Prototyping Intern Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Company

MACH Ai8 builds the next generation of American wireless connectivity products — secure connected devices, edge networking, and lifecycle software — designed for reliability, security, and scale. The company is focused on domestic production pathways and trusted product development for the American market, supporting the reindustrialization of secure communications hardware across 5G, future 6G, Wi-Fi, satellite/LEO connectivity, edge AI, industrial IoT, and secure connected-device markets.

We are looking for an Industrial Design Intern who is eager to grow across research, concept, and execution — someone excited to sketch first ideas, develop CAD skills, and sit with engineers to make sure the design survives tooling. This intern will support consumer and commercial product programs under the mentorship of senior designers, collaborating with mechanical engineers, clients, and manufacturing partners as designs are carried from first sketch to store shelf.

Role and Responsibilities

·     Support user research, task analysis, trend research, and human factors/ergonomics studies to ground design decisions in real user needs

·     Generate concepts through sketching, storyboarding, and rapid ideation, then help develop them into refined, manufacturable designs with guidance from senior designers

·     Assist in building 3D CAD models and help produce 3D renderings, Blueprints and animations for client presentations and marketing

·     Help document Color, Material, and Finish (CMF) specifications, and learn how vendors and manufacturers validate them in production

·     Contribute ideas to design strategy, universal design language development, and brand-consistent product families

·     Support packaging and out-of-box experience design under the direction of senior designers

·     Support UI design for mobile, web, and embedded screens where products require it

·     Help build rapid prototypes (proof of concept, functional, and appearance models) and iterate based on user validation and engineering feedback

·     Work with team members from mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, SBOM about DFM/DFA, ingress protection, ruggedization, and material selection, and how design intent is preserved through mass production

·     Present concepts and design rationale clearly and confidently to internal teams

Major Job Functions

·     Concept Development - generate and evaluate design concepts, from research and ideation through to refined, manufacturable solutions

·     CAD & Visualization - assist in building 3D CAD models and renderings that communicate design intent to engineering, manufacturing, and clients

·     Design for Manufacturability - learn to partner with mechanical engineering and manufacturing partners to help ensure designs are producible at target cost, quality, and schedule

·     CMF Development - support the definition and validation of Color, Material, and Finish specifications with vendors

·     User-Centered Research - assist in conducting and applying human factors, ergonomics, and user research to inform design decisions

·     Prototyping & Validation - build and test physical prototypes to validate form, fit, function, and user experience before tooling

·     Cross-Functional Collaboration - align daily with engineering, product management, and manufacturing partners to keep programs on schedule

·     Design Presentation - present design work and rationale to internal stakeholders, with coaching from senior designers, to build toward design approval and buy-in 

·     Be involved in Focus Group research & development

Key Performance Indicators

1.     On-Time Concept & CAD Delivery; Deliver assigned concept sketches, CAD models, and renderings against program milestones so downstream engineering and tooling schedules are not delayed. KPI - % of design deliverables completed on schedule

2.     Skill Development & Learning Progression; Demonstrate steady growth in core design skills — sketching, CAD, rendering, and prototyping — over the course of the internship. KPI - competency milestones achieved per review period

3.     Prototype Iteration Cycle Time; Support the team in reducing the time from concept approval to a validated, tooling-ready prototype. The concept design must be able to manufacture with quality, automation and scale.  Mechanical Convergence is absolute critical in design, electrical, mechanical, and able to manufacture.  KPI - average days per prototype iteration cycle

4.     Internal Stakeholder Satisfaction: Ensure design contributions and presentations meet internal stakeholder expectations. KPI - stakeholder approval rate at first design review / satisfaction score

5.     Design Quality & Contribution; Contribute design work to programs that successfully reach production and market. KPI -design lead assessment of contribution quality per program

Experience/Qualifications

1.     Bachelor’s degree in industrial design or a closely related discipline — currently enrolled students and recent graduates welcome

2.     No professional experience required — coursework, internships, or personal projects involving consumer electronics or hardware products are a plus

3.     Strong sketching and visual communication skills

4.     Foundational 3D CAD proficiency (SolidWorks, Creo, Rhino, or Fusion 360) — exposure to surface modeling a plus

5.     Basic rendering skills (KeyShot or equivalent)

6.     Basic familiarity, through coursework or projects, with manufacturing processes - injection molding, die casting, stamped/formed metal - and how they constrain and enable design

7.     Interest in learning CMF development and specification

8.     A portfolio demonstrating research, concept, and development work — academic, internship, or personal projects welcome

9.     Local to Southern California and able to work on-site 20+ hours/week; Orange County residency strongly preferred

Preferred / Nice to Have:

·     Exposure to human factors validation and usability testing

·     UI/UX design coursework or projects for embedded or companion-app screens

·     Exposure to packaging structure and print production

·     Animation/motion design skills (After Effects, Blender, or similar)

·     Familiarity with design for sustainability principles

Requirements

Expertise - Foundational skills across the industrial design process, developed under senior designer mentorship: user research and human factors/ergonomics, concept sketching and rapid ideation, 3D CAD surfacing and master modeling, 3D rendering and animation for client presentations, Color/Material/Finish (CMF) specification and vendor validation, packaging and out-of-box experience design, rapid prototyping (proof-of-concept, functional, and appearance models), and DFM/DFA collaboration with mechanical engineering across injection molding, die casting, and stamped/formed metal manufacturing processes.

Education - bachelor’s degree in industrial design or a closely related discipline — currently enrolled students and recent graduates welcome

Travel – Minimal — occasional local vendor or client site visits

Job Type - Internship — Full-Time, 20+ hours/week

Locale - Orange County, CA — on-site; local Southern California candidates strongly preferred

Presentation - Present concepts and design rationale clearly and confidently to internal teams