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MakerStage

Description of employment

Engineering intern — mission and scope

The role exists to help teams navigate prototyping and production with less friction. You will apply a mechanical engineering mindset to integrate classroom fundamentals with practical exposure to digital manufacturing workflows — connecting mechanical engineers, designers, and R&D groups with the right processes and suppliers.

Expect hands-on exposure to the intersection of mechanical engineering, digital manufacturing, and technical communication.

What you get

What you'll gain

Hands-on experience that transfers to sales engineering, applications engineering, and technical program roles.

Real outreach & pipeline work

Own conversations with engineers and designers about prototyping, production, and DFM — with coaching from the MakerStage team.

Hands-on additive projects

Opportunity to run personal or school builds through our additive network when program guidelines allow — FDM, SLA, SLS, or MJF.

Digital manufacturing fluency

Learn DFM, material selection, quoting, tolerancing, and supplier workflows on real programs — not just from a textbook.

Technical communication

Practice translating engineering and manufacturing concepts for startups, product teams, and student makers — the same skill set as sales engineering.

Portfolio-worthy experience

Talk about real outreach, campaigns, webinars, and manufactured parts in your next interview.

Meaningful work

Help teams get from CAD to qualified RFQs faster — whether they are hardware startups or capstone groups.

Primary responsibilities

What you'll actually do

  • Conduct outreach and communications with mechanical engineers, product designers, and R&D teams across California and other regions to understand prototyping and production needs and schedule introductory meetings.
  • Support the creation of engineering-focused content — short-form video, podcasts, webinars, and campaigns — explaining design-for-manufacturing (DFM), material selection, and production methods.
  • Assist projects that translate engineering and manufacturing concepts into accessible insights for startups and product companies.
  • Participate in research and coordination for technical webinars and community events that showcase expertise in CNC machining, sheet metal, and 3D printing.
  • Coordinate with the MakerStage team on follow-up, qualification, and handoff so leads turn into real manufacturing work.
  • Give honest product feedback from the field so we can improve the quoting and customer experience.

Who should apply

What we are looking for

  • Currently enrolled in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related program (industrial, manufacturing, aerospace, or product design) at an accredited university, or equivalent relevant coursework.
  • Comfortable with CAD (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, CATIA, or similar) on class or personal projects.
  • Strong written and verbal communication — you will represent MakerStage in email, calls, and content.
  • Self-directed and reliable in a remote setting: Slack, email, and video calls with minimal supervision.
  • Available for approximately part-time hours (commonly fewer than 30 hours per week), flexible around your class schedule — expectations are set with your manager.

Bonus points

  • Experience with Formula SAE, Baja SAE, rocketry, or competition robotics.
  • Prior RFQs, quotes, or hands-on shop or makerspace experience.
  • Comfort on camera or on mic for short technical explainers.

A week in the life

What this actually looks like

Mon

Monday

You research a Bay Area hardware startup’s bracket stack-up, send a concise note on sheet metal vs CNC for their volume, and book a qualified intro call with their mechanical lead.

Wed

Wednesday

You join a working session to outline a 90-second DFM clip on hole callouts — script, on-screen example, and where MakerStage fits in the RFQ flow.

Fri

Friday

A qualified meeting you helped schedule converts to a follow-up RFQ. You log the outcome and brief the team so the project keeps moving.

Ready?

Apply for the Sales Engineer Internship

The application form is coming soon. For now, email us with your school, major, graduation year, LinkedIn, and a short note on why you would be a strong fit for technical outreach and manufacturing education.

Apply via emailAbout MakerStage

What makes a strong application

Show a concrete example of outreach or teaching — a club, a project team, a short video, or a time you helped someone get from CAD to a manufacturable design. We care about clarity and follow-through, not buzzwords.

FAQ

Common questions

Do I need manufacturing experience?
No prior job-shop experience is required. You should understand how parts are made at a conceptual level (CAD, tolerances, basic processes) and be eager to learn DFM, materials, and quoting in depth with mentorship.
How much time does this take?
Expect approximately part-time hours, flexible around your class schedule. Part-time roles are often structured as under 30 hours per week; actual workload varies by week — outreach, content, webinars, or campaign support — and is aligned with your manager.
Is this a paid internship?
Yes. This is a paid, part-time internship. Specific terms are discussed with finalists and documented in your internship agreement.
Can I use MakerStage for my own school or personal parts?
Where the program allows, we support interns with additive manufacturing access for qualifying projects. Scope and guidelines are confirmed during onboarding.
What does the role look like day to day?
Remote and coordinated around your class schedule, at approximately part-time hours (commonly under 30 hours per week). Expect a mix of outreach, content support, webinars, and feedback to the team — no fixed office hours.
Do I have to be a Mechanical Engineering major?
ME is the primary fit; we also consider industrial, manufacturing, aerospace, and product design programs when your coursework and projects show equivalent mechanical design depth.
Is this remote? Who do I talk to?
Yes — fully remote. You will engage engineers and designers across regions (including California and other markets) via email, calls, and video. All internal coordination is remote.