Vertex Fall Co-op 2026, Instrumentation Engineer

Vertex Pharmaceuticals•San Diego, CA

1d•$20 - $35•Onsite

About The Position

The Instrumentation Engineer Co-op program is a 6-month experiential training program for students currently working towards an undergraduate or graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or other related fields. If you are passionate, collaborative, and growth-minded, a co-op at Vertex will help you gain meaningful experience in our Engineering & Applied Physics functional areas and serve as a launchpad for your career. The application deadline for this co-op is April 3rd. Please note that Vertex reviews applications on a rolling basis and reserves the right to close this job posting prior to the listed deadline. Applicants can expect to receive an update about their application before or shortly after the application deadline. Vertex's Engineering & Applied Physics team in San Diego is seeking a knowledgeable, motivated, hands-on, advanced engineering student for a Summer/Fall co-op internship. Our dynamic, in-house team of engineers and scientists develops everything from advanced robotics and automation to microfluidics and state-of-the-art microscopy, creating high-performance technology solutions for complex drug discovery challenges. Where commercial solutions don’t exist, the team works closely with Vertex scientists to invent innovative tools that enable breakthrough research and the creation of life-saving medicines. The Instrumentation Engineer Co-op will work on a new, small instrument design, prototype, and build project, in a cross-discipline team, receiving technical guidance and 1:1 mentorship from seasoned team members, getting real world engineering experience, and in the end will have developed an instrument that will be heavily used and relied upon by our scientists. Key project responsibility is development of a low-profile electric motor instrument for mixing of chemical reagents.

Requirements

Advanced undergraduate (junior or senior) or graduate student in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics or related field.
Proficient knowledge and experience with printed circuit board (PCB) design, build and test.
Solid understanding of electric motor drive schemes, design, and theory.
Strong initiative for project implementation on short timelines.
An effective team player, ability to collaborate closely with other engineers and scientists.
A compulsive problem solver; able to find effective, innovative solutions to challenging problems, in a high-paced, highly productive, and collaborative work environment.
Strong passion for science and engineering, with an ambition to apply this enthusiasm toward making a tangible impact on the lives of patients facing serious diseases.
Capacity to work full-time onsite in San Diego, CA.
Legal authorization to work in the United States, now and in the future.
You must be enrolled in an advanced degree program if graduating before December 2026.
You must be available to work full-time, 40 hours per week from July – December 2026.

Nice To Haves

Altium Designer, PSpice, STM32 MCU Software tools a plus
Proficiency in embedded firmware programming is desirable.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with scientists to establish a shared comprehension of instrument applications and user interface requirements.
Architect and build an embedded and/or PC-based control system to implement all required features.
Document system with Theory of Operation, schematics, design files, bill of materials.
Design and implement control system hardware from initial proof of concept stage through small-scale production and operational deployment.
Collaborate with mechanical team on packaging design/build.
Train and support Vertex scientists in the operation of the new instrument.
Share status and work through regular design reviews and an end-of-term poster presentation.