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Defense Contractor Intern Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

DoD SkillBridge Intern- Safety

Chino Hills, CA ยท On-site

$15.25 - $20.25/hr

Through participation in the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge Program, eligible service ... full range of electrical contracting capabilities related to transmission, distribution ...

DoD SkillBridge Intern- Safety

Chino Hills, CA ยท On-site

$15.25 - $20.25/hr

Through participation in the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge Program, eligible service ... full range of electrical contracting capabilities related to transmission, distribution ...

DoD SkillBridge Intern- Safety

Menifee, CA

$15.75 - $21.25/hr

Through participation in the Department of Defense (DoD) SkillBridge Program, eligible service ... full range of electrical contracting capabilities related to transmission, distribution ...

Showing results 41-60

Defense Contractor Intern information

What types of projects or assignments might a defense contractor intern work on during their internship?

As a Defense Contractor Intern, you may assist with a variety of projects such as supporting engineering design, conducting research and analysis, helping with testing and evaluation of defense systems, or preparing reports and documentation. Interns often work alongside experienced engineers, analysts, or project managers, gaining exposure to classified or cutting-edge technology in a structured environment. You might also participate in team meetings, collaborate with cross-functional departments, and contribute to the continuous improvement of products or processes. These experiences offer valuable insight into the defense industry and can be instrumental in launching a full-time career in this field.

What is a defense contractor intern?

A Defense Contractor Intern assists with projects supporting military and defense operations, often working for private companies that contract with government agencies. Interns may help with research, data analysis, engineering, logistics, or cybersecurity, depending on the organization. They gain hands-on experience while learning about government regulations, security clearances, and the defense industry's role in national security. This position provides valuable exposure to working with classified or sensitive information in a highly regulated environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the defense contractor intern position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Defense Contractor Intern, you need a solid background in engineering, computer science, or a related STEM field, along with analytical and problem-solving abilities. Familiarity with industry-standard software such as AutoCAD, MATLAB, or project management tools, and sometimes security clearance or eligibility, is often required. Standout interns demonstrate strong teamwork, attention to detail, effective communication, and adaptability in fast-paced environments. These skills are essential to ensure technical accuracy, security compliance, and productive collaboration on high-stakes defense projects.

What are the most commonly searched types of Defense Contractor jobs in California? The most popular types of Defense Contractor jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Defense Contractor Intern jobs? Cities in California with the most Defense Contractor Intern job openings:
Infographic showing various Defense Contractor Intern job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 71% Full Time, 10% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 17% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution.

Research Intern Reinforcement Learning Robotics

Applied Intution

Sunnyvale, CA โ€ข On-site

Other

Posted 26 days ago


Job description

About Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company's solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments.

About the role:

We are looking for multiple passionate Research Interns to join the Research Group at Applied Intuition. The mission of the group is to create cutting-edge technology enabling next-generation physical AI, with emphasis on the two most challenging applications reshaping our everyday life: end-to-end autonomous driving and robotic generalist. We have a group composed of leading experts from top institutions and companies, recognized for their exceptional academic and industry contributions-including eight Best Paper awards at premier conferences and journals such as CVPR and ICRA. Learn more at appliedintuition.com/research.

Supported by industry-leading tools and infra, researchers can access millions of miles of data from large fleets, and deploy methods they develop into various autonomous and robotic systems including self-driving cars/trucks, autonomous mining/construction machines, humanoid robots and dexterous hands. In addition to your research contributions, you will contribute to and learn from best practices in the autonomy and robotics industries within our fast-paced and customer-focused culture. Improvements deployed to our system immediately help our customers with their programs and deliver value to our business.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

  • Conduct research on reinforcement learning (RL) related topics including large-scale closed-loop RL and VLA post-training with applications to robotics with emphasis on dexterous manipulation
  • Diving into fundamental and relevant topics on RL with broader applications
  • Work closely with the Research Scientists and Engineers on high quality research publications for submission to top-tier conferences

We're looking for someone who has:

  • Strong research background and skills on relevant topics, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively on projects
  • Current PhD (or MSc) studies in machine learning, computer vision and graphics, robotics
  • Passion for next-generation, scalable autonomy and robotics

Don't meet every single requirement? If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.