Industrial Engineering Intern (Summer 2027)

About the role

Summer internships will range between the months of May and September depending on university schedules. Internship is full-time and on-site in San Jose, California.

The Assembly, Integration and Test (AIT) team at Muon is responsible for the assembly, integration, and validation of spacecraft hardware through unit acceptance testing as well as spacecraft-level integration and testing. As an Industrial Engineering Intern, you will support the development and improvement of the processes, tools, and systems that enable Muon to efficiently build and test spacecraft at scale.

You will work closely with AIT, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Test Engineering teams to analyze production data, improve workflows, identify bottlenecks, develop capacity models, and implement process improvements. This is a hands-on opportunity to apply industrial engineering principles in a fast-growing spacecraft manufacturing environment and directly contribute to increasing production efficiency and throughput.

Muon is a small and fast growing startup which offers interns the experience to get direct mentorship and have real impact on our programs. As an intern, you'll collaborate with a dynamic team in a startup environment and have the chance to learn from some of the most accomplished and experienced aerospace professionals in the industry. We're committed to offering an experience where your decisions and contributions play a pivotal role in driving Muon's success.

Responsibilities

Analyze spacecraft assembly, integration, and test processes to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, throughput, and scalability.

Develop and maintain process maps, standard work, work instructions, and other manufacturing documentation.

Collect and analyze production data to identify trends, bottlenecks, constraints, and opportunities for improvement.

Support development of production capacity and resource planning models for spacecraft assembly and test operations.

Assist with production scheduling, workflow optimization, and resource allocation across AIT operations.

Conduct time studies and process observations to establish baseline cycle times, labor requirements, and process performance.

Support development and implementation of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.

Identify opportunities to improve material flow, kitting, tooling, workstation layout, and overall factory/lab utilization.

Develop dashboards, reports, and other data-driven tools to provide visibility into production performance and operational metrics.

Support root-cause investigations and corrective actions for production constraints, process inefficiencies, and recurring issues.

Partner with technicians and engineers to identify practical improvements to spacecraft assembly and test processes.

Support implementation and validation of process improvements on the production floor.

Assist with developing scalable processes and systems to support increasing spacecraft production volume.

Document process improvements and communicate findings and recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders.

Qualifications

Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Operations Research, or a related technical field.

Strong understanding of engineering, manufacturing, and/or operations fundamentals.

Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to use data to identify process improvements.

Experience with Excel or similar tools for data analysis, modeling, and visualization.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment.

Ability to work hands-on in a production, laboratory, or engineering environment.

Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Ability to approach complex operational challenges from a first-principles perspective.

Nice-to-have Skills

Previous internship, co-op, research, or project experience in industrial engineering, manufacturing, operations, or production environments.

Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, value-stream mapping, or other continuous improvement methodologies.

Experience conducting time studies, capacity analysis, line balancing, or process optimization.

Experience with production planning, scheduling, or resource capacity modeling.

Experience with data visualization or analytics tools such as Python, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, or similar.

Experience with CAD or facility/workstation layout tools.

Experience developing automated spreadsheets, dashboards, or other operational tools.

Previous experience on technical project teams such as a CubeSat, rocketry, Formula SAE, Solar Car, or other hardware-focused engineering project.

Familiarity with manufacturing, assembly, integration, or test processes for complex electromechanical hardware.

Experience working in a cleanroom, laboratory, or aerospace manufacturing environment.

Pay range

Bachelor's students $40/hour

Master's $45/hour

PhD $50/hour