Systems Engineering Intern – Flight Test Requirements

Company Overview

Imagine a piloted air taxi that takes off vertically, then quietly carries you and your fellow passengers over the congested city streets below, enabling you to spend more time with the people and places that matter most. At Joby, we've been working to make that dream a reality since 2009 and we're now in the final stages of certifying our aircraft with the FAA. With plans to launch our aircraft in the US and Dubai, we're now scaling manufacturing and preparing for the launch of our commercial service.

Overview

Joby Aviation is looking for a motivated Systems Engineering Intern to join our Systems Engineering team. The Intern will mainly support requirements management activities for the Flight Test System, with involvement in authoring, reviews, and validation analyses across all levels for the Flight Test Systems Requirements (FTSR).

The work supports the broader effort to bring the FTSR to certification maturity in alignment with ARP-4754A, DO-178C, and the JAS4-1 certification basis. The Intern will gain direct exposure to systems engineering, safety, certification, architecture and interface management, test data analysis and the operational realities of flight test on an experimental fly-by-wire eVTOL.

A can-do attitude is essential for this fast-paced environment, where every team member relies on each other to perform at their highest potential. The position is based at Joby’s Santa Cruz facility.

Responsibilities

The Intern will work in the Aircraft Systems Engineering team supporting the systems focal for Flight Test. The candidate will learn and understand the flight test systems used to conduct experimental and certification testing of the JAS4-1, including:

• Flight Test Instrumentation
• Ground Control System
• Remote Flight and Telemetry
• Flight Test Panels and Displays
• Flight Test Aids

The Intern’s principal activities will be hands-on requirements management work in Polarion in support of an ongoing FTSR cleanup and traceability effort. Specific tasks include:

• Updating, restructuring, and re-tagging requirements in Polarion as part of the system / sub-system requirement cleanup
• Building and maintaining traceability links between Flight Test sub-system requirements) and parent system requirements
• Establishing upward links from FTSR requirements to the JAS4-1 G-1 certification basis and Means of Compliance items
• Supporting the closure of open items in the FTSR gap register, including requirements quality findings and missing parameter requirements
• Maintaining the FTSR Traceability Master spreadsheet and other supporting trace artifacts
• Reviewing flight test instrumentation parameter definitions against the FTI Guide and proposing requirement updates to close coverage gaps
• Drafting candidate requirements for review by the systems engineering focal
• Documenting findings, decisions, and requirement change rationale to support DER review and validation

The Intern will be assigned to the Aircraft Staff Systems Engineer, who will provide assignments, coaching, and day-to-day assistance as necessary. The work will be reviewed by the Aircraft Systems Engineering team and the Flight Test Lead for completeness and correctness.

The engineering program for Interns is intended to be an exciting learning experience while contributing directly to certification program demands. The work will be at the forefront of technological advancement in intracity air transportation, a nascent industry being led by Joby. The scope of work for the period will ensure sufficient time is allotted for the opportunity to produce high-quality output.

Required

• Currently pursuing a university degree in Aerospace, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering (or equivalent) 
• Strong attention to detail and the patience to work systematically through a large body of requirements
• Skills and ability to address technical issues, analyze gaps, and propose pragmatic solutions
• Excellent computer skills; proficiency with day-to-day applications used for email, word processing, and data analysis.
• Strong familiarity with AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, etc); ability to leverage AI-assisted workflows to synthesize and aggregate data across varied sources.
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to write clear and concise technical statements
• Excellent interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with colleagues across a wide range of technical disciplines
• Ability to work both independently and on a team
• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English

Desired

• Undergraduate class standing of 4th year (or graduate student)
• Familiarity with requirements management tools (Polarion, DOORS, Jama, or equivalent)
• Exposure to aerospace certification standards (ARP-4754A, DO-178C, DO-254, AC 23-8C, AC 21.17-4) or coursework in systems engineering
• Previous experience with experimental flight test, eVTOL, or UAS-related projects
• Hands-on experience with student aircraft projects (AIAA Design Build Fly, Formula SAE, or similar)
• Familiarity with flight test instrumentation, data acquisition, or telemetry systems

Additional Information

The pay range for undergraduate interns, which includes freshman to senior level students, is $22.00 - $31.00/hour. The pay range for graduate interns with a Bachelor, Master, and/or Ph.D. degree is $5,550 - $7,800/month.

Joby is an Equal Opportunity Employer