Summer 2027 - Electrical Engineering Co-op (June 2027)

Shield; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 101,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation stipend

Mentorship program

Paid company holidays

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a motivated Co-op student to join our autonomous aircraft team in a paid, full-time program during the academic year. You will own a project aligned with your start date and duration, contributing directly to our novel aircraft development and test objectives.

You will be mentored by a senior engineer, gaining hands-on experience in hardware design and validation while developing professional skills in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Qualifications

• Completed at least the 2nd year of a relevant degree (EE).
• Strong technical fundamentals and ownership mindset.
• Experience in engineering teams or clubs.
• Proficient with electrical design tools such as Altium or KiCAD and measurement tools.
• Demonstrated ownership of project outcomes and teamwork.
• Commitment to high standards and collaborative culture.

Responsibilities

• Own a project tailored to your start date, duration, and location.
• Contribute to autonomous aircraft development and test objectives.
• Work with a senior engineer mentor for technical input and growth.

Skills

Project ownership

Strong fundamentals

Team engineering

Mentorship

Education

Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium

KiCAD

Oscilloscope

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai . Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , and YouTube .

Job Description:

Our Co-Op program is an excellent opportunity for students to gain deep, hands-on experience in a mission-driven and innovative engineering environment. This paid, full-time program spans multiple months during the academic year, offering extended immersion in real-world hardware development and testing.

Shield AI is seeking an exceptional Co-op candidate to join the team in building our autonomous aircraft. You will join a team of highly talented cross-functional engineers that exhibit a culture of mentorship, kindness, ownership, and hard work.

The ideal start date is June 2027, and the end date is flexible.

What you'll do:

• You will be given ownership of a project that is tailored to the start date, duration, and location of your Co-op.
• Your work will directly contribute to the success of our novel aircraft development program. You will understand exactly why your project matters and how it ties into our critical path development objectives.
• You will be partnered with a senior engineer as mentor and guide for technical input and professional development.

Examples of projects:

• Design a circuit board involving analog, digital, mixed signal, high speed circuits that enables us to test a prototype flight computer.
• Design, simulate, and verify high voltage power electronics (>10kW) DC/DC Converters and DC/AC inverters.
• Work with a senior engineer to bring-up and validate a new Avionics system.
• Identify bugs and drive changes to fix them.
• Build a test rack to deliver fully automated test coverage of a flight critical sub-system.
• Run a HALT campaign to ensure a series of new circuit boards are highly reliable.

Required qualifications:

• Have completed at least the 2nd year of a relevant degree. Typically, Electrical Engineering.
• Strong technical fundamentals.
• Have been part of an engineering team/club.
• Experience with electrical design software and tools such as Altium, KiCAD, an oscilloscope, etc.
• Demonstrated history of showing ownership of project outcomes and delivering exceptional results.
• Record of working hard, being a trustworthy teammate, holding yourself and others to high standards, and being kind to others.

$38 - $73 an hour

$38- $73 an hour - Your salary will be determined by academic level.

Pay is just one part of your total rewards package at Shield AI. You may also be eligible for a stipend to subsidize relocation costs. As an intern, you will receive the opportunity to attend presentations from company leaders, social and networking events, as well as mentorship from current Shield AI Engineers. Interns are also eligible for paid company holidays.

#intern

Full-time regular employee offer package:

Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity

Temporary employee offer package:

Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)

Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.

Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.