Power Electronics Intern - Summer 2026

Location: Davis, California, United States

Department: R&D, R&D - Foundry

Workplace: on_site

Employment Type: full

Description

An electrical engineering intern on the power electronics team at Elve will have the opportunity to contribute to the mission of bringing high-speed internet to the next billion people globally who currently have slow to no connectivity. The intern will aid in the design, analysis, and testing of power electronic circuits and systems alongside experienced engineers. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure successful integration of power electronic systems into the overall product. You will learn the intricacies of vacuum tube physics and how to safely work with high voltage systems. This internship is a full-time hourly position lasting for twelve weeks in the summer of 2026.

Responsibilities

• Assist in development of power converters and related magnetic, analog and digital circuitry
• Perform simulation, analysis, and modeling of power electronic systems
• Conduct hardware design, schematic capture, and PCB layout
• Perform testing, troubleshooting, and validation of power electronic systems
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure successful integration of power electronic systems in the overall product

Work Environment

May be a combination of the following but not limited to:

• Manufacturing facility
• Laboratory
• Office
• Machine shop
• ISO 5 - ISO 7 Cleanroom
• Warehouse

Requirements

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering or related field
• Understanding of basic electrical engineering principles
• Passion for analog and power electronics
• Familiarity with basic switched mode converter design (boost and buck converters)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently

Good to have:

• Experience with embedded systems and microcontrollers
• Coding experience, particularly with Python
• Proficiency in simulation tools such as LTspice
• Experience with hardware design, schematic capture, and PCB layout

Benefits

Benefits Include:

• Competitive hourly rate
• A taste of the start-up life
• Exposure to cutting-edge technology in vacuum electronics, materials science, and additive manufacturing.
• Rubbing shoulders and brainstorming with multiple Ph.D. and masters-level engineers

What it's like to work at Elve:

We are a small team (for now!) on a mission to bring the next generation of high-speed wireless connectivity to a billion people worldwide. That kind of impact is not going to be achieved with incremental improvements - we are gunning for orders of magnitude advances in production capability, cost, size, and power in the mm-wave RF amplifier market. We ask “dumb” questions all the time because we always have something to learn. We work really hard, make sure to get good sleep, handle conflict intentionally, and expect great things from each other.

Unlike some bigger companies, at Elve, our interns work on problems and projects that directly impact our company's progress toward success. No made-up "intern projects" here. One of the great things about a company like Elve is that an internship can be as challenging and as educational as you want to make it. You are likely to experience widely varying task complexities, from the mundane to deeply technical pushing the limits of your comprehension. It's a small company; we all take out the trash, break down cardboard boxes, and vigorously discuss how magnetic field density impacts electron beam flight paths.