Field-Deployed Software Engineering Intern – Fall 2026 / Spring 2027

GITAI · Internship

Where: Los Angeles, California, United States
Posted: 6 days ago

GITAI is a vertically integrated space and defense company building the next generation of hardware for low-Earth-orbit missions.

At our core is the space robotics technology that has defined GITAI from the beginning. A small, highly capable engineering team applies that foundation across satellite buses, in-orbit servicing robotics, and mission hardware for applications such as Earth observation. Today, a major focus of our work is supporting U.S. national security missions, particularly through proliferated LEO satellite constellations and other next-generation space systems.

We design, build, integrate, and test much of our hardware in-house. Electrical, mechanical, software, manufacturing, integration, and test teams work closely together, allowing a small team to own complete systems rather than isolated components.

What you'd do

Support weekly field testing, including system setup, bring-up, data acquisition, logging, monitoring, and troubleshooting.
Develop and debug software for robotics, computer vision, GNC, or related systems.
Diagnose problems across software and hardware, including sensors, actuators, communications, timing, configuration, and computing systems.
Build scripts and lightweight tools for data collection, visualization, system health monitoring, and test automation.
Review test data and logs, reproduce failures, and work with engineers to identify root causes and fixes.
Support hardware/software integration and test preparation at our Torrance facility between field deployments.
Document test configurations, issues, findings, and software changes so the engineering team can act on them quickly.
Location: Torrance, CA (onsite). Frequent overnight travel to desert test sites, including Barstow, Mojave, and other locations throughout Southern California, is expected based on program needs.
Employment Type: Part-time, temporary, non-exempt
Compensation: $28 - $40 per hour. Final compensation will be determined based on academic level, relevant technical experience, and demonstrated hands-on engineering capability.

What they want

Start Date: Fall 2026 / Spring 2027. Earlier availability is preferred, and candidates who can start immediately are welcome.
Currently pursuing or recently completed a BS or MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
At least 1 year of sustained, hands-on contribution to a robotics team, rocketry team, Formula SAE, research lab, or a similar environment where software was developed, integrated, and debugged on physical hardware.
Available to work at least three days per week.
Able to spend Wednesdays and Thursdays at GITAI’s outdoor test site in the desert region near Los Angeles on a regular basis.
Hands-on experience getting software to work with real hardware through internships, research, student teams, competitions, or personal projects.
Experience in at least one of the following areas: robotics, computer vision, controls, GNC, autonomy, or embedded systems.
Experience programming in Python or C++.
Comfortable working in Linux.
Strong debugging skills and the ability to work through problems that cross software and hardware boundaries.