Summer 2026 Internship - Mechanical Engineering, Target Area

Pacific Fusion•San Leandro, CA

9h•Onsite

About The Position

Pacific Fusion is seeking an exceptional Mechanical Engineering Intern - Target Area Engineering to join our dynamic team and create the path to commercial fusion energy. In your role as a mechanical engineering intern, you will get to own a project through the planning, design, assembly, and testing phases of development. Our intention is for our interns to get experience in cradle to grave design as well as hands-on experience building and testing these systems. All of our intern projects are high priority and value-added efforts that directly contribute to the successful development of our fusion system.

Requirements

Junior or Senior standing in a 4-year Mechanical Engineering program
Strong foundation in mechanical engineering fundamentals and first principles
Clear, confident written and verbal communication skills
Working knowledge of stress analysis (hand calcs and FEA), 2D drawings, and design for manufacturing and assembly
Experience using 2D and 3D CAD tools such as Creo or SolidWorks
Able to work full time, onsite for a minimum of 10 consecutive weeks beginning in June 2026

Nice To Haves

Hands-on mechanical design through coursework, clubs, research, or personal projects
Experience with conventional machining, shop tools, and rapid prototyping
Experience defining system architectures and making design tradeoffs against requirements
Experience writing build instructions, procedures, or test plans
Strong measurement, documentation, and data analysis skills
Curiosity, humility, and a desire to both teach and learn
Ability to design, build, and operate test stands and experimental hardware
Experience or strong interest in kinematics
Experience or strong interest in structures
Experience or strong interest in robotics
6+ months of prior internship, co-op, or substantial project experience
GPA of 3.5 or higher
Experience with CAD, MATLAB, Python, or Excel

Responsibilities

Work on a variety of of meaningful projects across the target area engineering team

Benefits

Meaningful, resume-building engineering work on real Target Area hardware
A chance to design, build, and test real systems
Mentorship from experienced engineers in a high-impact environment
Exposure to the full product lifecycle—from concept and design to build, test, and operation
A collaborative, hands-on, learning-driven culture
An unforgettable summer working on systems that truly matter!
Industry-competitive salary
Equity plan
6% employer 401k matching
Generous paid time off (including sick leave, vacation, paid family leave)
Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance