Mechanical Engineering Intern

Benchmark Space Systems•Burlington, VT

2d•$23 - $26•Onsite

About The Position

Benchmark Space Systems is seeking a Mechanical Engineering Intern for summer 2027 to work on-site at its Burlington, Vermont location. The intern will work closely with engineers to design, build, and test in-space propulsion products for small satellites and other missions, while learning industry best practices, engineering software, and how to document and present engineering results. Under the supervision of senior engineers, the intern will contribute to component-level designs and mechanical drawings for active contracts, validate design concepts through high-level analysis or hand calculations, and collaborate with analysis and test engineers. The role also supports interdisciplinary contract teams and multiple phases of the design process, including requirements development, design reviews, component sourcing, test-plan development, and design revisions. Benchmark describes its work environment as entrepreneurial, fast-paced, and cross-functional, where employees are expected to solve problems, ask questions, and help colleagues as business needs require. Applicants must be enrolled at an accredited college or university and pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a closely related field. Because the work involves access to export-controlled information, applicants must qualify as a U.S. Person under U.S. export control laws. Visa sponsorship is not available now or in the future.

Requirements

Be enrolled in an accredited college or university and pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a closely related field.
Qualify as a U.S. Person under U.S. export control laws.
Demonstrate proficiency with CAD software; SolidWorks is preferred.
Have experience generating engineering drawings and models for production.
Have some exposure to basic mechanical analysis, including hand calculations and simulation tools such as SolidWorks Simulation or ANSYS.
Be able to collaborate on system requirements and design development as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Be able to work in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced, matrixed cross-functional environment.
Use effective written, visual presentation, and oral communication strategies to explain technical problems and concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.

Nice To Haves

Previous internship or research experience in the space industry.
Previous internship or research experience related to chemical propulsion or small satellite technologies.
Aerospace, rocketry, or other engineering club experience.
Experience working on a project that produced hardware for design verification.

Responsibilities

Develop component-level mechanical designs for active contracts under the supervision of senior engineers.
Create component- and system-level mechanical drawings for contracts as needed.
Perform high-level analysis or hand calculations to validate design concepts.
Collaborate with Analysis and Test Engineers to validate designs.
Work with an interdisciplinary engineering team to solve day-to-day challenges on contracts.
Contribute to requirements development, design reviews, component sourcing, test-plan development, and design revisions.
Document and present engineering results.