Company Overview
ACS (Allen Control Systems) is a defense technology company building precision robotic systems for the United States and its allies. Founded by two former U.S. Navy electrical engineers with deep experience in robotics and software, ACS brings together AI, computer vision, precision motion, and advanced hardware to solve complex defense challenges across land, air, and maritime environments.
Our flagship product, Bullfrog, is an autonomous precision weapon system that transforms existing weapons into highly accurate counter-drone systems — giving warfighters a scalable, cost-effective response to one of the fastest-growing threats on the modern battlefield. Bullfrog is deployed with U.S. forces, and ACS works with organizations throughout the U.S. military and national security community.
Following a $200 million Series B at a $2.2 billion valuation, ACS is rapidly expanding manufacturing, accelerating Bullfrog deployments, and developing the next generation of autonomous battlefield systems. This is an opportunity to join a proven, fast-moving team and help scale technology with direct, real-world impact on national security.
ACS is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with additional operations in Alexandria, Virginia; Mountain View, California; and Huntsville, Alabama. For more information, visit allencontrolsystems.com.
Our interns aren't fetching coffee or shadowing — they're working alongside the same engineers building the systems we ship. This is early-career work with real stakes.
Location: Austin, TX (on-site)
Duration: Summer 2027 (~10-12 wks)
Pay: Paid internship
Team: Small, hands-on, direct impact
What You Could Work On:
Turning high-level mission requirements for Bullfrog into clear, testable specs — and helping define how we'll prove they're actually met
Systems integration across mechanical, electrical, software, and controls — tracing how a requirement in one subsystem shows up as a constraint in another
Verification planning and test support — helping design test approaches and reviewing results to see whether a requirement was genuinely satisfied
Engineering analysis: modeling, simulation, or margin/budget analysis that grounds a requirement or trade-off in real numbers instead of a guess
(We're keeping this general on purpose — exact projects depend on where things stand next summer, but this is the flavor of work you'd be doing.)
What We're Looking For:
Currently pursuing a degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
Coursework or project experience in requirements definition, verification planning, or systems integration (senior design projects count)
Comfortable with engineering analysis — modeling, simulation, or data analysis to back up a technical decision
A structured thinker who's curious about how interfaces and assumptions between subsystems can create downstream problems
Why ACS:
Direct impact: your work ships on hardware being fielded to protect real people — not stuck in a slide deck.
Real ownership: no red tape. You'll work directly with the engineers building Bullfrog, from day one.
Small team, big scope: at a startup this size, interns take on real problems, not busywork.
Mentorship from engineers who've designed and fielded real defense systems.
Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Skills Required
- Currently pursuing a degree in Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
- Coursework or project experience in requirements definition, verification planning, or systems integration
- Experience with engineering analysis, modeling, simulation, or data analysis
- Structured thinking and ability to identify subsystem interface and assumption issues
Allen Control Systems Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is consistently listed as employer-provided medical, dental, and vision insurance, with HSA/FSA options also appearing. Life and disability insurance are additionally noted in public benefits outlines.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity grants are repeatedly referenced across roles via an "ACS Equity Package," indicating broad access to ownership upside. This is positioned as a core element of total rewards alongside salary.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is explicitly advertised and parental leave is mentioned on public profiles. There are indications of PTO availability early in tenure for hourly roles, suggesting practical access to time off.
Allen Control Systems Insights
What We Do
Allen Control Systems is a defense technology company for a new era of drone warfare and to completely change battlefield economics. ACS is developing counter-drone robotic gun systems targeted at neutralizing attacking drone swarms, drones that are pre-programmed with AI, and drones that are non-jammable. ACS was created to lower the cost per kill of a drone to a few dollars. We do this by combining cutting-edge hardware and software that allows us to point an inexpensive gun that already exists in the field more accurately than anyone ever has before. ACS is a remote organization, with our HQ in Austin, Texas, and an office in Alexandria, Va. If you're passionate about our mission, we’d love to hear from you.
Allen Control Systems Offices
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