Full-Time Fall Mechanical Engineer Intern

Swope Design Solutions is a rapidly growing mechanical engineering and product design firm located in the San Francisco Bay Area that specializes in consumer products, medical devices, and robotics. From napkin sketches to high-volume production, we have expertise in all areas of product development. We utilize our in-house machine shop capabilities to create an ideal problem solving environment for our team. Our design and rapid prototyping process strikes the perfect balance that allows us to quickly arrive at solutions. This enables our engineers to efficiently converge on solutions to our client’s biggest problems.  

We are looking for an exceptional Full-Time Mechanical Engineering Intern available for the Fall/Winter to work full-time on-site in San Francisco. The person we are looking for is someone who is handy and who is excited to have a job at a design firm where they can get a feel for what daily life in a design firm is like, while helping out and getting some great work experience. While every project may not be glamorous, there will be some opportunities for helping with client projects and learning a little bit about how a design consulting company operates (hint, it's crazy). This is an on-site position.

POTENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)

• Purchasing office supplies
• Shipping
• Contribute to internally incubated projects
• Automate SLA 3D printer quoting
• Design a doors closed and locked sensor and display system
• Build a database of vendors
• Social media planning and posting
• Organize tools and write procedures for maintaining organization
• Help with RapID Lab projects
• Build a rotary table for the laser welder
• Product teardowns
• Review legal documentation in place
• Stock audit, cleanout, and labeling
• Build a leak tester
• Attend meetings and meet potential clients
• Run a series of tests to compare different mold release agents
• Silicone and injection molding
• Document project materials and return to clients
• Auto shop door closer
• Smart display for machine shop schedule
• Add metadata to all McMaster parts
• And much much more

QUALIFICATIONS

• Mechanical Engineering or Product Design engineering student
• A responsible self-starter
• Available to work full-time on-site

DETAILS

• FT ON-SITE position
• Hours are ~ 9:30am - 6:00 pm Monday - Friday
• Timing: 6-12 months

NEAT STUFF YOU MIGHT LEARN

• 3D printing
• Welding
• Mold making
• SolidWorks
• What Engineers do all day
• What Industrial Designers do all day

WHAT YOU MIGHT GAIN

• Excellent and valuable work skills
• Mad props
• Great stuff on your resume
• A job for next summer and maybe beyond!
• Friends for life
• Street cred
• A bunch of laughs
• A few muscles

WHAT TO DO

Include a cover letter with your favorite food, detail how you plan to make it on-site at our facility M-F, submit your resume, and cross your fingers. Don't go crazy with a cover letter, but if you feel that there is something special about you as a candidate, let us know.

What former interns have to say:

“Swope Design Solutions took a risk with me, hiring me to work on a novel R&D project focusing on ML-enabled biometric identification. However, with the mentorship and support (both technical and mental) of the fantastic engineers at Swope, I now have two patents to my name and the confidence to pursue R&D research as my career!”

“SDS played a really important role in my growth as a young engineer in a way that was super engaging!

Some of the opportunities I found super valuable as a high schooler interested in engineering were:

• getting to work in a real machine shop and make real parts using a range of manufacturing techniques (CNC, turning, 3D printing, silicone IM, etc.)

• learning how to CAD in a professional environment

• working on diverse projects (piano scanner, robo-haircut, pneumatic shoelaces) that each carried their own set of challenges and had a real impact on your clients/business.

• getting to wear different hats to bring products to life (product photography, Photoshop, Keyshot rendering)

My internships at SDS provided a great foundation for me to go on to secure internships/jobs at companies such as Microsoft and Apple.”

“Interning at SDS was a highlight of my engineering degree. Everyone at SDS is friendly and excellent at sharing their experience and best practices. Unlike an internship at a larger firm where you are constrained to one project, I gained so much hands-on experience through assisting as needed with various projects. I've found that what I've learned about manufacturing parts, shop practices, and client relations has been applicable to any production or entrepreneurial setting.”

“My internship at Swope Design Solutions was the perfect launchpad for my career as a Mechanical Engineer. The exposure to a variety of projects ignited my passion for the iterative prototype phase of design. I’m grateful I was so supported in the opportunity to enhance my CAD skills, deepen my understanding of diverse manufacturing processes, and gain hands-on experience.”