Electrical Engineering Intern/Co-op (Summer '26)

Rugged Robotics is on a mission to empower the construction industry to build better by innovating new approaches to tough problems using automation. We are a fast-paced start-up environment where every employee takes on multiple roles and wears many hats.  To help our customers to build better, we need to build the best team.

The hardware team at Rugged Robotics is responsible for prototyping, designing, and manufacturing robotic solutions that automate construction services with speed, precision and reliability.  As an Electrical Engineering Intern working on robots at a start-up, you'll be creating power, communication, & control PCBAs, and testing, debugging, and evaluating circuit performance, and supporting the making & commissioning of our fleet of robots.

Internship / Coop Term: Summer 2026 (3 months starting in May)

Location: Onsite in Houston, TX

The Role

• Develop, build, evaluate, and test product solutions to meet the challenging needs of our construction customers.


• Develop firmware to power, communicate with, and control complex electro-mechanical systems.


• Use Altium to craft circuits, schematics, and board layouts of new PCB designs for prototypes and product.


• Make informed engineering decisions by creating simulations, running tests, methodically collecting data from measuring equipment, and conducting analyses with a range of techniques.


• Engage and collaborate with vendors around the world to refine designs and deliver hardware to meet project timelines.

You Are

• Experienced working with electro-mechanical or electrical systems from a prior internship, extra-curricular project, or lab research.


• Passionate about creating product that works reliably and exceeds customer's expectations.


• Hands-on with prototyping, building, & debugging electrical systems to quickly generate proof-of-concepts and root cause issues.


• Enthusiastic about learning new techniques & technologies and are comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

Rugged Robotics is headquartered in Houston, TX in the vibrant neighborhood of East Downtown. This role requires close collaboration with teammates, and we value the interactions that come from working together around the robots in the lab.

Interested in Rugged Robotics but don't tick all the boxes? Don't see a role that meets your skills? Reach out, let us know how you think you can contribute to the team, and define your own position.

Rugged Robotics is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity at our company. All qualified candidates will receive consideration regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, identity, age, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or other protected legal status.