Manufacturing Engineering Intern (Spring 2027)

Freeform; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 41,000 - 48,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance provided

Free daily catered lunch and dinner

Casual dress and flexible hours

Job summary

Freeform is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Intern for Spring 2027 to help scale production of metal 3D printed parts. You will work with an engineering team on projects that refine processes, tooling, and CNC workflows, enabling precision manufacturing at speed and scale.

Ideal candidates are smart, motivated, collaborative, and eager to learn. The role is hands‑on and fast‑paced, focusing on post‑processing optimization and bridging R&D to production while contributing to autonomous

Qualifications

• Current enrollment in a bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering from an ABET accredited university or college.
• Hands-on manufacturing or build experience from internships or engineering clubs such as FSAE, Baja SAE, solar car, rocket club, robotics club, or similar.
• Experience with hand tools, machinery, or complex hardware assembly.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and implementation of scalable manufacturing processes for new hardware and printed parts.
• Assist with fixturing, test procedures, and post‑processing steps to improve part flow through the factory.
• Help develop documentation and process standards to support production scaling.
• Build and iterate on tooling, jigs, and test setups for reliable, high‑throughput production.
• Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in part, material, and data flow, and work with cross‑functional teams to improve them.
• Support early production efforts and help transition R&D into high‑rate manufacturing.
• Contribute to CNC machining workflows, including programming, setup, and optimization of multi‑axis operations for post‑processing of printed parts

Skills

Hands-on manufacturing experience

Experience with hand tools

Problem solving mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering (ABET accredited)

Tools

CNC machining (3-5 axis)

Job description

Manufacturing Engineering Intern (Spring 2027)

Freeform builds AI-native manufacturing systems that unify software, hardware, and physics to produce industrial-scale parts at the speed of human ideation. By treating manufacturing as a single integrated system, we unlock a new era of innovation where complex hardware is designed, built, and scaled without limits.

As a Manufacturing Engineering Intern at Freeform, you’ll be at the forefront of scaling production for high-performance metal 3D printed parts. You’ll work with a talented engineering team from some of the world’s most innovative companies across a range of projects to develop and refine the processes, tooling, and CNC machining workflows that enable precision manufacturing at speed and scale. This role is hands‑on and fast‑paced, ideal for someone eager to learn and contribute to the development of our autonomous metal 3D printing factories. You’ll focus on optimizing post‑processing and machining operations, helping to bridge the gap between R&D and production.

3D printing experienceis not required tobe successful here - rather we look for smart, motivated, collaborative individuals who love solving hard problems and creating amazing technology!

• Support the design and implementation of scalable manufacturing processes for new hardware and printed parts


• Assist with fixturing, test procedures, and post‑processing steps to improve part flow through the factory


• Help develop documentation and process standards to support production scaling


• Build and iterate on tooling, jigs, and test setups for reliable, high‑throughput production


• Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in part, material, and data flow- and work with cross‑functional teams to improve them


• Support early production efforts and help transition R&D into high‑rate manufa cturing


• Contribute to CNC machining workflows, including programming, setup, and optimization of multi‑axis operations for post‑processing of printed parts

Basic Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering from an ABET accredited university or college


• Hands on manufacturing or build experience from internships or engineering clubs such as FSAE, Baja SAE, solar car, rocket club, robotics club, or similar


• Experience working with hand tools, machinery, or complex hardware assembly

Nice to Have:

• Advanced degree (Master's, PhD) in mechanical, aerospace, or manufacturing engineering


• Experience with CNC machining, including 3 or 5-axis programming and/or setup


• Experience with metal additive manufacturing or precision post‑processing


• Exposure to fixturing, DFM, or process validation


• Experience scaling early-stage R&D into production


• Familiarity with MRP/ERP tools and lightweight production tracking systems


• Familiarity with manufacturing process development in a fast‑paced hardware environment


• Ability to translate high‑level engineering goals into practical factory processes


• Comfortable working in fast‑paced, ambiguous environments and iterating quickly (comfortable building the plane as we fly it)


• Strong communicator who collaborates across disciplines and proactively seeks support when needed


• Willing to take ownership of tasks big and small, with a hands‑on, problem‑solving mindset


• Strong work ethic with a refuse‑to‑fail mindset


• Demonstrated indicators of excellence and/or achieving success against adversity (i.e. top academic performance, leadership in engineering clubs, first‑generation college student, or other examples of resilience and achievement)

Location:

• We are located in Hawthorne, CA in a 35,000 square foot, state‑of‑the‑art facility featuring large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production, as well as easy access to the 405, 105, and 110 freeways.Our facility is in the heart of Los Angeles' vibrant emerging tech ecosystem alongside many other high growth startups and enterprises.

What We Offer:

• We have an inclusive and diverse culture that values collaboration, learning, and making deliberate data‑driven decisions


• We offer a unique opportunity to be an early and integral member of a rapidly growing company that is scaling a world‑changing technology


• Compensation and Benefits
  
  
  • The compensation for this role:
    
    
    • Engineering Intern/Undergraduate: $30/hour
    
    
    • Engineering Intern/Masters: $32.50/hour
    
    
    • Engineering Intern/PhD: $35/hour
    
    
    • Typical working weeks include regular opportunity for overtime
    
    
  
  
  • Relocation assistance provided
  
  
  • Free daily catered lunch and dinner, and fully stocked kitchenette
  
  
  • Casual dress, flexible work hours, and regular catered team building events
  
  


• Freeform is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity; employment with Freeform is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications 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.

Export Compliance: Due to the nature of various Freeform customers, the person hired will have access to information and items controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), and, therefore, must be a \"U.S. person\" as defined in the ITAR which include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a \"U.S. Person\".

If \"Other\", please explain:

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Freeform’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows: