Hardware Engineering Intern (Mechanical & Electrical)
About The Position
Parallel Systems is developing autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles to transform freight transportation by shifting portions of the U.S. trucking industry to rail. The Hardware Engineering Intern will support progress toward initial production and production ramp-up of the company’s next-generation vehicles. This hands-on role spans design and analysis, process development and improvement, field testing, troubleshooting, and failure analysis. The intern will own and deliver a production subsystem or process from concept through implementation. Projects will be assigned based on team priorities and may include end-of-line testing for Mk3 pneumatic and brake systems; improved powertrain installation tooling; a low-voltage harness checkout test bench; a Mk3 drag-on instrumentation system; or an onboard gearbox sensor suite. The 12-week internship includes onboarding and vehicle familiarization, project scoping and prototyping, design through implementation and field testing, and a final presentation, documentation, recommendations, and handover. Progress is tracked through weekly check-ins, design reviews, field testing and data review, presentations, and feedback from the engineering team.
Requirements
- Currently pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field; applicants should be rising juniors, seniors, or graduate students.
- Self-motivated problem solver who takes personal ownership of challenges and drives them to completion.
- Comfortable applying first-principles thinking to find creative solutions beyond their usual scope.
- Strong communication skills and ability to present design work and field-test results.
Nice To Haves
- Leadership experience on a hands-on engineering team solving real-world problems while balancing competing priorities, such as FSAE, solar car, Design Build Fly, Baja SAE, or a similar team.
- For Electrical Engineering candidates: CAD proficiency to enable cross-functional contributions.
- For Mechanical Engineering candidates: experience with electronics, coding, or PCBA design.
- Experience with design reviews, prototyping, and iterative hardware development cycles.
Responsibilities
- Design and implement end-of-line testing for Mk3 pneumatic and brake systems, as assigned.
- Design, analyze, and deploy improved powertrain installation tooling, as assigned.
- Design, procure, and deploy a low-voltage harness checkout test bench, as assigned.
- Design, install, and check out a Mk3 drag-on instrumentation system, as assigned.
- Design, commission, and implement an onboard gearbox sensor suite, as assigned.
- Own and deliver a production subsystem or process from concept through implementation.
- Contribute to design and analysis, process development and improvement, field testing, troubleshooting, and failure analysis.
- Present design work and field-test results; document outcomes, recommended next steps, and handover information.
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
No Education Listed
