At Areté, we are on the forefront of developing innovative solutions, with great minds from all backgrounds, to help solve the nation’s most complex security challenges. We strive for an inclusive, collaborative team environment that approaches differences as opportunities for innovation and excellence. As an employee-owned company, we foster an atmosphere that propels diverse career opportunities and professional growth.
Discover your future with us.
As a Mechanical Engineering Intern, you will have the opportunity to work closely with our seasoned Engineers. Your role will be instrumental in supporting a variety of design tasks, assisting in integration, and conducting tests for components and systems typically used in the maritime or aerial environments. Be a part of teams designing systems tailored for effective information extraction from diverse sensors, integrating signal and image processing methodologies on advanced computer platforms. The exact start date and duration are negotiable, based on your availability. All work for this position will be carried out on-site at our Falls Church, VA office.
Key Responsibilities:
Depending on your areas of interest, you may be involved in a variety of the following tasks:
- Testing: Participate in hardware testing, assist in troubleshooting, and delve into system capabilities to address input/output issues when needed.
- Prototyping: Apply your engineering skills to design prototype components, using electronics and mechanical lab tools from soldering irons and oscilloscopes to 3-D printing.
- Programming: Assist in generating, revising, updating, compiling, and debugging various scientific or software computer programs. Contribute to developing and amending program codes and support the creation of the appropriate documentation.
- Data Analysis: Contribute to consolidating and analyzing a broad spectrum of datasets, both structured and unstructured. Depending on project requirements, this could involve supporting the crafting of software programs, algorithms, dashboards, and other tools and queries.
The specific responsibilities you undertake will be aligned with your professional interests and the current needs of our projects at Arete. We value every team member's contribution and are excited to tailor your experience to match your passion and our organizational goals.
Qualities We Look For:
- Creativity and innovation in solving challenges
- Integrity and responsibility in all actions
- Collaboration across teams and specialties
- Responsiveness in fast-paced environments
- Passion for national security and excellence
Experiences and Background We Look For (Required Skills):
- Enrolled in a bachelor’s or higher in engineering, computer science, or physical sciences
- Experience or interest with CAD software (Creo, Solidworks), Finite Element Analysis (Ansys), embedded programming (C, Python), signal processing, circuit design (Altium)
- Comfortable in a hands-on lab environment (hand tools, soldering, …)
- Comfortable in adapting to support a wide variety of roles to support different types of system development projects
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work with minimal supervision and collaborate on small teams
- Must be a US Citizen
- Proficient in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook)
- Required to be on-site, not a remote work position
The salary range for this role depends on the candidate’s level of experience:
- Undergraduate Student: $30/hr (currently enrolled in BS program)
- Graduate Student: $35/hr (currently enrolled in MS program)
However, Arete considers several factors when extending an offer of employment, including but not limited to the position and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.
Other Considerations
Areté is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and nondiscrimination, and we believe every person has the right to be treated with fairness, dignity, and equal consideration.
Areté is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
U.S. citizenship is required to meet position eligibility.
Successful passage of a criminal background screen is required to meet position eligibility.
Selected applicants will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Areté will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.
Successful passage of a Department of Transportation (DOT) drug test is required to meet position eligibility.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our website because of your disability. To request an accommodation, please contact Areté Human Resources at 818-885-2200 for assistance.
Skills Required
- Currently enrolled in a bachelor's or higher degree program in engineering, computer science, or physical sciences
- Experience or interest with CAD software such as Creo or SolidWorks
- Experience or interest with finite element analysis using ANSYS
- Experience or interest with embedded programming using C or Python
- Experience or interest with signal processing
- Experience or interest with circuit design using Altium
- Comfort working in a hands-on laboratory environment with hand tools and soldering
- Ability to adapt and support varied system development projects
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work with minimal supervision and collaborate on small teams
- U.S. citizenship
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and Outlook
- Ability to work onsite in Falls Church, Virginia; remote work is not available
- Successful criminal background screening
- Eligibility for access to classified information following a government security investigation
- Successful Department of Transportation drug test
What We Do
Areté, an employee-owned company, is an advanced science and engineering company that provides innovative solutions to the most challenging technical problems faced by the United States Defense and Intelligence agencies. Areté is derived from the Greek word “ἀρέτη”, meaning the pursuit of excellence and the achievement of maximum performance. Areté was founded in 1976 by five scientists, tasked by the DoD to help solve the challenge of detecting weak signals in heavy clutter over very wide areas. The signatures involved in this work were so weak that any advancement in signal processing algorithms demanded a new approach and understanding of the underlying fundamentals affecting the sensors and signal phenomena in the environments of interest. This first-principles-of-physics approach has been a hallmark of Areté’s development programs for the past 40 years Areté now works across the electromagnetic spectrum. We develop sensors and the associated signal processing algorithms necessary for the extraction and interpretation of data for systems operating under water, in the atmosphere, and in space. With our emphasis on enhanced signal processing and real-time executable software, Areté is able to improve the performance of existing sensor systems at fractions of the cost and time to operations of replacement systems. We work directly with customers and partners seeking maximum performance. Building on our expertise in detection theory we will continue to exploit the contextual, spatial, spectral, and temporal characteristics of data, incorporating them into our signal processing algorithms. These robust algorithms will continue to enable Areté to rapidly deliver innovative solutions to the ever evolving challenges of our customers.
