Hardware Test/Mechanical Engineer Intern

The opportunity

Join the Hardware Engineering team and work at the intersection of mechanical design, hardware testing, and product validation. You'll help develop and evaluate the mechanical parts, fixtures, enclosures, and test setups that support board bring-up, engineering development, manufacturing, and validation across Astera Labs' product lines.

This internship is designed for someone who enjoys learning by doing: understanding a product requirement, reviewing a board or mechanical design, building or modifying hardware, running a fit or airflow check, investigating the result, and improving the design or test setup. You'll work alongside experienced engineers and collaborate across mechanical, electrical, validation, NPI, manufacturing test, and lab teams.

What you'll do

• Support the design and documentation of mechanical parts for engineering boards, validation vehicles, cable modules, and test platforms.
• Review mechanical requirements from product specifications, board files, drawings, and related design inputs.
• Participate in layout placement and mechanical reviews covering board outlines and dimensions, mounting holes, cutouts, slots, keep-outs, component spacing, package and heatsink zones, and other mechanical interfaces.
• Create or update mechanical CAD models, drawings, and release files such as STEP and DXF files under engineering guidance.
• Help develop and improve backplates, baseplates, airboxes, chassis enclosures, mounting fixtures, and other hardware used to test and support Astera Labs products.
• Build or coordinate prototypes using 3D printing, sheet metal, machining, or other fabrication methods, and evaluate fabricated parts against design intent.
• Assemble test fixtures and lab hardware; verify mechanical fit, alignment, clearance, airflow, and usability with boards, sockets, heatsinks, connectors, cables, and other components.
• Support hardware test setups by documenting equipment, fixtures, cables, procedures, and required accessories.
• Investigate fit, interference, alignment, thermal, or airflow issues; propose design updates and verify corrective actions through focused testing.
• Contribute to design-for-manufacturability reviews, parts lists, bills of materials, supplier communications, and mechanical documentation and release workflows.
• Collaborate with engineers across Hardware Engineering, validation, NPI, manufacturing test, production, and lab teams to communicate findings and deliver practical solutions.
• Present your project, results, and key learnings at the end of the internship.

What you bring

• Coursework, project, research, or hands-on experience in mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, hardware engineering, or a related field.
• Familiarity with 3D CAD and the ability to interpret mechanical drawings, board files, specifications, or datasheets.
• Curiosity about how mechanical design affects electrical hardware, testability, manufacturability, thermal performance, and system integration.
• A methodical approach to problem-solving: understanding requirements, checking dimensions and interfaces, testing assumptions, analyzing evidence, and documenting what you learn.
• Comfort working hands-on with hardware, tools, prototypes, and lab equipment in a fast-paced engineering environment.
• Clear written and verbal communication, with the ability to collaborate across mechanical, electrical, software, and manufacturing disciplines.
• Ownership, persistence, and a practical mindset in an environment where designs are iterated and the first attempt may not work.

Helpful experience

• Mechanical design, tolerance analysis, GD&T, design for manufacturability, or design for assembly.
• Sheet-metal, machined, or 3D-printed parts; rapid prototyping; or supplier/fabrication coordination.
• Test fixtures, mounting hardware, enclosures, backplates, baseplates, airboxes, or alignment features.
• Thermal management, heatsink or socket clearances, airflow, or thermal validation.
• PCB and PCBA mechanical integration, including mounting holes, component height limits, keep-outs, connectors, and cable interfaces.
• Familiarity with engineering documentation and collaboration tools such as Jira, Confluence, or Arena.

Pay and benefits

This is a paid, hourly U.S. internship. The applicable hourly rate is determined as part of the offer process and specified in the offer letter, depending on education level ranges form $35/hour to $55/hour. U.S. interns currently receive a $500-per-week housing/relocation stipend for the duration of the internship. Interns participate in Early Career programming, including technical and professional-development sessions, community events, and an end-of-program project presentation.