Manufacturing Engineering Intern Summer 2027

Location: Mojave, California, United States Department: Manufacturing

Stratolaunch accelerates the development of next-generation aerospace and defense technologies through reusable hypersonic flight testing. Our autonomous, air-launched Talon-A vehicles provide access to operationally realistic flight environments at speeds exceeding Mach 5, delivering critical data that helps customers validate system performance and advance technologies toward deployment. Our team brings together expertise in engineering, manufacturing, and flight operations to solve complex challenges and advance capabilities essential to national security.

Application window closes 11/7/26

This is a 10–12-week internship over the summer, based in Mojave, CA

Instructions for application

Please include a short presentation, paper, or summary of project you have worked on. Please be specific about your individual contribution to the project. We are looking for people who are passionate about aerospace and aviation. In your presentation, paper, or summary please also include why you wanted to work on the project and why it excites you. Any applications without this project document will not be considered.

We are seeking a motivated Manufacturing Engineer Intern to support production operations and process-improvement projects. The intern will work with engineering, production, quality, and maintenance teams to collect data, help solve manufacturing issues, and improve shop-floor processes.

Key Responsibilities

Assist with daily manufacturing engineering and production-support activities.

Collect and analyze data related to production output, downtime, scrap, quality, and cycle time.

Help create reports, charts, and basic dashboards using Excel or similar tools.

Support process documentation, work instructions, and standard operating procedures.

Participate in problem-solving and continuous-improvement activities.

Assist with time studies, workstation observations, and process-flow documentation.

Help investigate manufacturing issues and support corrective actions.

Maintain organized project files, data records, and engineering documentation.

Qualifications

Currently pursuing a degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.

Strong interest in manufacturing, process improvement, and hands-on engineering work.

Comfortable using Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office tools.

Strong attention to detail, organization, and problem-solving skills.

Able to communicate effectively and work well with cross-functional teams.

Comfortable working in both office and manufacturing-floor environments.

Preferred Qualifications

Exposure to Lean manufacturing, 5S, process mapping, or root-cause analysis.

Familiarity with CAD, technical drawings, or manufacturing processes.

Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, or other data-analysis tools is a plus.

What You’ll Learn

Practical manufacturing-engineering and process-improvement methods.

How to use production data to identify improvement opportunities.

Experience working with production, quality, maintenance, and engineering teams.

Exposure to real-world manufacturing operations and problem solving.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Sophomore, Junior, or Senior going to Graduate School working on an engineering degree

Special remarks regarding work environment, if applicable

This position is located in Mojave, CA

Relocation eligible to local area – Mojave, CA

Living accommodations provided in the Antelope Valley

9/80 Schedule

• Year = number of years completed (ex: year 3 means they have completed their junior year and are going into their senior year)

Technical Interns

Year 1-2: $33.00/hr Year 3-4: $38.00/hrntern #LI-Onsite

Base salary and leveling are established on a case-by-case basis. We consider several factors to ensure a competitive offer, including your location, educational background, and a comprehensive assessment of the skills and experience demonstrated during your interviews.

Benefits and our location(s)

Healthcare (medical, dental, vision, prescription drugs)

Paid Maternity and Parental Leave

50% company match per contributed dollar into 401(k) savings plan, up to $11,500

Tuition reimbursement

This position may involve the operation of company vehicles as part of assigned duties.

Mojave Air & Spaceport is located just outside of Lancaster/Palmdale and is only 95 miles north of Los Angeles.  The area offers both affordability and central access to a variety of California's best attractions and landmarks.

Not much for the outdoors and prefer the city life? You’re within a half day’s drive or less of Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, and San Francisco where you can find a variety of live entertainment, museums, tours, and historical sight-seeing. Theme parks are in abundance, with Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disneyland, and Knotts Berry Farm ready to meet the needs of rollercoaster thrill seekers.

Food and drink fanatics are in a haven of delectable choices. Wine aficionados will also find easy access to some of the state’s best vino in Paso Robles, Santa Ynez, and even more locally in Tehachapi and Agua Dulce. Beer fanatics will find some of the best West Coast IPAs at Bravery and Lucky Luke’s in Lancaster. Any food option you crave is covered, and we always recommend the authentic and fresh Mexican food that you won’t find anywhere else in the United States.

Stratolaunch is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity at our company. We encourage people from all walks of life to apply, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Our management team does not tolerate discrimination or harassment at any point during our employees’ and applicants’ time with us, especially with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transf