition, IT, and OT teams to improve network connectivity, remote access, and cybersecurity for temporary data acquisition systems and distributed fiber optic sensing interrogators
• Perform pressure, temperature, flow, meteorological, and other field measurements using temporary data acquisition skids, point sensors, and fiber optic sensing systems
• Assist with the deployment, commissioning, monitoring, and troubleshooting of remote seismic stations and other field instrumentation
• Evaluate system reliability and data quality through analysis of sensor, network, and telemetry performance
• Document hardware configurations, network architectures, test results, and recommended practices for future field deployments

Required Qualifications

• Rising Junior, Senior, Master's candidate wrapping up within the next year, or PhD candidate — we're building a pipeline toward full-time offers
• Hands-on experience with embedded or edge computing platforms such as Raspberry Pi or Arduino, telemetry systems, electronics, or hardware prototyping
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort presenting to stakeholders and leadership
• Eagerness to learn, take initiative, and adapt quickly to new challenges
• Basic understanding of computer networking, including TCP/IP, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, routing, and common network troubleshooting concepts
• Ability and willingness to participate in hands-on field assignments at geothermal sites, including instrumentation installation, commissioning, data collection and troubleshooting

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with field sensor deployment, meteorological data acquisition, or fiber optic instrumentation
• Prior coursework or project experience in network security, OT/ICS systems, or industrial cybersecurity frameworks
• Experience with Python, Linux, SSH, Git, or scripting
• Familiarity with industrial communications and telemetry protocols such as Modbus TCP/RTU, MQTT, OPC UA, or serial communications
• Experience with industrial routers, cellular modems, VPNs, firewalls, VLANs, and other remote networking technologies
• Experience with DAQ systems, PLCs, industrial edge controllers, SCADA systems, or time-series sensor data