Mechanical Engineering Internship - Winter/Spring 2027 (Early Interest)

Pyka; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Pyka's Mechanical Engineering Internship invites curious, hands-on students to work with aircraft hardware and the design cycle, embedded with the Mechanical Engineering team to move complex electromechanical systems from concept to field deployment.

You will collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, and testing teams to see hardware, software, and operations come together to bring autonomous electric aircraft to life this summer.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to real aircraft hardware and support the full design cycle.
• Collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, and testing teams to integrate hardware, software, and operations.

Job description

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems.

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four separate continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are highly economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions in their respective industries.

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day.

Role Overview

The Dropship Mechanical Team is looking for curious, driven, and hands-on mechanical engineering students who want to learn from a team of engineers, builders, and innovators redefining what’s possible in aviation. As a Mechanical Engineering Intern at Pyka, you’ll be embedded directly with the Mechanical Engineering team — contributing to real aircraft hardware, supporting the entire design cycle, and learning firsthand how we take complex electromechanical systems from concept to field deployment.

You’ll gain real-world experience working on active projects, collaborating across engineering, manufacturing, and testing teams, and seeing how hardware, software, and operations all come together to bring our autonomous electric aircraft to life.

Why This Internship Is Unique

Pyka’s Mechanical Engineering team handles the same volume of hardware work as teams 10x the size — which means you’ll see and touch more types of parts, subsystems, tools, and tests in one summer than many interns get in several years. This is a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment where you’ll have real ownership and real impact.

Please note: This is currently an Early Interest Application. We are not yet beginning the formal interview process for our 2027 cohorts. By submitting your profile now, you are ensuring your information is in our system for review and updates regarding the specific 2027 internship opportunities. Formal interviews and role‑specific outreach will begin October 2026.