Thermal Engineering Internship - Summer 2027 (Aerospace)

Location: Full-time, on-site internship in Los Angeles, CA. The role is associated with Varda's facility in El Segundo, California.

Hourly rate: $33.00

Company

hirify.global develops commercial space infrastructure, including in-orbit pharmaceutical processing systems, reentry capsules, heat shields, and satellite buses.

What you will do

• Support thermal-vacuum test campaigns, including setup, execution, and data collection.
• Contribute to thermal models for spacecraft components and systems using Thermal Desktop and ANSYS.
• Analyze flight and ground-test thermal data with Python and MATLAB.
• Design, procure, test, and validate thermal hardware such as MLI blankets, heat straps, and thermal interfaces.
• Support integration and testing of thermal components and subsystems.
• Collaborate with systems and mechanical engineering teams to meet thermal requirements.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Coursework in heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and data processing.
• Experience or coursework with thermal analysis software such as Thermal Desktop, ANSYS, or Star-CCM+.
• Proficiency with CAD tools such as NX, AutoCAD, PTC, or similar.
• Comfortable analyzing data with MATLAB and Python.
• Authorized to work in the United States and eligible to qualify as a U.S. person for access to export-controlled technology under ITAR requirements.

Nice to have

• Prior aerospace thermal internship experience.
• Experience procuring, building, and testing hardware.
• Familiarity with spacecraft testing environments or aerospace systems.
• Experience on a student design or competition team, such as rocketry, CubeSat, or Formula SAE.
• Leadership experience demonstrating communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative startup environment with opportunities to learn from experienced aerospace professionals.
• Paid observed holidays and company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for eligible interns and dependents.
• $120 monthly wellness reimbursement and sponsored One Medical memberships.
• Up to $4,000 in relocation support and up to $850 in commute credit or car rental reimbursement, if eligible.
• Lunch provided daily, dinner provided twice weekly, team events, and complimentary EV charging.