2025 Data Science Undergrad 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.

At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration – to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.

The Aerospace Corporation is seeking an Undergrad Intern for the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Department (DSAID) within the Information Systems and Cyber Division (ISCD). This position will be based in El Segundo, CA.

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 Intelligence Community, DoD, and civilian customers.

DSAID consists of a diverse team of engineers, data scientists, and programmers with a passion for researching, prototyping, understanding, and building AI and data enabled tools across the space enterprise.  We are a growing, innovative, and collaborative department that makes meaningful contributions to National Security Space (AF, NRO, etc.), and Civil and Commercial customers (NASA, MDA, DHS, etc.).  

Data Science Intern may support projects involving one or more of the following disciplines: Data Science, Applied or Theoretical Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Deep Reinforcement Learning, Physics Inspired ML, Classification Systems, Natural Language Processing, Artificial Intelligence, or Computer Vision. 

Work Model:

This position will be a hybrid work model and offer partially remote with some onsite work required in El Segundo, CA.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Supporting projects for customers ranging from National Security Space (AF, NRO, etc.) to civil (NASA, NOAA, etc.) and commercial (commercial space, autonomous vehicles, etc.)

• DSAID applies data science and AI knowledge across the space enterprise, to Aerospace enterprise capabilities, and towards corporate workforce development and strategic focus areas

• Data Scientists learn and develop their skills by working on teams spanning disciplines, experience levels, and organizational boundaries.

• Primary functions include:

• Evaluation of technologies for use in scalable and resilient mission-critical applications in a production environment

• Coordinated development and execution of experiments

• Coordinated development of proof-of-concept infrastructure configuration and software prototypes

• Collaboration with small, innovative teams to deliver features and products

• Written and verbal presentation of results to team members and stakeholders

• Reinforcing an environment of learning and progress with team members and others

• Focus on accountability and innovation in leadership competency development

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

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:

• Pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering or related discipline from an accredited college/university program

• Minimum GPA of 3.0

• 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.

• Software development skills including familiarity with machine learning and deep learning libraries in Python

• Some experience with and understanding of software engineering concepts (DevOps, algorithms, data structures, etc.)

• Experience with and understanding of machine learning and statistics

• Working knowledge of Unix/Linux operating systems

• Demonstrated ability to cooperate as a member of a team

• This position requires 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 of 3.5 or higher

• Active security clearance 

• Strong leadership skills

• Experience with cloud native application development or cloud infrastructure

• Development of data platforms

• Experience with data security and governance technologies

• Microservice architectures

• Distributed and stream data processing

• Intermediate to advanced knowledge of other programming languages i.e. Python, JavaScript, C/C++, C#, etc.

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 diverse 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/Affirmative Action employer. We believe that a diverse workforce creates an environment in which unique ideas are developed and differing perspectives are valued, producing superior customer solutions. 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 ieo.mailbox@aero.org. You can also review Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal, as well as the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.