Company Overview:

Second Order Effects (SOE) is an engineering consulting firm that transforms uncertainty into fully functional hardware and software. We work on projects at all stages of development; we perform analysis, build prototypes, and take products to market. Our team solves high-impact problems across numerous industries, including automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, industrial automation, biomedical, and green energy. Our designs control rocket engines, manage satellite communications, instrument fusion reactors, and are enjoyed by consumers around the world. The only thing we won’t build is weapons.

Founded in 2016, Second Order Effects has 50+ employees (and counting!) in offices in El Segundo, California and Redmond, Washington. We've worked with >130 clients on > 300 projects as a partner, on retainer, or on demand.

How do we do this? We prioritize others, build the right thing, welcome difficulty, and play the long game. Learn more at soeffects.com!

Team Overview:

The Integration and Test team (I&T) is focused on validating, integrating, verifying, and qualifying SOE designs. I&T takes ownership of end-to-end projects and works closely with project teams and customers to learn designs and use cases.  Every team member works to understand a wide variety of problems in new or legacy designs and can architect systematic means of implementing & testing solutions. Team members emphasize reusability, automation, and developing hardware and software infrastructure to serve internal and external customers as efficiently as possible.

Job Overview:

As an Integration/Test Engineering Intern, you will gain a range of hands-on test engineering experience by going through a range of test campaigns for engineering hardware in order to produce impactful results for our team and customers! During a day on the job, you can find yourself operating equipment from thermal chambers to test prototype flight hardware, testing unique electronics to verify performance, or working with our engineers to create custom equipment. 

What You Will Do:

  • Report to a mentor who will be responsible for feedback and learning— mentors will also assign tasks and projects to work closely with the teams
  • Execute test procedures, troubleshooting, and documentation of result
  • Work with data acquisition systems and control systems to continually improve in-test data recording and usability of the systems
  • Gain exposure to designing, assembling, and testing custom hardware/electrical systems for our customers
  • Generate and use test systems and procedures while operating hardware under environmental tests
  • Write automation and interface software in Python for testing, troubleshooting, and production checkouts

What You Will Need:

  • Current enrollment in college or Bachelor's Degree (Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Industrial Engineering, Math, or related field)
  • Programming skills with an object-oriented programming language (e.g., Python, C++, Java) and experience generating maintainable code for applications that interface with test equipment
  • Basic knowledge of physics with respect to electricity, magnetism, and electronic circuits
  • Curiosity and passion about electrical engineering and technology with the ability to learn and take instruction
  • Excellent attention to detail, with care and consideration when handling test equipment or hardware

What Would Be Useful:

  • Experience in a team-based design and build project (e.g., Formula SAE, Solar Car, CubeSat, etc.)
  • Familiarity with Python and/or MATLAB for data parsing and data visualization
  • Exposure to automated test systems and test equipment; experience with datalogging, and data processing software
  • Experience with control system logic and interfacing with test equipment and hardware
  • Familiarity with aerospace environmental testing, such as thermal cycling, vibration, shock, thermal vacuum, and EMI/EMC
  • Experience with continuous testing or related high-reliability software development strategies
  • Experience with Linux operating systems

Additional Requirements:

  • Applicant must be available to work from January 6th, 2025 to April 25th, 2025
  • Applicant must be willing to work 40 hours a week on-site in El Segundo, California, USA
  • Applicant must be eligible to work on ITAR projects
  • Job Type: Full-time (Salary)

ITAR Requirements:

  • To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship at this time.

Benefits:

  • Compensation range of $66,400-$66,900 per year on a salary basis 
  • 100% employer-paid health insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision) for employees + 50% dependent coverage
  • Accrue paid time off policy + accrue sick days policy + paid holidays
  • 401(k) retirement account and employer matching (Safe Harbor 4%)
  • Hybrid working arrangements
  • Housing stipend
  • Electric Vehicle (EV) charging ports
  • Casual dress code
  • Daily catered lunches, snacks, and accessible kitchen
  • & more!

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply!

Second Order Effects is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SOE is governed on the basis of excellence and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

Apply for this Job

* Required

resume chosen  
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
cover_letter chosen  
(File types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf)
When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review
+ Add another education


Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Second Order Effects’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.


Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.


Enter the verification code sent to to confirm you are not a robot, then submit your application.

This application was flagged as potential bot traffic. To resubmit your application, turn off any VPNs, clear the browser's cache and cookies, or try another browser. If you still can't submit it, contact our support team through the help center.