Avionics Engineering Internship - Summer 2027
About The Position
Varda is accelerating the development of commercial space infrastructure, focusing on areas like in-orbit pharmaceutical processing and reentry capsules. The company designs, builds, and operates its W-Series vehicles, including pharmaceutical processing payloads, capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses. Varda aims to expand humankind's economic bounds by creating products and infrastructure for an orbital economy that benefits life on Earth. The team comprises veterans from leading aerospace and pharmaceutical companies. Varda was founded in 2021 and is backed by prominent investors. The company is headquartered in El Segundo, California, with offices in Washington, DC, and Huntsville, AL. This internship offers a chance to work on impactful projects critical to the company's success in a collaborative startup environment, learning from experienced aerospace professionals.
Requirements
- Prior experience designing PCBs (printed circuit boards)
- Familiarity with microcontroller programming
- Some experience or interest in Python programming
- Currently pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
- Actively enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program
- Must be a "U.S. person" (U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual)
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with Altium or other PCB design tools (not required but preferred)
- Entering Junior year or later in your academic program
- Strong attention to detail and ability to debug hardware prototypes
- Previous hands-on experience in project teams or labs
Responsibilities
- Design and test custom PCBs for embedded electronics and analog/digital systems
- Work on end-to-end development of hardware systems including schematic capture, layout, and testing
- Support embedded system development using microcontrollers and sensors
- Contribute to one or more projects; examples of previous intern projects include the following: Embedded Camera System: Integrate camera + optics + microprocessor + Ethernet for use in microscopy and star trackers, Thermocouple Logger: Design a ground-up thermocouple logger including cold-junction compensation and coefficient generation, Analog TEC Controller: Develop a current-controlled Thermoelectric Cooler driver for biologics temperature control
Benefits
- Hourly Rate: $33.00
- Housing stipend for interns relocating to the area
- Commuter benefit to support local transportation
- Paid observed holidays
- 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
- $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
- Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents
- $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
- Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible
- Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible
- Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
- Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
- Complimentary EV charging
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
Associate degree
