R&D Operations & Automation Engineer Intern

HyperLight is at the forefront of the commercialization of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) integrated photonics a material and process technology that is enabling high-performance scalable optical components across AI/datacom infrastructure hyperscale computing quantum computing sensing and more. Founded in 2018 and backed by leading venture capital weve built a team and a platform focused on real-world mass deployment of TFLN photonics technology.

At the core of our work is the TFLN Chiplet platform a modular integrated architecture designed for scalability manufacturability and seamless integration into complex systems. It offers a rare combination of extraordinary performance and industrial readiness enabling system developers across applications to deploy the technology quickly and at scale. We partner with our customers and suppliers from conceptualization design and prototyping through mass production to ensure smooth and rapid deployment of TFLN photonic technology.

As HyperLight continues to grow we are looking for an R&D Operations & Automation Engineer Intern to join our team. This role provides a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of R&D operations engineering automation data and advanced photonic technology.

You will work closely with R&D and cross-functional engineering teams to improve how development activities are planned executed tracked and analyzed. You will help identify opportunities to improve R&D workflows develop automation solutions and engineering tools and use data to improve engineering efficiency and accelerate development cycles.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys understanding complex engineering processes solving open-ended problems and applying engineering data analysis automation and programming to real-world R&D challenges.

Join us to make a real-world impact in a fast-paced collaborative and high-growth environment!

What Youll Gain

• Hands-on experience in a fast-paced photonics R&D and semiconductor manufacturing environment for advanced technology
• Practical experience improving and automating R&D workflows from planning and execution through testing and analysis
• Opportunities to apply programming data analysis and automation to solve real engineering challenges
• Cross-functional exposure across design fabrication characterization testing and operations with mentorship from experienced engineers and direct impact on next-generation photonic technologies

Responsibilities

• Support the planning tracking and execution of R&D projects experiments and engineering lots
• Analyze R&D workflows to identify bottlenecks inefficiencies and opportunities for process improvement
• Develop automation solutions and engineering tools to streamline R&D workflows and reduce repetitive manual work
• Use programming data analysis and dashboards to automate recurring tasks and improve visibility into R&D activities
• Analyze engineering and operational data to identify trends anomalies and root causes supporting data-driven decisions and improvements in cycle time and execution efficiency
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to standardize R&D workflows develop SOPs and drive continuous improvement

• Currently pursuing a Bachelors Masters in Physics Applied Physics Photonics Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering Industrial Engineering Computer Science Data Science or a related technical field
• Experience and strong interest in R&D operations process improvement and engineering automation
• Programming experience with Python or similar coding languages for engineering data analysis or automation applications
• Strong engineering fundamentals and demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to analyze engineering data and translate findings into practical improvements
• Strong organizational skills and ability to understand and improve complex engineering workflows
• Experience with AI/LLM tools AI agents or agentic workflows for engineering automation data analysis or workflow optimization is a plus.
• Experience with photonics semiconductor fabrication device characterization or manufacturing environments is a plus
• Experience with laboratory equipment measurement instruments test automation or data acquisition is a plus
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across multiple engineering disciplines
• Self-motivated detail-oriented and comfortable solving open-ended problems in a fast-paced R&D environment

Duration & Location

• 12-16 weeks full-time internship with internship periods available between October 2026 and May 2027
• This role is in-person at HyperLights office in Cambridge MA. Authorization to work in the US is required

BENEFITS:

• Competitive market-based compensation ($28 - $34 per hour)
• Commuter benefits

HyperLight is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race color religion sex sexual orientation gender identity national origin veteran or disability status. HyperLight is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during our hiring process. If you need assistance or an accommodation please contact us at .

Required Experience:

Intern