Electrical Engineering Intern

AeroVironment•San Diego, CA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

As an Electrical Engineering Intern on the Counter-UAS team, you will contribute to the design, development, and testing of RF and electronic hardware for systems that detect, track, and defeat unmanned aircraft. You will work alongside engineers in RF front-end design, PCB design, firmware, and production engineering. The role supports hardware bring-up, test-equipment development and improvement, test-software development, and hands-on hardware troubleshooting, providing exposure to the product lifecycle from prototype through production, with mentorship from experienced RF and hardware engineers. The position is onsite at the company’s San Diego office. This internship supports development and production engineering efforts, including hardware validation, production testing, firmware integration, requirements verification, environmental and performance testing, failure analysis, and manufacturing issue resolution. Applicants must meet applicable ITAR/EAR export-control requirements; some positions may require current U.S. citizenship due to contract requirements.

Requirements

Currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
Coursework or project experience in at least one of the following: RF/microwave circuits, antennas, or electromagnetics; analog and digital circuit design; embedded systems, FPGA, or software-defined radio; or PCB design and assembly.
Familiarity with communication interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, USB, or Ethernet.
Basic programming experience in Python, C, C++, or C#.
Hands-on exposure to laboratory equipment such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, and power supplies.
Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
Effective communication skills and ability to work well in a team.
Ability to work in office, lab, and light manufacturing/test environments; sit, stand, and use computers and lab equipment for extended periods; and, occasionally, lift and carry up to 10 pounds. Occasional outdoor field testing may be required.
Must qualify as a U.S. person under ITAR/EAR or be eligible for an export license. Some positions may require current U.S. citizenship due to contract requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience with RF test equipment such as spectrum analyzers, VNAs, and signal generators.
Familiarity with RF concepts such as S-parameters, impedance matching, noise figure, gain, and link budgets.
PCB design experience in Altium or a similar ECAD tool.
Experience with SDR platforms such as USRP, HackRF, or PlutoSDR, or with GNU Radio/MATLAB signal processing.
Soldering, rework, and prototyping skills.
Experience with Git, test automation, or instrument control such as PyVISA or SCPI.
Interest in RF systems, electronic warfare, aerospace, or defense.
Demonstrated initiative, accountability, and willingness to learn.
Ability to manage time effectively and adapt in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Responsibilities

Assist in the design, bring-up, and debugging of RF and mixed-signal PCB assemblies, including RF front-end circuits such as LNAs, filters, power amplifiers, and switches.
Perform RF measurements and characterization using spectrum analyzers, signal generators, vector network analyzers, and power meters.
Help develop and maintain automated test software in Python, C/C++, or C# for hardware validation and production testing.
Support the design, build, and calibration of test fixtures and stations used in development and production.
Assist with schematic capture, layout reviews, and design documentation in Altium.
Support firmware integration and testing on embedded processors and SDR/FPGA-based hardware.
Participate in test-plan creation, requirements verification, and environmental and performance testing.
Assist production engineering with failure analysis, yield improvement, and resolution of manufacturing issues.
Learn and apply engineering best practices, configuration management, and documentation standards.
Collaborate with systems, software, mechanical, and manufacturing teams.
Perform other related duties as assigned to support ongoing engineering efforts.