{"id":801230,"url":"https://alion.io/job/valstad-robotics-software-intern-manipulation-simulation","title":"Robotics Software Intern, Manipulation & Simulation","company":{"id":688524,"name":"Valstad","domain":"valstad.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/valstad","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"is_intermediary":false,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":null},"role":"Robotics","role_family":"Robotics","seniority":"intern","employment_type":"internship","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Austin, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":34,"max":42,"currency":"USD","period":"hour","gross":null,"usd_annual":84000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Drake","optional":false},{"name":"Eigen","optional":false},{"name":"Gazebo","optional":false},{"name":"Inverse Kinematics","optional":false},{"name":"Isaac Sim","optional":false},{"name":"Motion Planning","optional":false},{"name":"MoveIt","optional":false},{"name":"MuJoCo","optional":false},{"name":"NumPy","optional":false},{"name":"OMPL","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"ROS","optional":false},{"name":"C++","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-31T17:59:17Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-31","last_verified_at":"2026-09-23T19:52:59Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":23,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":23},"description":"About Valstad\nValstad is building the machine that builds the ships.\nWe combine industrial robotics, welding, sensing, and AI to turn 3D models into real high-mix ship structure. Our mission is to rapidly expand America's maritime output by 100x.\nOur team works directly with large industrial robots and real manufacturing equipment at our Austin facility. The systems we build will ultimately be deployed across shipyards and industrial facilities throughout the country.\nAbout Valstad\nValstad is rebuilding how ships are made.\nAmerican shipbuilding is constrained by slow, labor-intensive production methods and a shortage of skilled manufacturing capacity. We are developing robotic production systems that can turn engineering data directly into finished steel structures, dramatically reducing the time and manual programming required to build ships.\nOur first platform combines industrial robots, automated material handling, welding, sensing and AI-driven manufacturing software to produce large ship panels and structural assemblies. Instead of programming each new part by hand, our goal is for the system to understand the CAD model, determine how the structure should be assembled and welded, and generate the robotic plan required to build it.\nAchieving that requires solving difficult robotics problems involving kinematics, coordinate frames, motion planning, simulation, calibration, collision checking, sensor integration and execution on real industrial hardware.\nThe software you build will be tested against full-scale industrial robots in our Austin facility, not only in simulation.\nThe Internship\nValstad is seeking a Robotics Software Intern to work on manipulation, motion-planning, simulation or robot-verification software.\nYou will own a defined technical project that improves the reliability, performance or diagnosability of Valstad’s robotic manufacturing systems. Depending on your background and our current priorities, you may work on planning algorithms, simulation infrastructure, coordinate-frame visualization, calibration analysis, robot-log replay or automated path verification.\nThis is not a shadowing program or a collection of disconnected research tasks. You will be expected to implement, test and document a working capability that can become part of Valstad’s robotics platform.\nYou will work closely with a robotics engineer and will receive structured mentorship, code review and access to real robotic systems.\nPotential Projects\nYour primary project will be selected based on your experience and Valstad’s highest-priority technical needs. Possible projects include:\nBuilding a motion-planning regression-test suite using representative manufacturing scenarios\n\nDeveloping tools for visualizing coordinate frames, transforms, robot poses and calibration results\n\nGenerating reachability maps for robots mounted on linear rails\n\nTesting inverse-kinematics continuity along long Cartesian paths\n\nDetecting singularities, wrist flips, joint-limit conditions and trajectory discontinuities\n\nCreating automated collision-checking and path-validation scenarios\n\nBuilding a robot-log replay system for reproducing hardware failures in simulation\n\nComparing commanded, simulated and physically executed robot trajectories\n\nDeveloping cycle-time prediction and trajectory-analysis tools\n\nEvaluating planning algorithms for constrained welding or scanning paths\n\nBuilding tools for calibration-data analysis and error visualization\n\nSupporting integration of a laser scanner, camera, force sensor or other non-safety-critical device\n\nDeveloping simulation models for robots, fixtures, tools and workpieces\n\nImproving visualization of robot work envelopes, collision geometry and external axes\n\nCreating automated pre-execution checks for generated robot programs\n\nWhat You Will Do\nDesign and implement a scoped robotics-software project.\n\nWork with rust, Python or both.\n\nUse simulation and recorded data to test your work.\n\nWork with rigid-body transformations, robot kinematics and 3D geometry where relevant.