Mechanical Engineering Intern - Recreational

Location: Torrance, CA Department: Internships

What we’re building

The marine industry supports recreation, global commerce, and national defense. And yet it runs on technology that hasn't meaningfully changed in fifty years. Until now.

Arc is on a mission to electrify the marine industry. We're rethinking powertrains, software, and vessel designs from first principles. And we're already executing. We started with consumers to develop and harden our core technology. We’re now scaling production of our flagship model with new models and sectors on the horizon. Now we’re extending our platform to commercial applications, starting with tugs, ferries, and defense, with years worth of signed contracts and a pipeline that spans every vessel type on the water.

The technology is proven, the momentum is building, and the opportunity is enormous. The marine industry is going electric and Arc is building the platform that powers it

Who we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone who’s fired up by our mission and ready to build. You’ll thrive here if you adapt quickly, take ownership, and care about the details.

You will join our Mechanical Engineer team as a summer intern from June 14th-August 20th 2027. You will work from our headquarters in Torrance, CA. Given that we’re a startup, you will be working in a fast-moving, dynamic environment that requires adaptability. That said, here are some responsibilities and qualifications we expect to stay relatively constant for this role.

What You'll Do

Designing and releasing hardware, with mentorship from a full-time engineer, in areas such as:

Composite structures, Interiors & Mechanisms, Marine Systems, Test Fixtures, or Tooling

Owning a defined project from requirements through design, prototype, and test over the course of your internship

Building and testing prototypes in the shop and on the water, and helping root-cause failures

Creating CAD models, drawings, and supporting analysis for parts and assemblies

Presenting your work and results to the engineering team

Minimum Qualifications

Currently a junior or senior pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering field

Hands-on engineering experience through a prior internship, project team, research, or personal projects

Proficiency in a 3D CAD tool (NX, CATIA, or SolidWorks)

Solid grasp of mechanical engineering fundamentals such as statics, mechanics of materials, and fluids

Willingness to get hands-on with fabrication, assembly, and testing

Ability to explain and defend your design decisions

Clear written and verbal communication

Eagerness to learn and adapt in a dynamic setting.

Bonus Qualifications

Leadership or major design ownership on a student project team (Formula SAE, Baja, solar car, electric boat, rocketry, or similar)

Experience with composites, ideally fiberglass or carbon layups

Machining, welding, 3D printing, or other fabrication skills

Experience with FEA or other analysis tools

Exposure to design for manufacturing or tooling design

Experience with NX or a PLM system such as Teamcenter

Comfortable pushing a fast but sustainable pace

Enthusiasm for boating and the water

At Arc, we encourage diversity and consider all qualified applicants equally for employment, regardless of background, identity, or status. You’re always welcome to reach out even if you don’t meet many of these qualifications. Passion and aptitude make up for a lot.

What we offer

The base pay for this role is $36 per hour.

Additionally, Arc offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including:

Boat days – Yes, we actually go out on the water. A lot.

Retirement savings — Traditional and Roth 401(k) access

Safety support — Reimbursement for PPE, ergonomic equipment, and anything that ensures we keep our crew safe

Relocation Assistance

Mentorship Opportunities

Office perks — Daily lunches, snacks, and good coffee while onsite

Our values

We move with urgency and build with care. We value these five things above all else:

Ownership over both your work and the company’s success

Empathy for colleagues and for customers

Humility  in problem solving and collaboration

Pragmatism for navigating ambiguity quickly and sensibly

Inclusion of different backgrounds, opinions, cultures, and perspectives.

We want people who share and embody these values. It is vital that our values align - we’d be happy to elaborate on any or all of these during the interview process.