Monte Carlo Modeling - Doctorate Intern

Join Us for an Unforgettable Summer Internship Experience!

Looking to grow your skills, build your network, and have a little fun along the way? Our Summer Internship Program offers the perfect mix of hands-on experience and community-building activities designed to support both your personal and professional development.

Over the course of the summer, you’ll dive into meaningful work that will expand your knowledge and challenge you to think creatively. But it’s not all work—we believe in balance.

You’ll also get the chance to:

Connect with fellow interns and early-career professionals through engaging networking events
Unwind with movie nights, beach days, and celebrate National Intern Day
Explore our cutting-edge science during two half days of guided laboratory tours, where you’ll visit 8 of our top research facilities and see innovation in action
Whether you’re looking to kick-start your career or simply learn more about the exciting work we do, this is more than just an internship—it’s your first step into a vibrant, supportive, and forward-thinking community.
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HRL Laboratories pioneers the next frontiers of physical and information science. Delivering transformative technologies in automotive, aerospace and defense, HRL advances the critical missions of its customers to help them remove limitations and create competitive advantage. HRL then transitions the work back to customers – ready for real-world application. For more than 70 years, HRL’s rich portfolio of scientific discoveries and engineering innovations continues to build on each other — often in unexpected, profound and far-reaching ways. As a private company owned jointly by Boeing and GM, HRL prioritizes purpose over profit, significantly advancing the state of the art.
Materials & Microsystems (MML) 
HRL Laboratories advances critical structural and functional materials and semiconductor devices that enable precision navigation, quantum technologies and extreme-environment performance. With expertise from design through deployment, we deliver scalable, high-performance solutions that transform our customers’ missions. Our work leverages digital manufacturing and scalable microfabrication techniques to meet tomorrow’s toughest challenges.
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Position Summary:

We are seeking a highly motivated modeling intern to support our growing computational modeling group. This role will contribute to advancing our research, developing innovative solutions, and driving high-quality technical outcomes aligned with organizational goals.
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Essential Duties:

•    Develop kinetic Monte Carlo models of gas phase deposition on surfaces and run simulations to understand the effect of precursor molecule size, shape, and functionality on the surface properties.
•    Model and/or analyze gas-phase and surface chemical reaction kinetics based on ab initio simulation approaches. 
•    Set up computational workflows on HPC clusters.
•    Document results in written and slide format.  Present results to team members and customers.
•    Provide process guidance to HRL customers.

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Required Qualifications:

•    Currently enrolled in a PhD program in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science and Engineering, or a related field.
•    Programming experience, especially with Python.
•    Experience running simulations on a Linux high-performance computing cluster. 
•    Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical skills.
•    Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
•    Excellent communication and documentation skills.
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Preferred Qualifications (Desired Skills/Experience):

•    Experience with kinetic Monte Carlo or related models of surface growth, interfacial reactions, absorption, or other growth processes with chemically reactive species.
•    Experience or familiarity with ab initio modeling approaches such as DFT and NEB and codes like Quantum ESPRESSO and VASP from which activation energy/reaction rate information can be obtained as input to kinetic models.
•    Prior experience in a computational laboratory and track record of high impact publications.
•    Ability to develop parallelized computing workflows.
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Physical Requirements:

•    While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand, climb, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl (IT)
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Special Requirements:

•    US Person Status

•    Must been enrolled in an educational program following the end of your intern assignment

Compensation and Benefits:

• Pay Range: $52 - $60 an hour
• • The pay will be determined on your educational year. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hires for the position. Your recruiter can share more about the specific range during the hiring process.
  • Benefits: 80 hours of Sick time

  Assignment Length:

  • HRL Summer internship assignments typically span 8 to 12 weeks, with three available cohort start dates: May 25, June 1 and June 15.

  Stipend: 

  • For students who will be relocating and renting in the Malibu, CA area for the summer we offer a 1 time stipend to help with moving costs. Specific information on pay out and requirements to be discussed with your recruiter. 

  Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

  Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At HRL, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

  We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing. 

  If you would like more information about Equal Employment Opportunity as an applicant under the law, please go to Employees & Job Applicants | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

  For our privacy policy please visit: www.hrl.com/privacy