LIGO Lab Engineering Intern

About the Role

Caltech seeks a highly motivated and skilled high school student for an Engineering Intern role at the Caltech campus in Pasadena. This is an opportunity to work with world-leading scientists and engineers at LIGO Lab, gaining hands-on experience with the processes involved in taking a concept from design to implementation/installation of the LIGO system. You will also learn about the various components that constitute the LIGO interferometer. This opportunity is ideal for a high school student with a passion for physics and engineering, astronomy, and cutting-edge technology.

Key Responsibilities

• Work on the engineering of experiments for Advanced LIGO.
• Support design and assembly of experiments using tools like SolidWorks, Altium, ANSYS, COMSOL, etc.
• Read and annotate changes to mechanical drawings and documents.
• If you have SolidWorks experience, you can also work on updating drawings.
• Help to set up experiments and carry out measurements in areas such as Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Vacuum Systems, and Data Analysis.
• Lead problem-solving issues with the running of the experiment.
• Carry out analysis and interpretation of results.
• Organize and document data and write up analysis and conclusions.
• Provide technical support for other engineering and science projects at LIGO as needed, working with senior staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Currently enrolled at a Los Angeles area high school.
• Demonstrated interest in an Engineering or science-related field.
• Ability to work in person at the Caltech campus on a weekly basis throughout the school year.
• Basic knowledge of office productivity software (spreadsheets, presentations, and word processing).
• Good interpersonal communication skills.
• Good problem resolution skills.
• Ability to work in laboratories and wear safety equipment (laser and safety glasses).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with hand tools.
• Experience with scientific computation (e.g., MATLAB, Python).

Required Documents

• Cover letter summarizing your relevant experience from school or a workplace and why you are interested in LIGO science.
• Resume.

Hiring Range

$19.50 - $22.00 Per Hour