Mechanical Engineering Intern - Fall

Atomic Semi; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing stipend

Daily lunches

Weekly learning opportunities

Commuter benefits

Paid time off

Visa sponsorship

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Life and disability insurance

Job summary

A cutting-edge semiconductor startup in San Francisco is seeking a Mechanical Engineering Intern for the fall term. This position offers a unique opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary projects within semiconductor fabrication, with responsibilities ranging from design and prototyping to production collaboration. The ideal candidate has a strong background in mechanical engineering, hands-on experience, and a portfolio of completed projects. The role includes competitive hourly compensation and various internship benefits, fostering a rich learning environment.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree or higher in engineering.
• Ability to learn quickly and troubleshoot technical problems.
• Hands-on prototyping experience and ability to move through design cycles quickly.
• Strong foundation in mechanical engineering.

Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and build semiconductor fabrication equipment.
• Write mechanical drawings and documentation.
• Perform detailed analysis and simulations to evaluate electromechanical designs.
• Drive prototypes into production in collaboration with manufacturing and supply chain teams.

Skills

Hands-on prototyping experience

Ability to learn quickly

Troubleshoot technical problems

Education

Pursuing a Bachelor's Degree or higher in engineering

Tools

Solidworks

Onshape

Job description

About Atomic Semi

Atomic Semi is building a small, fast semiconductor fab. It’s already possible to build this with today’s technology and a few simplifications. We’ll build the tools ourselves so we can quickly iterate and improve. We’re building a small team of exceptional, hands‑on engineers to make this happen. Mechanical, electrical, hardware, computer, and process. We’ll own the stack from atoms to architecture. Our team is optimistic about the future and we want to continue pushing the limits of technology. Smaller is better. Faster is better. Building it ourselves is better. We believe our team and lab can build anything. We’ve set up 3D printers, a wide array of microscopes, e‑beam writers, general fabrication equipment – and whatever is missing, we’ll just invent along the way. Atomic was founded by Sam Zeloof and Jim Keller. Sam is best known for making chips in his garage, and Jim has been a leader in the semiconductor industry for the past 40 years.

About The Role

We’re hiring full‑stack Mechanical Engineering Interns for the fall term. The internship begins in September, with a preferred commitment of 4 to 8 months. We’re rebuilding the chip fabrication process from the ground up, so you’ll be exposed to some really interesting and impactful work. Our engineering projects are highly interdisciplinary and span domains such as structures, optics, robotics, heat transfer, physics, and chemistry. As a startup, we offer interns a ton of ownership and mission‑critical work. The ideal candidate has hands‑on experience working in at least one of these areas and broad exposure across other domains. Our philosophy is to get things built and tested in days or weeks, not months. Because of this, a portfolio is required to apply: show us the things you’ve actually built! If you’ve shipped a medium‑to‑high complexity system through a personal project or previous internship, you’d be a good fit here.

Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and build semiconductor fabrication equipment
• Write mechanical drawings and documentation
• Perform detailed analysis and simulations to evaluate electromechanical designs
• Drive prototypes into production in collaboration with our manufacturing and supply chain teams

Required Experience

• Pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in engineering
• Ability to learn quickly and troubleshoot technical problemsHands‑on prototyping experience and the ability to move through design cycles quickly
• Hands‑on experience with electromechanical assembly design and analysis from coursework, internships, or personal projects
• Strong foundation in mechanical engineering (Solidworks/Onshape, simulation, materials selection, etc.)

Nice‑to‑have

• Familiarity with semiconductor processing— ALD, CVD, PVD, photolithography, etc.
• Strong foundation in electrical engineering (KiCad/Altium, microcontrollers, embedded systems, digital circuits, etc.)

Working at Atomic Semi

We’re an early‑stage hardware startup with solid funding, world‑class advisors, and a lab/office in San Francisco, CA. Atomic Semi is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Hardware Interns are paid an hourly rate equivalent to an annualized range of $105,000‑126,000, depending on experience and education level. This range assumes a 40‑hour workweek and includes up to 10 hours of pre‑approved weekly overtime, paid at 1.5× the base hourly rate. Actual earnings will vary depending on internship length and hours worked.

Internship Benefits

• Housing stipend to help with first‑month expenses
• Lunches daily, dinners 3× per week, stocked office kitchen with snacks and spindrifts
• Weekly learning & development opportunities
• Commuter benefits including parking and late‑night Uber rides from the office
• Paid time off inclusive of holidays and sick time
• Visa sponsorship
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan
• Life and disability insurance

We are an equal‑opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or other legally protected statuses.

Export Control Analysis: This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls.

Compensation Range: $105K - $126K