Mechanical Engineering Intern (Spring 2025)

Company Overview:

Second Order Effects (SOE) is an engineering consulting firm that transforms uncertainty into fully functional hardware and software. We work on projects at all stages of development; we perform analysis, build prototypes, and take products to market. Our team solves high-impact problems across numerous industries, including automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, industrial automation, biomedical, and green energy. Our designs control rocket engines, manage satellite communications, instrument fusion reactors, and are enjoyed by consumers around the world. The only thing we won’t build is weapons.

Founded in 2016, Second Order Effects has 50+ employees (and counting!) in offices in El Segundo, California and Redmond, Washington. We've worked with >130 clients on > 300 projects as a partner, on retainer, or on demand.

How do we do this? We prioritize others, build the right thing, welcome difficulty, and play the long game. Learn more at soeffects.com!

Team Overview:

Mechanical engineering at SOE is a growth discipline but still rooted in the pioneering spirit that has driven us from the start. From our early innovations like RF combiners featuring custom copper-tungsten elements and phased-array speakers in acoustically-optimized enclosures, the close coupling between electrical and mechanical design persists as a cornerstone of our company. As our projects become more ambitious and complex, our mechanical engineering team continues to rise to the challenge.

Being part of the mechanical engineering team is an opportunity to contribute to a dynamic, growth focused environment, where we thrive on collaboration, interdisciplinary learning, continuous personal and professional development. We take ownership of our work and support one another through that growth. We look forward to welcoming you to the team!

Job Overview:

As a Mechanical Engineering Intern, you will be part of a core SOE team and support all of the projects by performing design and analysis of enclosures, mechanisms, and custom parts for customers. You will need to balance your creativity and technical knowledge, as innovation requires both. Ideally, you can effectively communicate technical concepts to all audiences. 

What You Will Do:

• Report to a mentor who will be responsible for candidate feedback and learning— mentors will also assign tasks and projects to work closely with the teams
• Perform mechanical system analysis and architecture on a variety of projects
• Design and analyze active and passive thermal management systems for custom electronic systems and packaging solutions
• Perform analyses on electro-mechanical components for environmental strain, such as vibe, shock, thermal, and acceleration
• Develop thermal, structural, and tolerance analyses for electro-mechanical assemblies using both hand calculations and finite element analysis (FEA)
• Test electro-mechanical assemblies and perform failure analysis of components
• Work with multidisciplinary engineering teams to design, test, and create new mechanical systems

What You Will Need:

• Current enrollment in college (Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Math, or related field)
• First or second year circuits classes and knowledge of electrical engineering fundamentals
• Experience in modeling, simulation, and testing of electro-mechanical components or assemblies
• 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 and analyzing both active and passive cooling systems

What Would Be Useful:

• Experience in team-based design and build projects (e.g., Formula SAE, Solar Car, CubeSat, Rover Challenge, etc.)
• Experience with thermal analysis of electronic devices with FEA and CFD modeling
• Experience with high-precision 3D printing processes and design for complex systems
• Proficiency in frequent use of hand calculations, finite element analyses (FEA), and computer-aided designs (CAD)
• Ability to analyze and estimate structural loading from environmental sources
• Experience with fatigue and thermal testing of electro-mechanical assemblies
• Understanding and application of GD&T
• Understanding of Electrical Engineering fundamentals and design experience with simple circuits using op amps, ICs, and discrete components

Additional Requirements:

• Applicant must be available to work from January 6th, 2025 to April 25th, 2025
• Applicant must be willing to work 40 hours a week on-site in El Segundo, California, USA
• Applicant must be eligible to work on ITAR projects
• Job Type: Full-time (Salary)

ITAR Requirements:

• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 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.
  

Benefits:

• Compensation range of $66,400-$66,900 per year on a salary basis 
• 100% employer-paid health insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision) for employees + 50% dependent coverage
• Accrue paid time off policy + accrue sick days policy + paid holidays
• 401(k) retirement account and employer matching (Safe Harbor 4%)
• Hybrid working arrangements
• Housing stipend
• Electric Vehicle (EV) charging ports
• Casual dress code
• Daily catered lunches, snacks, and accessible kitchen
• & more!

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply!

Second Order Effects is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SOE is governed on the basis of excellence and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.