\n\nBuild automated tests for nominal and failure scenarios.\n\nParticipate in robotics architecture discussions and code reviews.\n\nAnalyze logs and robot behavior to diagnose planning or execution issues.\n\nValidate your work using real robotic hardware when appropriate and under supervision.\n\nDocument assumptions, algorithms, interfaces and limitations.\n\nPresent your results and demonstrate the completed capability to the Valstad team.\n\nRequired Qualifications\nCurrently pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in robotics, computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering or a related field.\n\nStrong programming fundamentals.\n\nExperience with Python, rust or both.\n\nCoursework or practical experience in linear algebra, three-dimensional geometry, kinematics, dynamics, controls or motion planning.\n\nExperience completing a meaningful robotics, software or research project.\n\nAbility to reason about technical systems and debug unexpected behavior.\n\nAbility to work independently within a defined project scope.\n\nStrong written and verbal communication skills.\n\nInterest in robotic manipulation and real-world industrial systems.\n\nAvailability to work full-time and on-site in Austin for the duration of the internship.\n\nStrongly Preferred\nStrong rust experience.\n\nExperience with ROS or ROS 2.\n\nExperience with MoveIt, Tesseract, OMPL, Drake, MuJoCo, Isaac Sim, Gazebo or another robotics framework.\n\nExperience with forward and inverse kinematics.\n\nExperience with homogeneous transformations, quaternions and coordinate-frame conventions.\n\nExperience with collision detection or motion planning.\n\nExperience working with robotic manipulators.\n\nExperience with Eigen, NumPy or similar numerical libraries.\n\nExperience developing simulation or verification tools.\n\nExperience with industrial robot arms, linear rails or external axes.\n\nExperience with robot calibration, hand-eye calibration or sensor localization.\n\nExperience working with cameras, laser scanners, force-torque sensors or other robotics hardware.\n\nParticipation in a robotics laboratory, student robotics team, Formula SAE, combat robotics or relevant open-source project.\n\nWhat We Look For\nWe value evidence that you can apply robotics concepts to systems that behave imperfectly outside the laboratory.\nStrong candidates often have:\nA manipulator or hardware project they can explain in depth\n\nResearch involving real robot experiments\n\nOpen-source robotics contributions\n\nExperience debugging coordinate-frame or calibration problems\n\nSimulation work connected to physical validation\n\nA clear understanding of the difference between an algorithm working once and a system operating reliably\n\nYou do not need industrial-robot or shipbuilding experience. We care more about robotics fundamentals, software quality and an interest in making algorithms work on physical machines.\nSafety and Production Boundaries\nInterns may work with industrial robots under the supervision of qualified Valstad personnel.\nInterns will not independently:\nModify safety systems\n\nAuthorize production releases\n\nCommission energized equipment without supervision\n\nMake uncontrolled changes to production robot or PLC programs\n\nBypass interlocks, protective devices or established review procedures\n\nProduction-facing changes will be reviewed and approved by full-time engineers.\nWhat Success Looks Like\nBy the end of the internship, you will have delivered a working robotics-software capability that improves planning, simulation, verification or hardware debugging.\nYour project will have:\nA clearly defined technical objective\n\nA tested implementation\n\nRepresentative nominal and failure scenarios\n\nDocumentation of assumptions and limitations\n\nIntegration with Valstad’s software or simulation environment where appropriate\n\nA final demonstration using real robot data or physical hardware\n\nThe strongest interns may be considered for future internships or full-time positions.\nCompensation and Benefits\nThe anticipated pay range for this internship is $34 to $42 per hour, depending on experience and technical depth.\nThe internship also includes:\nA dedicated robotics mentor\n\nAccess to industrial robotic systems\n\nOwnership of a substantive technical project\n\nRegular technical feedback and code review\n\nPotential relocation or temporary-housing assistance where appropriate\n\nConsideration for future internship or full-time opportunities\n\nValstad is an equal-opportunity employer. We evaluate candidates based on their ability, experience and potential to contribute to the company’s mission.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8653,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":null,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":true,"industries":[],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-12T07:56:33Z"}],"liveness":{"score":29,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.518,"p_room":0.55,"age_days":22,"expected_fill_days":20,"reasons":["conf:0","velocity","win:tail","comp:junior"],"computed_at":"2026-09-23T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":84000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/valstad-robotics-software-intern-manipulation-simulation","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/valstad-robotics-software-intern-manipulation-simulation.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-23T21:30:37Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers"}}