Mechanical Engineer - Internship

The position covers all aspects of mechanical engineering: design of parts in metal, plastic, and composite; system sizing and simulation; technical drawings and plans; system assembly and hands-on work; and the setup of test benches to validate mechanical strength.

The mission : Working closely with the Head of Mechanics, you will contribute to all mechanical design and improvement efforts for the HyLighter: propulsion system design, light-weighting, and enhancing the robustness of existing components. You will have the opportunity to lead a project from its initial concept to full integration into the steerable drone. This is a hands-on role where resourcefulness is key, and you’ll have a unique opportunity to learn a lot.

Mechanical design is core to our Tech team, and this role comes with high-stakes responsibilities. The team is tackling major developments: new systems, new steerable drones, new ground installations, and many improvements ahead.

Personal Note from Josef (CTO):This is a cross-functional, hands-on role that touches all areas of hardware development. You’ll have a strong impact on HyLight’s growth. We're looking for someone who can quickly take on responsibility to boost the reliability of our airship drone and be involved in all new improvement topics. With a team still at a human scale (17 people), this is a unique opportunity to make a big impact!

Profile Sought:

Key Technical Skills:

• Solid CAD experience (>1 year) using Solidworks, Onshape or Catia, with experience designing lightweight parts for vibration/rotational constraints
• Strong hands-on experience in rapid prototyping, 3D printing, CNC, and laser cutting
• Experience creating ISO-standard technical drawings
• Engineering education with major in mechanical engineering
• Supplier management: sourcing and negotiation
• Broad knowledge of: topological optimization; integration of motors, servos, and control boards; torque and power electronics
• Experience managing R&D product development projects, already build real stuff by yourself

Don’t have all these skills? Apply anyway! We deeply value profiles with potential and a strong drive to grow. Our interns are future leaders at HyLight.

Bonus Qualities:

• Interest in agile methodologies and the ability to implement them effectively
• Strong analytical and synthesizing mindset
• Creative thinker with ideas for tomorrow’s tech innovations
• Ability to estimate timelines, communicate progress, and anticipate challenges
• Independent, strong communicator, dynamic, detail-oriented, organized, and a team player

Conditions : Start date and compensation based on profile (we’re flexible — if in doubt, apply anyway!)

This internship comes with increasing responsibilities and will involve close collaboration with the Technical and Regulatory teams.

Perks:

• Potential to become a shareholder in HyLight upon hiring
• 100% reimbursement of public transport pass (Navigo) or €800/year for sustainable commuting
• Bike provided for commuting
• Free lunch
• Bi-annual offsite trips with the whole team
• Excellent work environment: international team, team events, beautiful offices on a former airbase
• Office location: Brétigny-sur-Orge, accessible via RER C.

About HyLight:

HyLight’s mission is to help society become more resilient to climate change by improving the observation and inspection of infrastructure.

We build HyLighters that collect data across vast distances with zero emissions.

Our activities include:

• Detecting methane leaks from gas infrastructures (4% of global GHG emissions)
• Inspecting power lines to prevent outages and wildfires

By 2030, we aim to inspect over 5 million kilometers of energy infrastructure annually.

In just 2.5 years, we have:

• Developed 8 iterations of our steerable drones
• Logged over 150 flight hours
• Secured our first inspection contracts with Europe’s largest infrastructure operators
• Joined the world’s top startup accelerator, Y Combinator
• Raised €4 million

• Introductory phone call (20 min)
• Video interview with our CTO Josef (40 min)
• Technical test
• On-site meeting with the team (40 min)