Mechanical Engineering Intern - Recreational

Arcboatcompany; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 47,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Boat days – water time

401(k) retirement savings access

PPE and safety reimbursement

Relocation Assistance

Mentorship Opportunities

Office perks – lunches and coffee

Job summary

Arc seeks a Mechanical Engineering summer intern for 2027, joining our Torrance, CA team. You’ll design and release hardware, own a project from concept to test, and build prototypes in shop and on water under mentorship.

You’ll create CAD models, drawings, and analyses, and present results to the team. The role emphasizes hands-on fabrication, strong fundamentals in mechanics, and clear communication in a fast-paced startup.

Qualifications

• Currently a junior or senior pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Hands-on engineering experience through a prior internship, project team, research, or personal projects.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD tools (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks).
• Solid grasp of fundamentals: statics, mechanics of materials, fluids.
• Willingness to work hands-on with fabrication, assembly, and testing.
• Ability to explain and defend design decisions.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Eagerness to learn and adapt in a dynamic startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Designing and releasing hardware with mentorship from a full-time engineer.
• Owning a defined project from requirements through design, prototype, and test during the internship.
• Building and testing prototypes in shop and on water; assisting root-cause analysis.
• Creating CAD models, drawings, and supporting analysis for parts and assemblies.
• Presenting work and results to the engineering team.

Skills

Hands-on engineering experience

3D CAD proficiency

Statics & mechanics of materials

Fabrication & testing

Design reasoning & defense

Written & verbal communication

Learning & adaptability

Leadership in student project

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (in progress)

Tools

NX

CATIA

SolidWorks

Teamcenter (PLM)

Job description

What we’re building

The marine industry supports recreation, global commerce, and national defense. And yet it runs on technology that hasn't meaningfully changed in fifty years. Until now.

Arc is on a mission to electrify the marine industry. We're rethinking powertrains, software, and vessel designs from first principles. And we're already executing. We started with consumers to develop and harden our core technology. We’re now scaling production of our flagship model with new models and sectors on the horizon. Now we’re extending our platform to commercial applications, starting with tugs, ferries, and defense, with years worth of signed contracts and a pipeline that spans every vessel type on the water.

The technology is proven, the momentum is building, and the opportunity is enormous. The marine industry is going electric and Arc is building the platform that powers it

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who’s fired up by our mission and ready to build. You’ll thrive here if you adapt quickly, take ownership, and care about the details.

You will join our Mechanical Engineer team as a summer intern from June 14th-August 20th 2027. You will work from our headquarters in Torrance, CA. Given that we’re a startup, you will be working in a fast-moving, dynamic environment that requires adaptability. That said, here are some responsibilities and qualifications we expect to stay relatively constant for this role.

What You'll Do

• Designing and releasing hardware, with mentorship from a full-time engineer, in areas such as:
  • Composite structures, Interiors & Mechanisms, Marine Systems, Test Fixtures, or Tooling
• Owning a defined project from requirements through design, prototype, and test over the course of your internship
• Building and testing prototypes in the shop and on the water, and helping root‑cause failures
• Creating CAD models, drawings, and supporting analysis for parts and assemblies
• Presenting your work and results to the engineering team

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently a junior or senior pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering field
• Hands-on engineering experience through a prior internship, project team, research, or personal projects
• Proficiency in a 3D CAD tool (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks)
• Solid grasp of mechanical engineering fundamentals such as statics, mechanics of materials, and fluids
• Willingness to get hands‑on with fabrication, assembly, and testing
• Ability to explain and defend your design decisions
• Clear written and verbal communication
• Eagerness to learn and adapt in a dynamic setting.

Bonus Qualifications

• Leadership or major design ownership on a student project team (Formula SAE, Baja, solar car, electric boat, rocketry, or similar)
• Experience with composites, ideally fiberglass or carbon layups
• Machining, welding, 3D printing, or other fabrication skills
• Experience with FEA or other analysis tools
• Exposure to design for manufacturing or tooling design
• Experience with NX or a PLM system such as Teamcenter
• Comfortable pushing a fast but sustainable pace
• Enthusiasm for boating and the water

At Arc, we encourage diversity and consider all qualified applicants equally for employment, regardless of background, identity, or status. You’re always welcome to reach out even if you don’t meet many of these qualifications. Passion and aptitude make up for a lot.

What we offer

The base pay for this role is $36 per hour.

Additionally, as an Arc Intern, you'll also get:

• Boat days – Yes, we actually go out on the water. A lot.
• Retirement savings — Traditional and Roth 401(k) access
• Safety support — Reimbursement for PPE, ergonomic equipment, and anything that ensures we keep our crew safe
• Relocation Assistance
• Mentorship Opportunities
• Office perks — Daily lunches, snacks, and good coffee while onsite

Our values

We move with urgency and build with care. We value these five things above all else:

• Ownership over both your work and the company’s success
• Empathy for colleagues and for customers
• Humility in problem solving and collaboration
• Pragmatism for navigating ambiguity quickly and sensibly
• Inclusion of different backgrounds, opinions, cultures, and perspectives.

We want people who share and embody these values. It is vital that our values align - we’d be happy to elaborate on any or all of these during the interview process.