GTRI Optical/Opto-Mechanical Internship (Graduate/Undergraduate)

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.

This job is for an internship position to work in the Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems Division (EISD) within the Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory (EOSL) at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) starting in the Fall 2025 semester.

EOSL’s Opto-Mechanical intern will work in a multi-disciplinary team of engineers to solve challenging optical remote sensing problems. Individual will be responsible for designing mechanical interfaces and fixtures, generating detailed drawings, performing test and analysis, participating in assembly and integration, and involved in the fabrication and procurement of custom components. Individual will work closely with:

• Sensitive optics and opto-mechanical components
• Lasers
• Motors and electronics
• 3D Printers and scanners
• Various hand tools and machinery (mill, bandsaw, drill press)
• Basic metrology tools (calipers, micrometers, dial indicator)
• 3D modeling and analysis

EISD specializes in the complete optical imaging and remote sensing chain, from the analysis, design, development, integration, test and evaluation of imaging and sensing systems, to the processing, exploitation, and visualization of data and imagery. Upon completion of the initial design, EISD researchers integrate various optical sensors (UV/Vis/IR) to include cameras, lidar systems, ultrasonics, environmental imagers and instruments, and RF antennas on a multitude of manned and unmanned platforms such as UAVs, high altitude balloons, airplanes, helicopters, robotic applications, and numerous ground station applications. EISD makes critical contributions to national defense in the domains of Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR), Directed Energy (DE), Free-space Optical Communications (FSOC), and Under Sea Warfare (USW).

Required Minimum Qualifications

Intern

• Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Sciences and Engineering (Optics and Optomechanics track), or related discipline
• Must be registered for intern credit with your university
• Must have a 3.0 or higher GPA

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in MATLAB or Python
• Task / team leadership experience
• Strong math skills and ability to learn complex engineering concepts
• Familiarity with MS Office suite
• Proficiency with SolidWorks or similar 3D CAD tool
• Ability to clearly communicate technical ideas to non-technically
• Experience with lidar and/or remote sensing instrumentation
• Experience with optical detectors and testing equipment