2027 Risk and Reliability Graduate Intern

The Aerospace Corporation•El Segundo, CA

10d•$32 - $48•Onsite

About The Position

The Acquisition Risk and Reliability Engineering Department (ARRED) is seeking a Graduate Intern Risk and Reliability Engineer to support national security space and civil space customers across multiple programs. The intern will help develop reliable space-based systems, identify and mitigate hazards throughout the system lifecycle in accordance with MIL-STD-882E principles, and support senior decision-makers through risk-management processes and risk assessments. The role involves helping Department of Defense, intelligence community, NASA, and other government customers plan and execute risk and reliability activities. The intern will provide risk, reliability, and system safety guidance and analysis for national security space and ground systems, collaborate with program office customers and subject-matter experts, and deliver assessments that inform senior decision-makers. The intern will also contribute to the department’s risk and reliability capabilities strategy and develop approaches for new space architectures. This is a full-time, on-site internship at the company’s facility in El Segundo, California, or Chantilly, Virginia. The internship requires at least 10 weeks of full-time work outside the university term, followed by a return to a full-time master’s or Ph.D. program. Occasional travel to a work location or customer site is approximately 10%.

Requirements

Currently enrolled full time in a graduate degree program in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, reliability engineering, systems engineering, or a similar field at a recognized institution.
Complete a bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, reliability, systems, or a similar engineering major before the internship begins and enter a graduate program.
Available to work full time for at least 10 weeks outside the university term and return to a full-time master’s or Ph.D. program after the internship.
Understanding of statistics and their application to evaluating failures and anomalies.
Strong communication skills to convey insights and recommendations effectively.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and as a team member.
Willingness to travel occasionally to a work location or customer site, approximately 10% of the time.
Eligible to obtain a U.S. government security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a clearance.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with the U.S. Space Force, NASA, NRO, FAA, or other government agencies involved in the Space Enterprise.
Experience contributing to or leading technical teams, tracking project progress, proposing and implementing project schedules, budgets, and resources, and communicating project needs.
Familiarity with applying system safety engineering and management principles and techniques to achieve acceptable mishap risk within time, cost, and mission-effectiveness constraints throughout a system’s life cycle.
Familiarity with reliability analysis, including software reliability, reliability testing, reliability modeling and prediction, failure analysis, root cause analysis, Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA), and Failure Reporting Analysis and Corrective Action System (FRACAS).
Familiarity with system safety-based engineering methods such as System Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP), System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), and Causal Analysis Using System Theory (CAST).
Familiarity with DoD standards and guidance on risk, reliability, and systems safety, such as MIL-STD-882E, MIL-HDBK-217F, MIL-STD-1629, and the NASA System Safety Handbook.

Responsibilities

Help Department of Defense, intelligence community, NASA, and other government customers plan and execute risk and reliability activities.
Provide risk, reliability, and system safety guidance and analysis for national security space and ground systems.
Work with program office customers to perform assessments that provide insights to senior decision-makers.
Engage with subject-matter experts to deliver assessments for senior program managers.
Help shape the department’s risk and reliability capabilities strategy in response to changes in the space industry and customer needs.
Develop innovative risk and reliability approaches for new space architectures and deliver timely assessments.

Benefits

Comprehensive health care and wellness plans.
Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation.
Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options.
401(k) plan with a company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service, plus matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested upon hire.
Flexible spending accounts.
Variable pay program for exceptional contributions.
Relocation assistance.
Professional growth and development programs.
Education assistance programs.
Inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect.