Electrical Engineering Intern

About the role

You will own the design and validation of critical electrical systems that directly enable our UAS platform to operate safely and effectively in demanding atmospheric conditions. You will partner closely with the Lead Electrical Engineer to translate mission requirements into robust hardware solutions that survive flight dynamics and environmental stress. Your daily work will involve rapid iteration on prototypes, rigorous testing, and clear documentation that supports both immediate development needs and long term product reliability. You will gain hands on experience with radar validation workflows, weather resistant systems, and numerical weather modeling integrations that define how our cloud seeding solution operates in the field. This position places you at the center of an extremely innovative and fast paced environment where your contributions will be visible in operational performance and safety outcomes. You will apply your knowledge of embedded systems and power electronics to solve practical problems that connect sensing, control, and propulsion on the UAS. By the end of this internship, you will have a concrete portfolio of hardware designs, test procedures, and flight ready documentation that demonstrates your ability to deliver mission critical subsystems.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Rapid Hardware Prototyping: Design and build functional prototypes for UAS subsystems, iterating quickly based on flight test feedback and mission requirements.
• PCB Design: Create schematic and layouts for power distribution, sensor interfaces, payload controllers and communication modules using Altium or KiCad.
• Board Bringup and Testing: Assemble, debug, and validate new PCBs; develop test procedures and fixtures to verify functionality and reliability under flight conditions.
• Documentation: Write technical documentation, prepare fabrication and assembly data for manufacturers.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams: Mechanical engineers, software engineers, and manufacturing teams to align on system level goals and constraints.
• Support integration of radar validation data and weather resistant UAS systems to ensure electrical components meet operational performance criteria.
• Implement and verify power distribution and power electronics circuits, including buck and boost converters, BMS, and power switching solutions.
• Apply embedded programming using platforms such as Raspberry Pi, NVIDIA Jetson, STM32, ESP32, and RP2040 to control payloads and manage sensor data.
• Use EE Lab equipment, including oscilloscopes, power supplies, and DC loads, to characterize performance and diagnose faults.
• Conduct structured testing that evaluates reliability under conditions that simulate inclement weather and sustained flight operations.
• Translate numerical weather modeling inputs into hardware requirements that influence sensor placement, sampling rates, and data integrity.
• Maintain detailed records of tests, results, and design decisions to support certification, audits, and future engineering iterations.
• Partner with software teams to debug communication protocols, sensor calibration, and control logic that depend on stable electrical infrastructure.
• Contribute to sustainable practices by ensuring that cloud seeding related hardware is designed for durability, serviceability, and efficient lifecycle management.

Requirements

• Experience with PCB design software (Altium or KiCad) is essential for success in this role and must be demonstrated through prior projects or work history.
• Familiarity with embedded systems and microcontrollers such as Raspberry Pi, NVIDIA Jetson, STM32, ESP32, and RP2040 is required.
• You must have embedded programming experience in at least one of the following languages Rust, Arduino, Python, or C++.
• Knowledge of power electronics circuits, including buck and boost converters, BMS, and power switching circuits, is mandatory.
• Experience with EE Lab equipment, including oscilloscopes, power supplies, and DC loads, is a non negotiable requirement.
• You must have applied your technical ability outside of the classroom through personal projects, research, extracurriculars, or prior internship or work experience.
• Eligibility to work in the United States on an unrestricted basis is required, and current employment authorization cannot depend on a future event.
• You must be currently enrolled in a degree program or have completed your degree within the last twelve months to qualify for this internship.
• This role requires the ability to work full time in El Segundo, California, with consistent on site presence as needed for testing and collaboration.
• You must comply with Rainmaker policies, including adherence to safety procedures, data handling standards, and quality processes for mission critical systems.
• E Verify participation is required for this position in accordance with company policy and federal regulations.
• All information provided in your application must be true, complete, and accurate to the best of your knowledge.

Nice to have

• Preferred items from the source are not specified, so there are no additional preferred qualifications to list.

Practical notes

• This is a full time internship engagement based in El Segundo, California, requiring consistent on site presence.
• Travel may be required for flight testing, integration activities, or vendor meetings related to UAS and cloud seeding operations.
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for this internship at this time.
• Compliance with Rainmaker policies, including safety and data handling standards, is mandatory for all team members.
• Participation in E Verify is required for this role in accordance with company policy and federal regulations.