Engineering Intern - Audio Hardware and DSP (Spring 2027 Co-op)

Rivian•Palo Alto, CA

40d•Onsite

About The Position

Rivian internships are experiences optimized for student candidates. To be eligible, you must be an undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited program during the internship term with an expected graduation date between December 2027 and 2029. Rivian's Internship Program requires active student enrollment. Information regarding your expected degree completion date is collected solely to verify eligibility and determine your availability for future full-time opportunities. Rivian is an equal opportunity employer and does not use graduation dates to determine the age of applicants or as a basis for discriminatory hiring decisions. If you are not pursuing a degree, please see our full time positions on our Rivian careers site. Note that if your university has specific requirements for internship programs, it is your responsibility to fulfill those requirements. Our Spring Co-op program runs from Jan-Aug 2027. In order to be considered for this role, you must be available to work onsite, full time (40 hours per week), for the entire duration. If you're unable to work during the spring semester, please instead apply to our Summer Internship Program. No Visa Sponsorship As an Engineering Intern on the Audio Hardware team, you will focus on the testing and validation of key audio components—such as speakers, microphones, and amplifiers—to confirm quality and performance across Rivian products. You will work closely with mechanical and software teams to support audio component integration into vehicles, evaluate emerging audio technologies, and provide technical support to ensure an exceptional in-cabin acoustic experience.

Requirements

Must be currently pursuing a bachelors, masters, or PhD degree at an accredited university
Actively pursuing a degree or one closely related in Electrical Engineering, Acoustics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Physics
Fundamental knowledge of electroacoustics, acoustic measurement principles, and audio transducer operation (speakers/microphones).
Hands-on experience with standard laboratory equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, signal generators).
Scripting capability in Python or MATLAB for processing and visualizing test data.
Basic understanding of hardware schematics or 3D mechanical designs (e.g., CATIA, SolidWorks).
Strong technical communication, data analysis, and problem-solving skills.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to specialized audio measurement suites (e.g., Audio Precision, SoundCheck, Klippel, or HEAD Acoustics) and prior course projects or practical experience in automotive audio, transducer design, or signal processing is a plus.

Responsibilities

Test audio components (speakers, microphones, amplifiers) at both bench and vehicle levels to confirm quality and performance.
Perform vehicle-level audio testing, including cabin acoustic measurements and signal distortion analysis.
Work with mechanical engineering teams for physical audio component integration into vehicle packaging architectures.
Evaluate and benchmark new audio technologies, transducer prototypes, and hardware solutions.
Provide ongoing engineering and lab support as needed across the audio team.