Attracting, engaging and training the next generation of talent is critical to the success of our business and to the aerospace industry in general. Maxar is committed to helping build this workforce of the future, and each summer, Maxar hosts a 13-week internship program that provides students with an interest in the aerospace and GIS industries. The program curriculum includes career development sessions and lunch and learns with senior leaders from across the company.
This year, Maxar welcomed 99 interns to its 2022 class, embedding them across every department at Maxar—from space engineering and software development to marketing and finance. The internship program was held in a hybrid fashion, with students participating in-person, remotely or a mix.
The goal of the intern program is to give students exposure to a broad range of work experiences, leadership perspectives and networking opportunities to help jumpstart their careers in the aerospace industry. Specific program pillars include:
- “Lunch and learn” sessions hosted by leaders from across the business
- Social networking engagements, providing interns with an opportunity to connect with Maxar colleagues outside of the office
- Professional development workshops
- Intern presentations that give interns an opportunity to share their work with leadership
Chris Johnson, SVP and GM of Maxar’s Space Infrastructure segment, leads a lunch and learn session for this year’s intern class.
Enabling Early-Stage Career Opportunities
This year’s interns found the experience rewarding and helpful in kickstarting their careers.
“During my internship period at Maxar I was able to enhance my repertoire of engineering skills and met a tremendous group of engineers,” said Brittany Nez, who served as a Dynamics and Controls Analysis Engineering intern and who is currently pursuing her master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. “I was able to apply the theoretical concepts I've learned in my controls and orbital mechanics courses to real satellite vehicle designs, and I met so many smart and amazing people throughout the company.”
The program serves as a valuable talent pipeline for Maxar. In fact, nearly 50% of this year’s intern class have accepted on-going positions at the company for roles ranging from sales operations to aerospace engineering to software testing.
“Spending the summer as an Avionics Subsystems Engineering Intern has done quite a lot for me,” shared David Stanwood, a summer intern who’s now accepted a position at Maxar as an Associate Avionics Subsystem Engineer. “I learned about subjects like remote networking, FPGA design and subsystem architecture which have expanded my knowledge well beyond the classroom. Thanks to the welcoming and supportive culture that exists at Maxar and within my team I chose to make this experience more than just a summer internship.”
Emphasis on Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging
The intern program also heavily emphasizes diversity, inclusion and belonging (DIB)—an important focus at Maxar generally.
Each year, Maxar works to attract a diverse intern class, with more than 50% of the 2022 class comprising students of diverse backgrounds (the second year in a row). Interns also engaged closely with our Employee Resource Groups (ERG) throughout the summer, including participating in a speed networking event where they were able to meet ERG members and learn more about Maxar’s Diversity Inclusion and Belonging strategy.
Interns get together for a social outing, providing them with an opportunity to network with each other and Maxar colleagues outside of the office.
We want to extend our gratitude to all 2022 interns and intern managers for their part in making this year’s program a success.