Summer 2027 Internship/Co-Op: Avionics Hardware & Test Engineer

Kirkland, WA · Full-time · Onsite

About Skyband

GPS jamming and spoofing affect thousands of flights every day (GPSThreatMap.com). Skyband Systems has built the M100, a certified avionics system to overcome this threat to safety and operational reliability. The M100 fuses satellite signals from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with inertial sensing to give pilots a trusted position source that doesn't depend on GPS.

We're a VC-backed, fast-paced team based in Kirkland, WA, made up of engineers who built and scaled Starlink Aviation at SpaceX. We design, build, test, and fly our own hardware in our own aircraft. Everyone on the team has significant ownership over product areas or problem spaces.

The Role

You'll be hands-on with the hardware team as the M100 goes from first production units through qualification, certification, and aircraft installation. You'll work directly with senior engineers who will give you real ownership and expect real results. By the end of your internship, you should expect that hardware you worked on will be test flown and used on commercial aircraft.

What You'll Do

• Bring up, debug, and characterize production M100 circuit boards and assemblies
• Design and build test fixtures and automated test setups for development and production
• Support environmental and EMI/EMC qualification testing to DO-160: planning, execution, and data review
• Build and expand hardware-in-the-loop test stands used to validate the full system on the ground
• Support aircraft integration and flight test, including harnessing, instrumentation, and post-flight data review
• Write test scripts and analysis tools and document results to the standard certification requires

Basic Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor's or master's program in electrical engineering, computer engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field
• 3+ months of hands-on engineering experience from internships, research labs, or student project teams
• Comfortable with basic lab equipment: oscilloscope, multimeter, power supplies, soldering iron
• Authorized to work in the United States

Preferred Skills and Experience

• You've built, tested, and debugged something yourself outside the classroom (such as project teams, research, or personal projects)
• Schematic capture and PCB layout experience (Altium, KiCad, or similar)
• Python or similar scripting for test automation and data analysis
• Familiarity with embedded systems and interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, or ARINC 429
• Exposure to environmental, EMI/EMC, or RF testing
• Interest in aviation, navigation, or GNSS; a pilot's license or flight test experience is a plus
• Clear written communication and the discipline to document what you did and what you found

Additional Requirements

• Full-time, onsite in Kirkland, WA for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks beginning January 2027
• Able to lift up to 25 lbs. and work in lab and hangar environments
• Occasional travel for aircraft integration and flight test may be required

Compensation and Benefits

• $50.00/hour
• $2500 relocation bonus
• Paid holidays based on company holiday schedule
• Direct mentorship from engineers who have shipped flight hardware at scale

EEO Statement

Skyband Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer employment with Skyband is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications 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.