CPT Systems Engineer Jobs
Systems Engineer CPT jobs let you apply network architecture, embedded systems, or infrastructure design work directly toward your degree requirements. Your DSO must authorize each position before you start, and the role's technical scope has to connect to your program's curriculum, a requirement that actually filters for the most relevant placements.
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Get Access To All JobsWheeled Platforms & Lifting Systems
Emeryville, California | Internship
Proposed base compensation. Final terms are subject to Astera’s hiring process.
Position Summary
Help us build and compare the systems that allow robots to move and adjust their working height. Under engineering mentorship, you will prototype wheeled mobile bases and lifting platforms, run hands-on experiments, and evaluate how different designs perform under realistic operating conditions. Starting with our existing hoverboard hub motors and other motorized wheel hardware, you will help explore different wheel and drivetrain configurations. You will also help develop and evaluate lifting platforms, comparing commercially available mechanisms and custom prototypes. Your work will help the team select practical designs based on measured performance, reliability, cost, and ease of integration.
Core Responsibilities
- Evaluate wheeled platforms. Assemble and modify mobile bases using hoverboard hub motors, hub motor wheels, and conventional motor-driven wheel assemblies. Help design and fabricate chassis, mounts, and supporting components. Compare navigation performance of different systems.
- Compare wheel and drivetrain configurations. Develop repeatable tests to evaluate maneuverability, low-speed motion, traction, payload handling, power consumption, steerability and general performance across relevant floor surfaces.
- Prototype lifting platforms. Help assemble, adapt, and test different lifting mechanisms, such as scissor lifts and telescoping lifting columns. Integrate actuators, guides, mounts, and supporting structures.
- Evaluate lifting performance. Compare lifting range, speed, positioning repeatability, rigidity, and stability under defined loads. Investigate vibration, mechanical play, and other issues that affect reliable operation.
- Integrate controls and measurements. Configure motor controllers, connect position and speed feedback, and develop simple control and data-collection scripts. Help implement travel limits, homing, and coordinated motion under engineering supervision.
- Document comparisons and improve designs. Maintain CAD files, wiring diagrams, parts lists, and test records. Summarize tradeoffs and work with engineers to refine promising designs.
- Keep experimental hardware ready. Organize components, tools, and spares; maintain prototypes and test fixtures; and assist with equipment inspections, repairs, and experiment setup.
Required Qualifications
- Coursework, projects, or practical experience in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, or a related discipline.
- Experience building and troubleshooting a physical system through coursework, research, student teams, or personal projects.
- Basic familiarity with mechanical assembly, electrical wiring, motors, and sensors.
- Interest in hands-on prototyping and systematic testing, including careful measurement and documentation.
- Comfort working with an engineering mentor and contributing to the upkeep of a shared robotics lab.
Preferred Experience
- CAD, 3D printing, machining, or fabrication of mechanical prototypes.
- BLDC motors, motor controllers, encoders, wheeled robots, or drivetrain design.
- Linear actuators, screw drives, scissor lifts, lifting columns, or other positioning mechanisms.
- Python, C/C++, microcontrollers, or basic feedback control.
- Building test fixtures, collecting experimental data, or comparing hardware designs.
Prior experience with every technology listed is not expected. We value curiosity, practical problem-solving, and an interest in understanding how different mechanical systems perform through real experiments.
Wheeled Platforms & Lifting Systems
Emeryville, California | Internship
Proposed base compensation. Final terms are subject to Astera’s hiring process.
Position Summary
Help us build and compare the systems that allow robots to move and adjust their working height. Under engineering mentorship, you will prototype wheeled mobile bases and lifting platforms, run hands-on experiments, and evaluate how different designs perform under realistic operating conditions. Starting with our existing hoverboard hub motors and other motorized wheel hardware, you will help explore different wheel and drivetrain configurations. You will also help develop and evaluate lifting platforms, comparing commercially available mechanisms and custom prototypes. Your work will help the team select practical designs based on measured performance, reliability, cost, and ease of integration.
Core Responsibilities
- Evaluate wheeled platforms. Assemble and modify mobile bases using hoverboard hub motors, hub motor wheels, and conventional motor-driven wheel assemblies. Help design and fabricate chassis, mounts, and supporting components. Compare navigation performance of different systems.
