Airworthiness engineer - Internship

Power lines, gas pipelines and railways are still inspected the way they were 50 years ago: by helicopter. Expensive, noisy, and up to a tonne of CO₂ per flight hour.

We built the alternative. The HyLighter is a 12-metre autonomous airship running on hydrogen. It flies for up to 10 hours, almost silently, and spots a 1 mm defect from 25 metres up.

But the airship is only half the story. Every flight brings back massive amounts of LiDAR, imagery and methane data, and that’s where the value is. Our AI turns it into what operators act on: 50+ types of defects detected automatically, and leaks pinpointed across their network.

It’s not a prototype. HyLighters already fly missions for France’s largest energy and rail operators and have flown over the Palace of Versailles. Backed by Y Combinator, we just raised €13M to go from 4 airships to 15.

Working at HyLight

We design, build and fly every HyLighter, and turn its data into insight, all under one roof on a former airbase. Which means:

• You own it all the way. At a big aerospace company, you’d own a small piece of one subsystem. Here, you design it, test it, stand on the airfield when it flies, and see the client act on the data it brings back.

• Weeks, not years. Ideas go from whiteboard to flight test in weeks.

• Responsibility from day one. The founders’ average age is 27. Nobody here waits for permission.

We don’t care about titles or ticking every box. We care about what you build and the perspective you bring, so if your profile is different, apply anyway.

Job Summary:

This is a 4 to 6-month hands-on internship at the intersection of systems engineering, field operations, and test validation. You will support the test and verification of the HyLighter, contributing to both technical documentation and real-world operational readiness. Working alongside our engineering and flight teams, you’ll help validate subassemblies, full systems, and participate in flight campaigns. This internship is ideal for a resourceful, organized profile eager to bridge engineering and field deployment in a high-impact climate tech project.

The Mission:

Under the guidance of our CTO and in collaboration with embedded, electronics, and systems engineers, your responsibilities will include:

• Contribute to the design and organization of test plans and procedures for component tests, system integration tests, and flight tests.

• Participating in test execution, with a strong focus on traceability and quality

• Support our operations during flight campaigns, including flight preparation, monitoring, data collection, and reporting.

• Participating in the elaboration of the Unmanned Aircraft System Maintenance Manual (UMM) and Flight Manual (UFM), focusing on the technical definition and accuracy of operational and maintenance procedures.

• Contributing to internal compliance references and system integration documentation to maintain a robust airworthiness framework.

Profile Sought:

Education: Master-level engineering student (or equivalent) in aeronautical engineering, aerospace systems, mechanical or electrical engineering, or a generalist with a strong interest in airworthiness and certification.

The following list of skills is exhaustive, while you may not perfectly fit with the profile, we highly value personal growth and development. We see our interns as potential future team leads at HyLight.

Technical Skills:

This is an exhaustive list of sought after skills, if you have

• Solid understanding of aerospace systems and physical principles (structures, avionics, propulsion, or embedded systems).

• Awareness of airworthiness fundamentals (EASA regulations, system compliance, safety assessments).

• Basic knowledge in electronics (reading schematics, using test tools)

• Basic knowledge in mechanics (interfaces, assemblies, basic loads)

• Ability to structure and execute test plans, write test documentation

• Interest in flight operations and the logic of system validation

• Good command of Excel, Word, and optionally Python or other data tools

Soft Skills:

• Highly organized and detail-oriented in documentation and execution

• Enjoys hands-on work (prototyping, setup, field testing)

• Willingness to be present on-site and support operational teams during test and flight activities

• Curious, analytical, eager to learn, and proactive in problem-solving

• Good communication skills and collaborative mindset

Languages:

French (professional working proficiency), English (fluent – internal communication and documentation)

What We Offer:

• Monthly compensation: €800 for 4th-year students, €1200 for final-year/master thesis internships

• Real responsibility and mentorship with the Tech and Regulatory teams

• Potential to become a shareholder in HyLight upon hiring

• 100% reimbursement of public transport pass (Navigo) or €800/year for sustainable commuting

• Bike provided for commuting

• Free lunch

• Bi-annual offsite trips with the whole team

• Excellent work environment: international team, team events, beautiful offices on a former airbase

Why You Should Join:

• Founder Mentality: We value extreme ownership and want people who think like founders—fast decision makers, natural problem solvers, and executers.

• Ground Floor Opportunity: You’ll be helping to shape and grow a revolutionary company with the resources to back it.

• Impact & Speed: Work in a fast-paced environment where your contributions will have immediate, tangible effects on the company’s success.

Interview Process:

• Introductory phone call (20 min)

• Video interview with our CTO Josef (40 min)

• A 1 hour technical case study followed by a debrief with team members

• Reference calls

• On-site meeting with the team (1h)

Location:

• Office : Base 217, Brétigny-sur-Orge, accessible via RER C.

• Lab and Warehouse access

• You’ll work side-by-side with experts in embedded, aerospace, and hydrogen propulsion systems—where your impact matters from day one.