Summer 2027 Internship/Co-Op: Software 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 software 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 software you worked on will be test flown and used on commercial aircraft.

What You'll Do

• Write, test, and ship production software for the M100 and the systems used to develop, test, and operate it
• Develop embedded and real-time software for sensor processing, system health, navigation, and aircraft interfaces
• Build simulators, replay tools, and data-analysis software that turn lab and flight data into engineering decisions
• Expand automated unit, integration, and hardware-in-the-loop testing, including fault injection and control of real hardware
• Debug problems across software, Linux, networks, electronics, test equipment, and aircraft installations
• Improve build, CI, release, and observability tooling so software changes are repeatable and traceable
• Support system qualification and flight test, and document designs and results to the standard certification requires

Basic Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s or master’s program in computer science, computer engineering, mathematics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a related field
• 3+ months of software engineering experience from internships, research, student project teams, or substantial personal projects
• Comfortable writing and debugging software in at least one programming language; much of our work uses C++, Rust, and Python
• Familiarity with source control, automated testing, and fundamental software engineering practices
• Authorized to work in the United States

Preferred Skills and Experience

• You’ve built and tested a meaningful software project outside the classroom and can explain the decisions and tradeoffs you made
• Experience with modern C++, Rust and Python
• Familiarity with Linux, embedded systems, concurrency, networking, or hardware interfaces
• Experience with simulation, numerical methods, signal processing, estimation, or analysis of real-world sensor data
• Experience building automated test systems, hardware-in-the-loop tests, or software that interacts with physical hardware
• Familiarity with CI/CD, build systems, cloud infrastructure, telemetry, or production observability
• Interest in aviation, navigation, GNSS, inertial sensing, or safety-critical systems
• Clear written communication and the discipline to document assumptions, tests, results, and unresolved problems

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 software 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.