- Compare wheel and drivetrain configurations. Develop repeatable tests to evaluate maneuverability, low-speed motion, traction, payload handling, power consumption, steerability and general performance across relevant floor surfaces.
- Prototype lifting platforms. Help assemble, adapt, and test different lifting mechanisms, such as scissor lifts and telescoping lifting columns. Integrate actuators, guides, mounts, and supporting structures.
- Evaluate lifting performance. Compare lifting range, speed, positioning repeatability, rigidity, and stability under defined loads. Investigate vibration, mechanical play, and other issues that affect reliable operation.
- Integrate controls and measurements. Configure motor controllers, connect position and speed feedback, and develop simple control and data-collection scripts. Help implement travel limits, homing, and coordinated motion under engineering supervision.
- Document comparisons and improve designs. Maintain CAD files, wiring diagrams, parts lists, and test records. Summarize tradeoffs and work with engineers to refine promising designs.
- Keep experimental hardware ready. Organize components, tools, and spares; maintain prototypes and test fixtures; and assist with equipment inspections, repairs, and experiment setup.
Required Qualifications
- Coursework, projects, or practical experience in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, mechatronics, or a related discipline.
- Experience building and troubleshooting a physical system through coursework, research, student teams, or personal projects.
- Basic familiarity with mechanical assembly, electrical wiring, motors, and sensors.
- Interest in hands-on prototyping and systematic testing, including careful measurement and documentation.
- Comfort working with an engineering mentor and contributing to the upkeep of a shared robotics lab.
Preferred Experience
- CAD, 3D printing, machining, or fabrication of mechanical prototypes.
- BLDC motors, motor controllers, encoders, wheeled robots, or drivetrain design.
- Linear actuators, screw drives, scissor lifts, lifting columns, or other positioning mechanisms.
- Python, C/C++, microcontrollers, or basic feedback control.
- Building test fixtures, collecting experimental data, or comparing hardware designs.
Prior experience with every technology listed is not expected. We value curiosity, practical problem-solving, and an interest in understanding how different mechanical systems perform through real experiments.
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Get Access To All JobsSystems Engineer CPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Systems Engineer CPT position have to be full-time?
No. CPT can be part-time (less than 20 hours per week) or full-time (20 hours or more). Part-time CPT doesn't affect your OPT eligibility. Full-time CPT used for 12 months or more eliminates your OPT entirely, so most F-1 students working during the academic year keep it part-time and reserve full-time CPT for co-op or internship semesters where the program is structured around it.
Can I do CPT at a defense contractor or federal systems integrator?
Yes, but some defense contractors require security clearances or citizenship for certain projects, which would disqualify F-1 students from those specific roles. Many large defense-adjacent systems engineering firms have unclassified engineering divisions that actively hire CPT students. Confirm with the employer which project you'd be assigned to and whether it has any citizenship or clearance requirements before your DSO submits authorization.
How do I find Systems Engineer jobs that are open to CPT students?
Search Migrate Mate for Systems Engineer roles filtered by employers with LCA filing history. These employers have already engaged with DOL labor condition requirements, which correlates with familiarity with work authorization processes. Look for job postings that reference 'all work authorization considered' or list CPT and OPT explicitly, and prioritize roles in engineering, defense technology, cloud infrastructure, and telecommunications.
Does my Systems Engineer CPT job need to match my exact degree program?
It needs to be an integral and required part of your curriculum, not a perfect title match. A computer engineering or electrical engineering student can authorize CPT for a systems engineering role if the technical scope, such as embedded systems design, network architecture, or systems integration, is covered in their coursework. Your DSO makes the final determination, so bring specific course descriptions when you request authorization.
What happens to my CPT authorization if my employer changes my start date?
Your CPT authorization is tied to the exact dates on your I-20. If your employer pushes the start date, you can't begin work until your DSO issues a new I-20 reflecting the revised dates. Starting before the updated I-20 is issued counts as unauthorized employment, which can invalidate your entire F-1 status. Contact your DSO as soon as the employer confirms any date change, not after.