GNC Systems Engineering Co-Op (Spring 2027)

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory•Cambridge, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with more than 2,000 employees working on national challenges across areas including defense, space exploration, and biomedical engineering. Its multidisciplinary teams work collaboratively to develop usable solutions. The Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) System Architecture group seeks a motivated co-op student to support the application and optimization of systems engineering methods for multi-domain national-security programs. During this six-month role, the student will gain experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools, requirements management, technical planning and direction, and GN&C system architecture development. The co-op will work with systems engineers to build SysML-based models using MagicDraw, develop functional and physical GN&C architectures, improve requirements traceability and engineering processes, and support program technical reviews. The student will implement and test engineering solutions, analyze and document results, prepare and present test reports and technical artifacts, and record discoveries, best practices, and lessons learned. Applicants selected may be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance. The position is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Requirements

Be enrolled full-time in an accredited undergraduate or graduate engineering curriculum; applicants pursuing a degree in engineering or a STEM-related field are required.
Be able to work full-time for a six-month period; hours and program duration may be flexible based on the applicant’s school schedule and availability.
Be a U.S. citizen.
Have excellent written and oral communication skills.
Have a strong work ethic and the ability to work independently or in a team environment.
Be adaptable to changing environments, risks, and vulnerabilities.
Have strong computer skills, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Be a self-starter and team player with a desire to learn.
Be familiar with Draper’s core business areas and technologies and understand systems engineering and engineering design concepts.
Have strong modeling skills and comfort using new software and tools.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with MBSE tools and object-oriented programming languages, such as MagicDraw, SysML, MATLAB, Java, C++, or Python.
Experience working with complex systems throughout each phase of the engineering lifecycle.
Experience relevant to Guidance, Navigation, or Control technologies.
Understanding of systems engineering activities across a system development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and enhance engineering solutions to challenging problems.
Implement and test solutions, perform analysis, and provide documentation support.
Generate and present test reports containing plots, tables, evaluation criteria, and conclusions based on collected and analyzed data.
Complete assignments that develop practical knowledge of engineering processes, procedures, equipment, facilities, systems, and their interrelationships.
Work with systems engineers to build SysML-based models using MagicDraw and create new capabilities within the tool.
Support the development of functional and physical GN&C architectures and requirements traceability using MBSE methodologies.
Optimize systems engineering processes to streamline program technical planning and decision-making.
Support program execution of technical review milestones with internal and external stakeholders.
Regularly present progress and technical artifacts to the team.
Document discoveries, best practices, and lessons learned.
Perform other duties as assigned.