Spring/Summer Engineering Co-op

Haast Autonomous; United States; On-site; USD 27,552 - 38,572; Full time

Job summary

Haast Autonomous is building an autonomous aircraft network for time-sensitive medical logistics. The co-op program offers ownership from day one, with exposure to design, prototyping, avionics, controls, and testing across multiple phases.

You will work directly with the founding engineering team, taking real responsibility for hardware, test campaigns, and key engineering decisions in a fast-moving startup.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, robotics, computer engineering or computer science.
• Available to work full-time during Spring/Summer co-op term.
• Hands-on and comfortable in a shop, hangar, or field-test environment.
• Willing to work in a fast-paced startup where priorities shift and work matters.

Responsibilities

• Support the design, build, and testing of autonomous aircraft prototypes.
• Own a focused engineering project based on your skills and team needs.
• Assist in airframe design, mechanical design, prototyping, avionics, controls, simulation, manufacturing, or flight-test support.
• Build, assemble, modify, and repair aircraft hardware.
• Create CAD models, test fixtures, documentation, analysis, or simulation tools.
• Help with flight-test prep, data review, repairs, and design iteration.
• Analyze test results and integrate lessons into future designs.
• Thoroughly document your work for continuous team improvement.

Skills

CAD

3D printing

drones

aircraft

robotics

controls

simulation

electronics

manufacturing

Python

MATLAB

SolidWorks

ArduPilot

PX4

Education

Aerospace engineering

Mechanical engineering

Electrical engineering

Robotics

Computer engineering

Computer science

Tools

SolidWorks

PX4

ArduPilot

Job description

Haast Autonomous is building an autonomous aircraft network for time-sensitive medical logistics. We’re developing long-range VTOL aircraft, autonomy software, and the operational foundation needed to move critical payloads between hospitals, labs, and healthcare facilities on-demand faster and more reliably.

We’re early, small, and moving quickly. Joining now means you'll have a direct role in shaping the foundation of Haast — our culture, engineering process, testing discipline, partner relationships, and the path from prototype to a real medical logistics network.

We’re looking for high-agency people who want ownership, urgency, and system-level impact from day one.

About the Role

Haast Autonomous is seeking Spring/Summer Engineering Co-ops to join our aircraft development team for a full-time work term.

This opportunity is for students who want more ownership than a typical internship, with the chance to make real contributions throughout multiple phases of aircraft development. You will collaborate directly with the founding engineering team across aircraft design, prototyping, avionics, controls, simulation, manufacturing, and flight testing.

This is not a shadowing role—your work will directly impact hardware, test campaigns, and key engineering decisions.

What You’ll Do

• Support the design, build, and testing of autonomous aircraft prototypes
• Own a focused engineering project based on your skills and team needs
• Assist in airframe design, mechanical design, prototyping, avionics, controls, simulation, manufacturing, or flight-test support
• Build, assemble, modify, and repair aircraft hardware
• Create CAD models, test fixtures, documentation, analysis, or simulation tools
• Help with flight-test prep, data review, repairs, and design iteration
• Analyze test results and integrate lessons into future designs
• Thoroughly document your work for continuous team improvement

You May Be a Fit If You Are

• Pursuing a degree in aerospace, mechanical, electrical, robotics, computer engineering, computer science, or a closely related field
• Able to work full-time during the Spring/Summer co-op term
• Passionate about aircraft, drones, autonomy, hardware, manufacturing, or medical logistics
• Hands‑on and comfortable in a shop, hangar, or field‑test environment
• Quick to learn and ready to navigate ambiguity
• Practical, self‑directed, and take initiative
• Eager to work in a fast‑paced startup where priorities shift and your work matters

Nice to Have

• Experience with CAD, 3D printing, drones, aircraft, robotics, controls, simulation, electronics, or manufacturing
• Participation in projects like rocketry, Formula SAE, robotics, UAV teams, design teams, research labs, or personal hardware projects
• Experience with SolidWorks, Python, MATLAB, ArduPilot, PX4, electronics, composites, wiring, or flight testing
• Have built something that needed to work in the real world

Why This Role Matters

A longer co‑op term lets you contribute to multiple design‑build‑test cycles, not just a single project. Your work will help advance our aircraft in a significant way during your term.

At Haast, co‑ops are truly part of the engineering team. You’ll work directly with aircraft, be close to key data, and contribute alongside decision‑makers every step of the way.

We care more about agency, ownership, taste, and evidence that you can build than whether you match every bullet point. If you have worked on aircraft, drones, robots, vehicles, rockets, or other hard technical systems and want to help build something from the ground up, we want to hear from you.