Summer 2027 Internship- Mechanical Engineering

Pacific Fusion; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 41,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentorship

Hands-on work

Real hardware experience

Lunch provided

Job summary

Pacific Fusion is seeking a Mechanical Engineering Intern to own a project from planning through testing. You will work onsite with senior engineers on hands‑on fusion‑systems hardware in a fast‑paced environment.

Ideal candidates are undergraduates in a 4‑year mechanical program with fundamentals, experience in CAD tools, and strong communication skills. Duration is 12 weeks, starting mid‑May 2027, onsite in San Leandro, CA.

Qualifications

• Must be a junior or senior in a 4-year Mechanical Engineering program.
• Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals and first principles.
• Clear, confident written and verbal communication skills.
• Working knowledge of stress analysis, 2D drawings, and design for manufacturing and assembly.
• Experience using 2D and 3D CAD tools such as Creo or SolidWorks.

Responsibilities

• Own a project through planning, design, assembly, and testing phases.
• Work on a variety of meaningful projects across the target area engineering team.

Skills

Stress analysis

2D drawings

Design for manufacturing

Communication skills

Education

Junior or Senior in 4-year Mechanical Engineering program

Tools

Creo

SolidWorks

Job description

About Pacific Fusion

Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 with the mission to power the world with abundant, affordable, clean energy.

About Pacific Fusion

Pacific Fusion was founded in 2023 with the mission to power the world with abundant, affordable, clean energy. We are rapidly designing and building a pulser‑driven inertial fusion system to achieve net facility gain (more fusion energy output than stored energy input). In parallel, we are developing the key components required to build affordable fusion systems. Our plans are ambitious. We have raised over $900M so far from incredible investors, resourcing us to deliver on these plans. We are bringing together the best scientists, engineers, and operators from the fusion community, hard tech industry, and other sectors. We are united by a shared sense of urgency to provide clean power for the world, particularly managing climate change while meeting growing global energy demand. You can read more about us in this letter from our founders.

Why This Role Matters

Pacific Fusion is seeking an exceptional Mechanical Engineering Intern to join our dynamic team and create the path to commercial fusion energy. In your role as a mechanical engineering intern, you will get to own a project through the planning, design, assembly, and testing phases of development. Our intention is for our interns to get experience in cradle to grave design as well as hands‑on experience building and testing these systems. All of our intern projects are high priority and value‑added efforts that directly contribute to the successful development of our fusion system.

What You'll Do

• Work on a variety of of meaningful projects across the target area engineering team

What You Bring

• Junior or Senior standing in a 4‑year Mechanical Engineering program
• Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals and first principles
• Clear, confident written and verbal communication skills
• Working knowledge of stress analysis (hand calcs and FEA), 2D drawings, and design for manufacturing and assembly
• Experience using 2D and 3D CAD tools such as Creo or SolidWorks

Additional Requirements

• Able to work full time, onsite for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks beginning in Mid May- Mid June 2027

Bonus Points For

• Hands‑on mechanical design through coursework, clubs, research, or personal projects
• Experience with conventional machining, shop tools, and rapid prototyping
• Experience defining system architectures and making design tradeoffs against requirements
• Experience writing build instructions, procedures, or test plans
• Strong measurement, documentation, and data analysis skills
• Curiosity, humility, and a desire to both teach and learn
• Ability to design, build, and operate test stands and experimental hardware
• Experience or strong interest in kinematics
• Experience or strong interest in structures
• Experience or strong interest in robotics
• 6+ months of prior internship, co‑op, or substantial project experience
• GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Experience with CAD, MATLAB, Python, or Excel

What We Offer

• Meaningful, resume‑building engineering work on real hardware
• A chance to design, build, and test real systems
• Mentorship from experienced engineers in a high‑impact environment
• Exposure to the full product lifecycle—from concept and design to build, test, and operation
• A collaborative, hands‑on, learning‑driven culture
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks
• An unforgettable summer working on systems that truly matter!

Pay Range

$30—$48 USD

Total Compensation And Benefits For Eligible Employees

• Industry‑competitive salary
• Equity plan
• 6% employer 401k matching
• Generous paid time off (including sick leave, vacation, paid family leave)
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

Actual base salary offered will be determined by: experience, skills, and work location. This range is for base salary, our total compensation includes equity and benefits. We welcome you to apply even if your expectations are outside our listed range.

EQUAL OPPORTUNTITY

Pacific Fusion is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. Pacific Fusion is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures and throughout employment. If you need assistance or any accommodation, please let us know.

U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE

This position may require access to information or technology that is subject to U.S. export control laws, such as ITAR or EAR. Under these regulations, we are required to ensure that such access is provided only to individuals who are classified as 'U.S. Persons.' This status includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.