AFIT ANT Research Intern/Co-Op (Spring/Summer 2026) - 27420
Date: Mar 2, 2026
Location: Wright-Patterson Air Force Bas, Ohio, United States
Company: HII's Mission Technologies division
Requisition Number: 27420
Required Travel: 0 - 10%
Employment Type: Full Time/Salaried/Exempt
Anticipated Salary Range: $44,962.00 - $54,000.00
Security Clearance: Ability to Obtain
Level of Experience: Mid
This opportunity resides with Warfare Systems (WS), a business group within HII’s Mission Technologies division. Warfare Systems comprises cyber and mission IT; electronic warfare; and C5ISR systems.
HII works within our nation’s intelligence and cyber operations communities to defend our interests in cyberspace and anticipate emerging threats. Our capabilities in cybersecurity, network architecture, reverse engineering, software and hardware development uniquely enable us to support sensitive missions for the U.S. military and federal agency partners.
Meet HII’s Mission Technologies Division
Our team of more than 7,000 professionals worldwide delivers all-domain expertise and advanced technologies in service of mission partners across the globe. Mission Technologies is leading the next evolution of national defense – the data evolution - by accelerating a breadth of national security solutions for government and commercial customers. Our capabilities range from C5ISR, AI and Big Data, cyber operations and synthetic training environments to fleet sustainment, environmental remediation and the largest family of unmanned underwater vehicles in every class. Find the role that’s right for you. Apply today. We look forward to meeting you.
To learn more about Mission Technologies, click here for a short video: https://vimeo.com/732533072
Job Description
The Autonomy and Navigation Technology (ANT) Center, located at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) at Wright-Patterson AFB, is looking for a motivated, ambitious individual to serve as a Research Intern/Co-Op student. The successful candidate will be in the process of obtaining a Bachelor's or Master's degree from a major university or college in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a closely related field, with a 3.0 GPA or higher. The candidate must be a self-sufficient and independent professional.
While we’re thrilled to connect with candidates nationwide, this opportunity does not include temporary relocation or housing stipend support.
Essential Job Responsibilities
The Research Intern/Co-Op student will work closely with AFIT professors to support several research projects throughout the internship.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Design, develop and test computer software in support of research requirements
- Collecting and analyzing experimental data
- Work with faculty, students and research engineers to develop new algorithms and tooling that support the various autonomy and advanced navigation research projects
- Integrate various hardware and software components to support specific research needs
- Support CI/CD pipelines and repository maintenance to ensure availaiblity of software tooling
- Reviews and tests software components for adherence to the design requirements and documents test results
The end goal of this internship is to provide undergraduate students an opportunity to expand their experiences as well as giving the ANT Center an opportunity to vet qualified future hires.
Minimum Qualifications
- Must be currently pursuing and enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's degree program to meet internship requirements.
- Academic or hand-on previous intern experience in software design, development, coding, testing and debugging
- Solid foundation in object-oriented design, programming and requirements development
- Experience in a variety of programming languages, but strong in Python, C++ and C
- Experience with Ubuntu Linux, git and Docker
- Ability to work independently and as a team member
- The candidate should demonstrate a hands-on approach to problem-solving and must be willing to actively participate in the evalutation of algorithm and system performance
- Security clearance is not required for position BUT must have the ability to clear a Background Investigation upon offer
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Engineering Intern 1 |
High School Diploma or equivalent + Must be working towards a Bachelor's degree with up to 20% of the required credits completed. |
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Engineering Intern 2 |
High School Diploma or equivalent + Must be working towards a Bachelor's degree with between 20% and 40% of the required credits completed. |
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Engineering Intern 3 |
High School Diploma or equivalent + Must be working towards a Bachelor's degree and/or Master's degree with between 40% and 60% of the required credits completed. |
Preferred Requirements
Experience in one or more of the following is Not Required but is a plus:
- Basic knowledge of linear algebra
- Experience working with complex open-souce software projects
Physical Requirements
Work Location & Schedule
- This internship is on‑site at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH.
- Expected schedule: 5 days/week on‑site, hours Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to sit/stand for extended periods and use a computer for up to 8 hours/day.
- Occasionally lift/carry up to [10-25] lbs (equipment, prototypes, laptops).
- Move between labs/meeting spaces; climb stairs; bend/reach as needed.
- Visual/hearing acuity to read screens, schematics, and communicate in person.
Working Conditions
- Office and/or lab environment with intermittent noise and tools/instrumentation.
- Training provided for equipment and safety protocols.
HII is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to build a new future. We offer competitive benefits such as best-in-class medical, dental and vision plan choices; wellness resources; employee assistance programs; Savings Plan Options (401(k)); financial planning tools, life insurance; employee discounts; paid holidays and paid time off; tuition reimbursement; as well as early childhood and post-secondary education scholarships. Bonus/other non-recurrent compensation is occasionally offered for qualified positions, and if applicable to this role will be addressed by the recruiter at the screening phase of application.
Why HII
We build the world’s most powerful, survivable naval ships and defense technology solutions that safeguard our seas, sky, land, space and cyber. Our workforce includes skilled tradespeople; artificial intelligence, machine learning (AI/ML) experts; engineers; technologists; scientists; logistics experts; and business administration professionals.
Recognized as one of America’s top large company employers, we are a values and ethics driven organization that puts people’s safety and well-being first. Regardless of your role or where you serve, at HII, you’ll find a supportive and welcoming environment, competitive benefits, and valuable educational and training programs for continual career growth at every stage of your career.
Together we are working to ensure a future where everyone can be free and thrive.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, age, or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.
Do You Need Assistance?
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to buildyourcareer@hii-co.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address. Additionally, you may also call 1-844-849-8463 for assistance. Press #3 for HII Mission Technologies.