What are the responsibilities and job description for the Internship UAS R&D Engineer position at Central Garden & Pet?
Description
****Statement to Applicants:This position is unable to accommodate sponsorship****Central UAS Technologies, a vertical of Central Life Sciences, is dedicated to the creation of uncrewed aerial systems which have a direct positive impact on public health, quality of life and innovative technologies for the agricultural industry.Your meaningful Internship work will help reduce the spread of vector-borne disease, as well as limit the amount of chemicals or emissions released into the environment (through rural and urban municipalities, agricultural applications, horticultural applications, and more!). You’ll accomplish this work from our assembly shop in Daytona Beach, Florida.The R&D Intern supports the design, integration, and validation of power systems, avionics, and payload electronics for current and next-generation UAS platforms. This role operates under R&D engineering leadership, translating system requirements into robust electrical architectures that are manufacturable, testable, and serviceable
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Power and Avionics Architecture
- Contribute to the definition of power distribution, protection, and grounding strategies, ensuring that UAS systems meet performance, safety, and EMC requirements
- Work with Sr. Staff Electrical and Integration Engineers to select components and define interfaces that support both prototype and production needs
- Help develop and review schematics, layout constraints, and design rules for boards used in UAS platforms in collaboration with senior staff and PCB vendors
- Support design-for-manufacturability considerations and verify that documentation packages support reliable fabrication and assembly
- Support hardware bring-up, bench testing, and system-level integration activities
- Participate in test plan execution, data review, and iterative tuning of electrical subsystems to ensure that designs are robust under expected operating conditions
- Work with Manufacturing and Quality teams to clarify design intent, resolve production issues, and refine test strategies for electrical assemblies
- Help evaluate field or production failures from an electrical standpoint and feed lessons learned back into new designs.
- Maintain accurate and current design documentation, including schematics, BoMs, and interface control documents
- Coordinate with documentation and quality staff to ensure that released electrical designs and changes are controlled, traceable, and communicated clearly to downstream users
- Familiarity with UAS electrical systems, avionics, wiring, and power distribution
- Experience with schematic review, PCB support, and electrical integration
- Understanding of hardware bring-up, bench testing, and system validation
- Ability to read and work from schematics, interface definitions, and controlled documentation
- Strong collaboration skills with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, and Flight Operations teams
- Familiarity with ArduPilot firmware and GCS software such as Mission Planner or QGroundControl preferred
- CAD or other solid-modeling experience preferred
- Aircraft integration, maintenance, or RC aircraft experience preferred
- Couse work toward BS/BA in Mechanical, Electrical, or Aerospace Engineering,
- Prior UAS internship or coursework
- Experience supporting electrical integration, prototype builds, or system validation
- Ability to read and understand schematics and technical drawings
- Experience with hardware bring-up, test setups, or field troubleshooting
- Familiarity with electrical assembly practices (soldering, wiring, harnessing) in a prototype or production environment
- Valid driver’s license required
- Based in a UAS assembly and engineering environment in Daytona Beach, Florida
- Frequent use of computers, test equipment, and electrical tools (e.g., soldering equipment)
- Work may involve standing, sitting, walking, climbing, reaching, and occasional work on uneven or grassy terrain
- Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs on a frequent basis
- Occasional travel required for test support, field validation, or troubleshooting
- This position pays $18 - $20 per hour depending on experience
Salary : $18 - $20