NPI Engineer Intern

About the role

Astera Labs is looking for an NPI Engineer Intern to support the Hardware Manufacturing Engineering team as new hardware products move from design through prototype builds and toward volume manufacturing. Astera Labs develops connectivity solutions built around ASICs for cloud service providers, server, and network OEMs.

In this hands-on role, you will work with NPI program managers, electrical and mechanical designers, manufacturing teams, suppliers, and contract manufacturers. You will help keep builds organized and moving, support the release of accurate manufacturing information, inspect and document prototype hardware, and help create a feedback loop between manufacturing and design engineering.

What you'll do

• Support NPI activities that take hardware products from design stage to prototype builds and volume manufacturing.
• Maintain build plans, schedules, allocations, and action-item tracking for assigned programs or workstreams.
• Participate in design kickoffs, build-readiness reviews, and build-execution activities with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Support Bill of Materials (BOM) and new-part releases through Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and the company's product-lifecycle-management workflows.
• Help prepare, review, and maintain contract-manufacturer build instructions, rework instructions, deviations, and related manufacturing documentation.
• Coordinate with suppliers, contract manufacturers, supply chain, design, validation, and test teams to help confirm material, process, and build readiness.
• Receive, inspect, and test prototype boards or assemblies; record serial numbers, observations, defects, and other build results.
• Help troubleshoot manufacturing and prototype-build issues, document findings, and communicate potential design or process improvements to the appropriate engineering teams.
• Track build outcomes and follow up on open actions so that information remains accurate, current, and usable by the broader team.

What you bring

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Management Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Strong academic and technical foundation in electronics, hardware systems, or manufacturing processes.
• Coursework, project, research, or hands-on experience with electrical or mechanical assembly and a basic understanding of electronics test approaches.
• Ability to read and interpret schematics, assembly documentation, or layout information.
• Strong problem-solving, organization, and documentation skills, with careful attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, manufacturing, suppliers, and contract-manufacturing partners.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with prototype builds, printed circuit board assemblies, electronics manufacturing, or hardware test through coursework, projects, research, or prior internship experience.
• Familiarity with BOMs, ECOs, product-lifecycle-management systems, build plans, or engineering change processes.
• Experience using spreadsheets or other tools to track schedules, quantities, action items, test results, or build data.
• Exposure to Jira, Confluence, or similar tools for technical documentation and issue tracking.
• Familiarity with contract-manufacturing workflows, rework documentation, or manufacturing-quality processes.
• Customer-focused, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and willing to learn in a fast-moving engineering environment.

What success looks like

You learn the NPI process and the tools used to manage hardware builds, take ownership of a defined project or workstream, and keep deliverables and action items moving with appropriate guidance. You produce clear, accurate documentation; help identify and close manufacturing or build issues; communicate risks and status early; and create useful feedback for design and manufacturing teams. By the end of the internship, your work should make a measurable contribution to build readiness, execution, documentation quality, or cross-functional follow-through.

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.