About the role#
This internship supports the Advanced Products and Solutions Mission Area. You will join a design team focused on building advanced electro-optical systems, including imagers, LIDAR, directed energy, and active or passive tracking systems. This is a full-time, paid position for Summer 2027.
What you'll do#
- Contribute to systems architecture assessments.
- Develop requirements for electro-optical systems.
- Support design and build efforts for various hardware systems.
- Assess mission and system requirements to derive design and performance specifications at the subsystem and unit levels.
- Assist in the creation of an Integration, Verification, and Validation (IV&V) plan.
What you'll need#
- Enrollment in a Bachelor’s or Advanced degree program in Physics, Optical Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM).
- Completion of at least 30 credit hours by the start of the internship.
- Experience with electro-optical infrared imagery, focal plane technology, lenses, or apertures.
- Understanding of fundamental optical principles, such as physical and geometrical optics, imaging systems, aberrations, or detectors.
- Hands-on experience with optical testing or alignment through lab work or coursework.
- U.S. citizenship is required.
Preferred qualifications include:
- Project or internship experience in infrared physics, opto-mechanical engineering, photonics, or optical systems.
- Programming skills in Python or C++.
- Knowledge of signal processing, image processing, machine learning, tracking, or computer vision.
- Familiarity with systems engineering architecture, integration, test, and verification approaches.
- Experience using MATLAB for data analysis.
Location & details#
- This role is located in Goleta, California.
- The position requires on-site attendance.
About RTX
RTX operates in the aviation and aerospace component manufacturing industry. The organization consists of three primary businesses: Collins Aerospace, Pratt and Whitney, and Raytheon. It produces advanced sensors, aircraft engines, and defense systems for the aerospace and defense sectors. The company is based in Arlington, Virginia and employs over 10,000 people.
How to get in at RTX
Applying early to RTX gives you a distinct advantage because recruiters review applications as they arrive. Intern Insider sends an instant alert the moment a role matching your target is published, so you can submit your materials before the applicant pool grows too large. Being among the first to apply ensures your profile is seen while the team is still actively filling the position. You can also use Intern Insider to identify the specific recruiters behind RTX roles to reach out directly. Connecting with a recruiter to ask about the position or a potential referral often improves your response rate compared to applying into a general queue. This direct approach helps you stand out from the crowd.
