Mechanical Engineering Intern (Summer 2026)

Second Order Effects • El Segundo, CA

9d • Onsite

About The Position

As a Mechanical Engineering Intern, you will play a hands-on role in designing, developing, and testing complex mechanical systems for customer-facing projects. In this role, you will contribute to the full development lifecycle, from initial concept and simulation through prototyping, validation, and integration. Whether it’s designing mechanisms and enclosures, performing structural analysis, or designing precision assemblies for manufacturability, you'll be making real contributions to complex systems. This internship is designed to accelerate your technical growth, giving you the chance to build a strong foundation in mechanical engineering while making an immediate impact.

Requirements

• Current enrollment in college (Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Robotics, or related field)
• Experience in designing, modeling, simulation, and testing of electromechanical components or assemblies
• Experience with hand calculations, finite element analysis (FEA), and computer-aided design (CAD)
• Demonstrated passion and curiosity for mechanical engineering
• Strong problem-solving skills and initiative to overcome technical challenges
• Strong written and verbal technical communication skills; ability to explain design decisions and component selections
• Applicants must be able to commit to a 12-16 week internship
• Applicant must be willing to work 40 hours a week on-site in El Segundo, California, USA
• Applicant must be eligible to work on export controlled projects
• To conform with U.S. Government export control regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship at this time.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in team-based design and build projects (e.g., Formula SAE, Solar Car, CubeSat, Rover Challenge, etc.)
• Familiarity with circuits and electrical engineering fundamentals
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes, such as machining, injection molding, water jetting, electro-discharge machining, and 3D printing
• Familiarity with generating thermal models for electronic assemblies; experience with thermal analysis of electronic devices with FEA and CFD modeling
• Experience with high-precision 3D printing processes and design for complex systems
• Ability to analyze and estimate structural loading from environmental sources
• Experience with fatigue and thermal testing of electromechanical assemblies
• Understanding of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T)

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design of mechanical systems for customers across various industries
• Partner closely with a mentor who will provide technical guidance, feedback, and support throughout the entire internship
• Utilize CAD and simulation tools to develop structural, thermal, and tolerance analyses for electromechanical assemblies, using both hand calculations and FEA
• Design and analyze active and passive thermal management systems for custom electronic systems and packaging solutions
• Participate in test campaigns to validate hardware performance under shock, vibration, thermal, and other environmental stresses

Benefits

• Salary: $70,400 annual salary, prorated for length of internship
• Flexible work hours and work from home policy
• 100% employer-paid health insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision) for employees + 50% dependent coverage
• Accrued paid time off policy, accrued sick days policy, and paid company holidays
• 401(k) retirement account and employer matching (Safe Harbor 4%)
• Housing stipend bonus
• Electric Vehicle (EV) charging ports
• Catered lunches, snacks, and accessible kitchen

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed