2027 Wafer Processing Engineering Internship - Saint Charles MO

Location: United States-Missouri-Saint Charles, United States of America

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: Relocation assistance may be available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

TRAVEL: No

Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman is a space pioneer, supporting government, civil and commercial customers in solving their biggest challenges. Our forward-leaning, innovative spirit is backed by a legacy of expertise that began at the dawn of the space age. Our mission experience in space runs deep, we know our customers well, and our capabilities are unmatched. This is what allows us to provide reliable, agile and affordable space solutions to best serve our customers. From defending freedom to advancing human discovery, we are defining what is possible in space every day.

This internship would be a part of our Cutting Edge Optronics (CEO) team. Cutting Edge Optronics, an affiliate company of Northrop Grumman Corporation, is a leading manufacturer of lasers and key laser subcomponents for a wide variety of applications.  We design and manufacture laser diodes, diode pumped laser modules, drive electronics, and complete laser systems at our facility in St. Charles, MO.  CEO products and systems are used in applications including semiconductor manufacturing, defense, medical, industrial, and scientific research.

We are seeking a Wafer Processing Engineering Intern to support the development, characterization, and optimization of semiconductor wafer processes used to manufacture laser diode devices. This is a hands-on opportunity to work with our engineering team in semiconductor processing, process characterization, manufacturing support, and data analysis. The intern will work closely with experienced engineers, technicians, and operators in a production cleanroom environment.

Responsibilities

Support engineers with wafer processing development and improvement activities.

Assist with the fabrication and evaluation of semiconductor laser diode devices.

Lead experiments designed to evaluate and improve process parameters.

Support process characterization, yield analysis, and root-cause investigations.

Help optimize processing steps such as lithography, etch, deposition, metallization, passivation, cleaving, and optical coating.

Work with engineers, technicians, operators, and other cross-functional team members to resolve process issues.

Present project findings and recommendations to the engineering team.

Northrop Grumman is seeking Engineers for an internship opportunity. This position will be located at our Space Systems sector in Saint Charles, MO.

Basic Qualifications

A candidate must meet ALL of the below criteria. The candidate must:

Be a student who is enrolled full-time and pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited college/university and will be enrolled full time in Fall 2026

Be majoring in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Math) degree

Coursework or project experience in semiconductor devices, microelectronics, photonics, materials science, thin films, vacuum systems, or manufacturing processes.

Exposure to semiconductor wafer processing or cleanroom operations.

Experience with laboratory equipment, microscopes, profilometers, electrical test equipment, or other materials/process characterization tools.

Ability to work effectively in a hands-on laboratory or manufacturing environment.

Be available to work full-time (40 hours per week) for at least 10 weeks during summer 2026.

Be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite) as well as Program Special access within a reasonable period of time, as determined by the company to meet its business needs (U.S. citizenship is a pre-requisite)

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with optical devices, laser diodes, or edge-emitting semiconductor lasers.

Familiarity with Excel, MATLAB, Python, JMP, or other data-analysis software.

Experience with statistical analysis, Design of Experiments, or process capability concepts.

Prior internship, laboratory, research, or manufacturing experience.

Have an overall cumulative GPA of 3.00/4.0 or higher

Saint Charles, MO Intern Rates: $24.25 - $36.25

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.