2026 Data and Software Engineering Grad Intern

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

The Aerospace Corporation is hiring a Data and Software Engineering Intern for the Data Platforms and Architecture Department within the Information Systems and Cyber Division (ISCD).  This position will be full-time, 100% onsite at our office in Chantilly, Colorado Springs, Los Angeles

Job Summary

Information Systems and Cyber Division (ISCD) staff couple the latest in information system technologies, such as elastic compute clouds, containerization, microservices, real-time operating systems, and visualization frameworks, with expertise in cyber security, software architecture, software engineering, data science, Artificial Intelligence, process improvement, and software development to deliver responsive, resilient, high-performance software intensive systems to our IC, DoD, and civilian customers.

The Data Platforms and Architectures Department develops data architecture, data management platforms, data analysis pipelines, and tools to enable the full exploitation of historical and streaming data sets for a variety of civil and national security space customers. As an intern within The Data Platforms and Architectures Department, you will be involved in developing cutting edge, modern, and smart data platforms and capabilities enabling further advanced analytics, modeling and simulation, and artificial intelligence. 

What You’ll Be Doing

• Working closely with National Security Space, United States Space Force, and other Department of Defense customers

• We provide data engineering and data architecture solutions for the space enterprise

• Data engineering is at the center of many developing and future information systems and holds a key role in the organization at large

• Customers rely on our capabilities as data volumes continue to grow at exponential rates

• This position is focused on leading development and developing highly resilient and efficient data platforms

• Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned as needed

• We use the development of these types of data platforms to increase velocity and innovation for Aerospace and our customers

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 full-time in an accredited college/university program pursuing a Master's or Ph.D. degree in Computer Science or related engineering discipline

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

• Minimum GPA of 3.0   

• Proficiency in solid modeling and MATLAB for simulation, analysis, and data processing.

• Strong understanding in data engineering, architectures, and platform integration

• Demonstrated research experience with data ontologies and knowledge graphs.

• Experience with databases and data management systems.

• Cloud-native application development and deployment and familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, Platform One, etc.

• Knowledge of backend and middleware development, as well as ontologies and knowledge graphs.

• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the US 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 3.5 or higher  

• Active security clearance

• Experience with data security and governance technologies

• Microservice architectures

• Knowledge of data virtualization and data access

• Distributed and stream data processing

Temporary housing assistance is not available.

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business.  The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below.  Individual salaries within that range are determined through a wide variety of factors including but not limited to education, experience, knowledge and skills. 

(Min - Max)

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 various 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 employer. 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 peoplemangmnt.mailbox@aero.org . You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.