Summer Research Program Intern 2027, Systems & Analysis (Group 10-09)

MIT Lincoln Laboratory • Lexington, MA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Systems and Analysis group evaluates concepts vital to maintaining the technological advantage of the United States Air Force. Our recommendations inform government decision-makers and impact future military acquisitions and current day missions. Our independent assessments rely on modeling and simulation at the right fidelity, backed by ground and flight testing performed by our partner group, Tactical Defense Systems. We work on a broad range of topics critical to Air Force missions, including the survivability of aircraft against air defenses, enabling fighter technologies and air combat tactics, tactical sensor performance across the electromagnetic spectrum, the impact of radar jamming and electronic protection techniques, advanced air-to-air missile and air-to-surface weapon capabilities, and myth-busting of unconventional technologies for military applications.

Requirements

• Completed at least 2 years towards a degree (BS/BA/MS/PhD) in any technical field within science, math, or engineering.
• Ability to program in a technical environment (e.g., MATLAB, Python, C++, Java, etc.).
• Strong technical skills, intellectual curiosity, and eagerness to tackle open-ended problems.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical information to a broad audience.
• Interest in modeling and simulation.
• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret level DoD security clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Candidates from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including physics, astronomy, chemistry, engineering, computer science, mathematics, and economics are considered.
• Collaboration with other hardware-focused groups to validate models with test data.

Responsibilities

• Learn systems analysis skills, approaching large, complex problems by breaking them down into their basic components, evaluating what matters at the appropriate fidelity, and explaining key drivers to non-technical audiences.
• Conduct a summer project with guidance from a full-time staff mentor, typically revolving around developing physics-based models and data analysis tools to support group assessments. Specific assignments may be tailored to the intern's interests/background.
• Collaborate with a full-time staff mentor to research and compile relevant technical information.
• Participate in bi-weekly status meetings with the group.
• Run small-scale simulations and investigate technical topics using the models and data analysis tools created over the summer.
• Deliver an end-of-summer presentation to interns and staff summarizing the internship project, including working with graphic artists to build clear, concise, and technically accurate slides.
• Participate in a friendly laboratory-wide internship competition to pitch a new technique or device to solve a current-day problem.

Benefits

• Housing support is available for eligible non-local interns, including access to discounted university housing in Boston.
• A one-time taxable relocation payment.
• Complimentary daily shuttle transportation is provided from Boston-based housing to and from the Lab.
• Professional development opportunities including workshops, tech talks, and networking events.
• Hourly pay rates based on academic year or degree completed before the internship start date.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: Associate degree