2027 Summer Internship - Electronic Engineer - Cambridge

We believe in the power of ingenuity to build a positive human future.  

As strategies, technologies, and innovation collide, we create opportunity from complexity. 

Our teams of interdisciplinary experts combine innovative thinking and breakthrough technologies to progress further, faster. Our clients adapt and transform, and together we achieve enduring results. 

We are over 4,000 strategists, innovators, designers, consultants, digital experts, scientists, engineers, and technologists. And we have deep expertise in consumer and manufacturing, defence and security, energy and utilities, financial services, government and public services, health and life sciences, and transport.  

Our teams operate globally from offices across the UK, Ireland, US, Nordics, and Netherlands. 

PA. Bringing Ingenuity to Life. 

Why considering joining us? 

• Joining us as an intern is the next step in starting your career. As you begin your career and turn your technical knowledge into real-world impact, we want you to be bold, stay curious and dive into the opportunities we have to offer.  
• If you want a balance of technology, commercial and real-world applications, coupled with an opportunity to work across a broad range of industry sectors, then this might be what you have been looking for.  
• At PA Consulting we have a unique combination of industry expertise and engineering capability. At our dedicated Global Innovation Technology Centre in Cambridge UK, we develop award-winning products and manufacturing processes, helping clients understand and use technology more effectively.   
• Our electronic engineers have expertise in creating electronic systems and are constantly learning about their craft and broadening their knowledge, working alongside colleagues who all have a passion for using what they know, every day. We work across the development process, from design, simulation and prototyping through, test and transfer to volume manufacture. Our consultants bring experience from across industry and consultancy to ensure the quality and value of our client deliverables.  

What you can expect  

We work with our clients throughout the complete product lifecycle  

Some of the projects our recent electronic engineering summer interns have worked in small, multidisciplinary teams to achieve: 

• Investigating the use of conductive ink stretch sensors to aid rehabilitation, including producing and characterising the material, and designing a PCB for the sensor electronics and microcontroller 
• Producing an metasurface antenna combining cutting-edge RF research with mechanical structures inspired by origami 
• Producing and driving liquid capsules in saline solutions  with a custom magnetics based control system 
• Investigating  novel antenna technology using plasma and developing lab-scale demonstrators 
• Utilising Edge AI to develop a compression algorithm for low power audio transmission from remote sensing platforms 

Assessment process  

First Stage Assessments: 

• Application form 
• Online Assessments  
• Business Review 

Final Stage Assessments: 

• In Person Assessment Centre with Technical Assessments 

Adjustments or accommodations - Should you need any adjustments or accommodations to the recruitment process, at either application or interview, please contact us on [email protected] 

Essential requirements  

This role is open to undergraduates in their penultimate year of university.  If you intend to return to university after the internship to complete an MSc, you will also be eligible for this position.  

• Qualification: Undergraduate degree —  studying towards, or completed an accredited degree in Electronic Engineering (or related subject, e.g. Physics, Biomedical Engineering)  
• Growth-oriented and curious — open to change, driven to succeed, hungry for new challenges, and eager to broaden your understanding of the world. 
• Collaborative and relationship-focused — thrive in dynamic teams, build strong relationships with clients and peers, and support others to succeed. 
• Credible and communicative — comfortable in high-performance environments, with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal. 
• Analytical and adaptable — demonstrate strong problem-solving abilities, innovative thinking, and the flexibility to adapt your style and approach. You will apply your engineering experience and knowledge gained through university, work or projects to help develop solutions to real-world problems 
• Professional and reliable — show strong workplace etiquette by being punctual, dependable, and respectful of business expectations and office conduct. 

Technical experience – you should have a knowledge and an interest across one of more of these areas: 

• Electronic circuit design principles.   
• Digital electronics - DSP, FPGA   
• Microcontrollers, Microprocessors and embedded hardware design.   
• Embedded software development in C   
• Power electronics and switch mode power supply design.   
• Radio frequency electronics / communication systems   
• Product design experience desirable   

The Offer 

• The opportunity to work on meaningful projects with talented people across a wide range of assignments   
• You will be an important part of developing creative technical solutions for break-out products and manufacturing processes, contributing your expertise in electronic engineering   
• Variety and breadth. Your role may range from creating a novel wireless connected product, developing a high-performance data processor to designing an innovative medical device. Our clients need us to work at the cutting edge and you will be ready to help   
• The opportunity to experience all phases of development, from conceptualisation and theoretical design to hands-on building/prototyping and testing in our workshops   
• You will innovate at the intersection of science, technology and market needs. We pride ourselves on developing innovative solutions to hard problems   
• Your work base will be our Global Innovation & Technology Centre, Melbourn, Cambridge    
• This role will start in June 2027 – for 8 weeks.  Exact dates will be confirmed at offer stage.  
• Salary: £26,230 per annum  

A career at PA is what you make of it — so power your curiosity and prepare to make an impact.

Life At PA encompasses our peoples' experience at PA. It's about how we enrich peoples’ working lives by giving them access to unique people and growth opportunities and purpose led meaningful work. 

Our purpose guides how we work with our clients and our teams, and support our communities, to deliver insight and impact, solving the world’s most complex challenges. We're focused on building a workplace that values human difference and diverse mindsets, and a culture of inclusion and equality that unlocks the potential in our people so everyone can be their best self. 

Find out more about Life at PA here. 

We are dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, social and financial well-being of our people. Check out some of our extensive benefits: 

• Health and lifestyle perks accompanying private healthcare
• 25 days annual leave (plus a bonus half day on Christmas Eve) with the opportunity to buy 5 additional days 
• Generous company pension scheme 
• Opportunity to get involved with community and charity-based initiatives 
• Annual performance-based bonus  
• Tax efficient benefits (cycle to work, give as you earn) 

We’re committed to advancing equality. We recruit, retain, reward and develop our people based solely on their abilities and contributions and without reference to their age, background, disability, genetic information, parental or family status, religion or belief, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity (or expression), political belief, veteran status, or any other range of human difference brought about by identity and experience. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups. 

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