Summer 2027 Internship - Engineering

Orbital Operations • Long Beach, CA

22h • Onsite

About The Position

Orbital Operations is hiring engineering interns for Summer 2027 to contribute to its cryogenic propulsion and orbital mobility systems. Interns will own a meaningful hardware project with a clear technical objective and drive it through execution, rather than observing or working only on isolated analysis. Depending on the project, work may include defining requirements, performing analysis, designing components, creating drawings, working with vendors or manufacturing equipment, assembling hardware, developing test plans, running tests, analyzing results, troubleshooting failures, and implementing subsequent iterations.

Interns will have a dedicated mentor and work alongside engineers in design, analysis, manufacturing, test, and operations. They are expected to take initiative, make sound engineering decisions, communicate blockers, and keep their projects moving. Opportunities are available in Mechanical Design, Fluid Systems Design and Analysis, Test and Integration, Manufacturing and Assembly, and Avionics. The company seeks candidates who have previously owned hardware through most or all of its lifecycle and can explain their individual contributions, engineering decisions, fabrication and assembly process, testing, lessons from failures, and plans for further iteration.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or a related STEM field.
• Demonstrated ownership of at least one hands-on engineering project from concept or requirements through fabrication, assembly, testing, and iteration.
• Strong command of engineering fundamentals and ability to apply them to practical, open-ended problems.
• Experience designing, building, integrating, or testing physical hardware through a student team, internship, research program, employment, or personal project.
• Ability to make engineering tradeoffs and move forward when requirements or information are incomplete.
• Willingness to work directly with hardware, including assembly, instrumentation, troubleshooting, and test operations.
• Ability to independently plan and execute a complex technical project while identifying and communicating risks and blockers.
• Resourceful, self-directed, and comfortable learning unfamiliar tools or technical subjects quickly.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document designs, test results, failures, and lessons learned.
• Able to work full-time and onsite in Long Beach, California, for a minimum of 10–12 consecutive weeks.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with CAD, engineering drawings, tolerance analysis, machining, additive manufacturing, composite fabrication, electronics, instrumentation, or fluid-system assembly.
• Experience creating and executing test plans, collecting data, and comparing results against analytical predictions or requirements.
• Participation in a hands-on engineering organization such as Formula SAE, Baja SAE, liquid or solid rocketry, CubeSat, robotics, Design/Build/Fly, or a similar project team.
• A portfolio, technical report, project page, or other work sample that clearly demonstrates individual contribution to completed hardware.
• Experience diagnosing a hardware failure and applying the resulting lessons to a successful design iteration.

Responsibilities

• Own a hardware project with a clear technical objective and drive it through execution.
• Depending on the project, define requirements, perform analysis, design components, create drawings, and work with vendors or manufacturing equipment.
• Assemble hardware, develop test plans, run tests, analyze results, troubleshoot failures, and implement design iterations as applicable.
• Take initiative, make sound engineering decisions, identify and communicate blockers, and keep the project moving.
• Work alongside engineers across design, analysis, manufacturing, test, and operations.
• Document designs, test results, failures, and lessons learned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern