2025 Antenna RF Undergrad Intern

The Aerospace Corporation is seeking an Antenna & RF Undergraduate Intern for the Communication Technologies and Engineering Division (CTED). This position will be located in Chantilly, VA.

Job Summary

The Communication Technologies and Engineering Division (CTED) represents the disciplines of communications, networking, and PNT (Position, Navigation, and Timing) in support of space missions, along with their enabling technologies. In our domain, CTED projects comprise all aspects, from architectures to prototypes to implementation, theoretical to hands-on.  Our engineers work directly with corporate and U.S. Government customers to ensure robust and resilient communications.

In this role, you will become part of the Communication Technologies and Engineering Division (CTED). Main-mission communication satellites, wideband links, command and telemetry, and terrestrial networks, along with their enabling technologies, are the domain of CTED. The division comprises all aspects, from architectures to implementation; our engineers work directly with corporate customers to ensure robust and resilient communications. 

Work Model: 

This position will be located 100% onsite in Chantilly, VA. 

What You’ll Be Doing  

• Assist senior staff in laboratory prototyping work that includes designing, building, and testing antenna, RF, and digital systems. 

• Learn industry standard communication systems analysis tools such as HFSS, GRASP, Vivado, GNURadio. 

• Perform RF and antenna measurements and hardware implementation of digital signal processing algorithms in SDRs and FPGAs. 

• Support design and analysis of a variety of antenna types including reflectors, horns, wire antennas, and microstrip antennas. 

• Process and analyze data using software tools such as MATLAB or Python. 

• Work with other engineers as a team member in solving problems related to communication systems.

What Corporate Skills You’ll Bring  

• Strong written and oral communication skills. 

• Must work well in a team environment.  

• Possess organizational, time management and project management skills.  

• Demonstrate flexibility and ability to adapt to changing organizational need.  

• Interpersonal skills to coordinate efforts and work with other internal and external organizations. 

What You Need to be Successful  

Minimum Requirements: 

• Currently enrolled fulltime in an accredited college/university program pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, or a related technical discipline. 

• Availability to work full-time for a minimum of 10 weeks outside of university term. Ability to return to a degree program after completion of the internship.  

• Completed introductory courses in electromagnetics, RF/analog electronics, and/or Digital Signal Processing.

• Experience working in an electronics laboratory environment. 

• Basic programming skills in coding and familiarity with data analysis tools such as MATLAB or Python. 

• Ability to analyze requirements and document simulation/test results. 

• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance. 

• Transcripts required. 

How You Can Stand Out  

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these: 

• GPA of 3.2 or higher   

• Active security clearance  

• Completed coursework in the areas of antenna design and communication systems. 

• Experience working in area of antennas and electromagnetics. 

• Experience working in a laboratory environment with RF measurement equipment such network analyzers, signal generators, and spectrum analyzers. 

• Experience in working with HFSS, GRASP, Vivado, and/or GNURadio. 

• Experience in writing MATLAB scripts for processing simulated and measured data. 

Temporary housing assistance is not available. 

Leadership Competencies

Our leadership philosophy is simple: every employee, regardless of level and role, can demonstrate leadership. At Aerospace, our commitment is our people. To cultivate our talent and ensure that we have a strong pipeline of future leaders, we want individuals who:

• Operate Strategically
• Lead Change   
• Engage with Impact   
• Foster Innovation   
• Deliver Results  

Ways We Reward Our Employees

During your interview process, our team will provide details of our industry-leading benefits.

Benefits vary and are applicable based on Job Type.  A few highlights include:

• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans
• Paid holidays, sick time, and vacation
• Standard and alternate work schedules, including telework options
• 401(k) Plan — Employees receive a total company-paid benefit of 8%, 10%, or 12% of eligible compensation based on years of service and matching contributions; employees are immediately eligible and vested in the plan upon hire
• Flexible spending accounts
• Variable pay program for exceptional contributions
• Relocation assistance
• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career
• Education assistance programs
• An inclusive work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect

We are all unique, from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life, yet one thing bonds all of us to each other—the belief that we can make a difference. This core belief empowers us to do our best work at The Aerospace Corporation.

Equal Opportunity Commitment

The Aerospace Corporation is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. We believe that a diverse workforce creates an environment in which unique ideas are developed and differing perspectives are valued, producing superior customer solutions. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, color, religion, genetic information, marital status, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, or disability status and any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. If you’re an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who needs assistance using our online job search and application tools or need reasonable accommodation to complete the job application process, please contact us by phone at 310.336.5432 or by email at ieo.mailbox@aero.org. You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.