Product Design Engineer Intern - Summer 2027

Socket.dev; San Mateo (CA); On-site; USD 56,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Skydio, based in San Mateo, CA, is seeking a creative mechanical design engineer to join the Product Design Team. You will tackle meaningful drone-centric challenges, prototype parts, and work with world-class engineers to drive hardware innovations from concept through testing.

You’ll collaborate with suppliers and engineers, present designs in reviews, and iterate based on data and prototyping results. The role emphasizes curiosity, strong fundamentals, and crafting elegant solutions that

Qualifications

• Relentless curiosity and drive to explore complex design problems.
• Strong fundamentals to create solutions for intricate products.
• A passion for elegant, high-detail mechanical design that delights users.

Responsibilities

• Conquer challenges creatively with a scrappy mindset.
• Design parts for next generation prototypes.
• Trace root causes of issues in existing or developing products.
• Propose design/system changes with engineering teams.
• Prototype, test, and collect data to validate solutions.
• Collaborate with engineers and suppliers across the globe.
• Present work in design reviews and learn from senior team members.

Skills

Relentless curiosity

Fundamentals of design

Elegant mechanical design

3D CAD

Tools

CATIA

Job description

About the role:

As a member of the Product Design Team, you will work on meaningful projects that add value to Skydio and our users. You will solve complex, interesting problems and learn from a team of world-class engineers and researchers.

On the job you will:

• Conquer challenges creatively with a scrappy mindset
• Design parts for next generation prototypes
• Chase down the root cause of mission critical issues on existing or developing products
• Find solutions with engineering design or manufacturing process changes
• Validate your solutions with hands-on prototyping, testing, and data collection
• Communicate with a cross functional team of engineers and suppliers around the globe
• Present your work in design reviews and learn from senior members of our team

We are looking for you to have:

• Relentless curiosity
• Ability to leverage rock solid fundamentals to create exceptional designs for complicated products
• Passion for elegant mechanical design at the highest and lowest levels of detail that will delight customers
• Experience with 3D CAD. Familiarity with CATIA is highly valued.

Bonus skills for the job (This experience is great to have, but we are also happy to teach you):

• How to design for a broad array of manufacturing processes including: injection molding, metal casting, CNC machining, sheet metal forming, and composites.
• How to complete DFM (design-for-manufacturing) with local and foreign suppliers
• How to design and integrate circuit boards, antennas, and connectors into mechanical assemblies

Some examples of past projects include:

• Gimbal Isolation: Design, simulate, re-design, DFM, and kick-off tooling for Skydio X10 gimbal vibration isolators
• Scrappy Wind Tunnel: Exactly what it sounds like. Research what it takes to make a wind tunnel. Build a wind tunnel. Use the wind tunnel to learn about aerodynamic forces on a drone to inform design improvements.
• Drone Battery Charger: Create prototypes for the battery charger for Skydio 2. Perform user studies, come up with a thermal solution, architect the product, and work on cosmetic surfacing.

Compensation Range: The annual base salary range for this position is $41/hr for Undergrad, $53/hr for Graduate students, and $58 for PhD students*. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. In addition to base salary, Skydio full-time employees are eligible to enroll in our benefit plans and take advantage of a variety of incentives and stipends.

*For some positions the pay may be dependent upon the individual's regional location.

At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws.

For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/