Nucleon
Mechanical Engineering Intern
New York, NY
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Intern
Company website
Most engineering internships keep you at a desk. Ours puts you next to the beamline. Real hardware, real beam: Design the fixtures, enclosures, and test stands that travel with our team, and help run radiation test campaigns on electronics headed for satellites and defense systems, including at accelerator facilities such as Brookhaven National Laboratory’s NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL). Projects the team needs: Every intern gets a set of real engineering projects with clear deliverables to finish by the end of the summer. No busywork. Work alongside the experts: As part of a small team, you’ll work every day with radiation effects engineers, not just shadow them.
About Nucleon
Nucleon provides radiation testing, analysis, and software for commercial space, aviation, and defense customers. Founded in 2022, our team includes engineers from SpaceX, GE, Tesla, and the Missile Defense Agency, and our work goes directly into the hardware that gets launched. We help customers find out how their electronics behave in radiation environments before they fly.
Description
About Nucleon:
Electronics in space and defense systems have to survive radiation, and they have to be tested to prove it. Nucleon helps the companies building satellites, spacecraft, and defense systems do exactly that. We run radiation test campaigns (total ionizing dose, heavy-ion, proton, and neutron) at accelerator facilities across the country, analyze how parts will perform once they’re in orbit, and maintain a growing database of radiation test data on modern components.
Nucleon was founded in 2022 and has offices in New York and Huntsville. Our team includes engineers from SpaceX, GE, Tesla, and the Missile Defense Agency, and our work goes directly into the hardware that gets launched.
Responsibilities:
- Work closely with Radiation Effects Engineers to develop test procedures, ensure lab readiness, maintain equipment, and improve test efficiency.
- Support ongoing internal R&D efforts in radiation modeling, device characterization, and electronics reliability.
- Support radiation effects testing campaigns by assisting with test planning, test setup, and test documentation.
- Improve equipment packing by developing smaller, lighter, and more portable storage solutions.
- Assist with basic testing related to heated PCB concepts, including exploring ways to warm test coupons during panel evaluations.
- Analyze test results and contribute to the generation of final report deliverables.
Required Qualifications:
- Pursuing a Bachelor’s*, Master’s, or Doctorate degree in an accredited Mechanical Engineering program.
- Must have earned a minimum 3.50 GPA.
- Demonstrated interest in radiation effects.
- Hands-on experience with test lab equipment, including power supplies, oscilloscopes, and digital multimeters.
- Familiarity with SolidWorks or similar CAD tools for basic mechanical design.
- Strong willingness to learn and collaborate within a team environment.
- Genuine interest in contributing to and growing with a fast-paced startup.
- Excellent problem-solving, documentation, and cross-disciplinary communication skills.
- Applicants must be U.S. Persons as defined by U.S. export regulations (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident).
*Applicants pursuing a bachelor’s degree must be classified as juniors or seniors in the 2026–2027 academic year.
Duration and Compensation:
- 12-week internship during Summer 2027.
- Hourly pay by location:
- New York, NY: $35/hour
- Huntsville, AL: $30/hour
- This is a non-exempt hourly position. Hours beyond 40 per week require advance approval from your manager and are paid at 1.5× the hourly rate.
- Relocation benefits are not provided.
Salary
$30 - $35 per hour