Robotics Engineering Internship – Spring 2026

SOFWERX is a venue operated under an agreement between the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and DefenseWERX, designed to increase collaboration and innovation to solve the most difficult warfighter problems. SOFWERX is a forum for accelerating delivery of innovative capability, and facilitating capability refinement through exploration, experimentation, and assessment of promising technology. SOFWERX is in the heart of Ybor City, at a neutral, easily accessible facility.  

The internship program is administered by USF Institute of Applied Engineering. Upon hire, you will be considered both a USF IAE Temporary Employee and a SOFWERX student intern. 

Responsibilities  

Working with DefenseWERX to design, prototype, and test robotic equipment  

Assist with conducting research on related technology-focused topics  

Consult and engage with subject matter experts  

Must participate in weekly market research and submit minimum required entries for new capabilities, technologies, companies, organizations, etc. that could contribute to the innovative ideas needed to create solutions for the warfighter. 
  

Requirements  

MUST BE ELIGIBLE FOR A SECURITY CLEARANCE  

Pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering or Physics  

Junior or Senior level, with a current GPA of 3.0 or above    

Experience with creating Arduino circuits    

Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint) is a plus    

Software app experience on Linux, Android, Mac OS X or Ubuntu is desired    

Must be willing to learn or be familiar with test equipment: multi-meters, spectrum analyzers, mixed-signal O-scopes, Vector Network Analyzers, and RF power meters. 

Experience working with a variety of engineering students    

Effective written and oral communication skills    

Good planning and organizational skills- A high level of integrity, accuracy, dependability, enthusiasm, and confidentiality.     

Software app experience on Linux, Android, Mac OS X or Ubuntu is desired. 
  

Time commitment  

Hours of operation are 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday thru Friday. 

This position requires a minimum of 15 hours and a maximum of 20 hours per week during the Fall/Spring semesters and a minimum of 20 hours and a maximum of 29 hours per week during the Summer semester.  

This internship is in-person with limited remote work opportunities.   
  

Opportunities  

Engage in employee events, such as team building  

Build resume and explore career options  

Apply skills and knowledge to the workplace  

Upon completion of the internship, a letter of recommendation can be provided upon request  

Opportunity for follow-on internship based on performance