Avionics Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)

Department: Aircraft

Location: Oxnard

Compensation: $35 per hour

Employment Type: FullTime

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results.

The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic.

READ THIS PART FIRST

Aircraft avionics is where electrical design, networking, sensing, software, and physical integration all have to agree. You will help make those interfaces real on a large uncrewed aircraft.

WHAT WE DO

Swarm Aero is redefining air power. We are building autonomous aircraft and Legion, command and control software designed to coordinate large numbers of heterogeneous autonomous systems. Our team combines experience building novel aircraft, scaling startups, and delivering technology for national security.

THE INTERNSHIP

You will own a scoped project with a clear technical or business outcome, work directly with the people responsible for the system, and present what you built and learned at the end of the summer. The goal is not to give you practice work. It is to give you useful work with the support to do it well.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

· Support avionics architecture, interface definition, component selection, and integration

· Develop or revise schematics, wiring diagrams, interface-control documents, harness definitions, or electrical load analyses

· Bring up sensors, flight computers, communications equipment, power systems, and other avionics hardware

· Use oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, and test equipment to investigate faults

· Build test fixtures, automate tests, and support hardware-in-the-loop, ground, or flight-test activities

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

· Currently pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a closely related field, with graduation and enrollment requirements to be confirmed.

· Coursework or project experience in circuits, digital systems, signals, embedded systems, controls, or communications

· Ability to read schematics and reason across hardware and software interfaces

· Hands-on electronics experience through a lab, team, research program, internship, or personal project

WHAT SETS YOU APART

· PCB design, harness design, RF, networking, controls, or sensor integration

· Python, C/C++, MATLAB/Simulink, or another useful engineering language

· Familiarity with aerospace interfaces, connectors, EMI/EMC, or environmental testing

WHAT YOU DO NOT NEED

Aerospace experience, a perfect GPA, or a previous internship at a famous company. Show us what you have built, analyzed, tested, organized, or improved, and be ready to explain your contribution clearly.

THE HONEST VERSION

The pace is fast, the problems will not arrive fully defined, and you may spend part of the summer learning why your first approach was wrong. We will expect you to ask questions, test your assumptions, document your work, and leave the project better than you found it.

ITAR requirement

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant 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.

Swarm Aero is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse backgrounds and experiences and make employment decisions without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability.

What We Offer

• Meaningful equity in a high-growth defense technology company

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience

• Medical, dental, vision, and 401k

• PTO and paid sick leave

• Monthly wellness stipend

• Daily catered lunch (office)

• Paid parental leave

• Direct impact on a critical national security mission

• A world-class team of engineers and operators solving genuinely hard problems