Applications Engineering Intern — Fall 2026

Job Title

Applications Engineering Intern — Fall 2026

Role Summary

This remote intern role focuses on developing practical expertise with optical simulation tools (Lumerical, Speos, Zemax) and supporting customer-focused workflows. The intern will build and benchmark simulations, create automation scripts, assist with demonstrations and training, and collaborate with product teams to test releases and translate customer requirements into product features. Program length is 3 months, full-time, starting Fall 2026.

Experience Level

Entry-level internship — intended for current undergraduate or graduate students; program length 3 months.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop technical expertise with Ansys optics products (Lumerical, Speos, Zemax).
• Create simulation methodologies, troubleshoot set-ups, and run benchmarks.
• Write scripts and automation to support customer workflows.
• Conduct demonstrations, webinars, and online training.
• Collaborate with product teams to translate customer requirements and test new releases.
• Update tutorial content, write technical reports, and present results to global teams.
• Network within Customer Excellence to learn pre-sales, post-sales, and consulting activities.

Requirements

Must-have skills and experience:

• Logical problem-solving ability and strong interpersonal and communication skills; fluent written and spoken English.
• Demonstrated experience with optical modeling tools (e.g., Ansys Zemax OpticStudio, Ansys Speos, Synopsys CodeV).
• Ability to develop scripts or automation (experience with Matlab, Python, C++, C# is beneficial).
• Comfort presenting technical material in demos and training sessions.
• Ability to run and document simulation benchmarks and produce technical reports.

Nice-to-have:

• Graduate-level enrollment (M.S. or Ph.D.), with Ph.D. students entering year 3+ preferred.
• Experience with code repositories (GitHub, Mercurial), AI/LLM tools, and CAD packages (SolidWorks, NX, Catia).
• Customer-facing experience and instructional/teaching proficiency.

Education Requirements

Currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Optical Engineering, Optical Sciences, Applied Physics, or a related field. GPA expectations: minimum 3.5 for undergraduates or 3.0 for graduate students. Preferred candidates include M.S. or Ph.D. students at accredited U.S. universities (Ph.D. students entering third year or beyond).

About the Company

Company: Synopsys

Headquarters: Mountain View, California, USA

Synopsys is a leading company in electronic design automation (EDA) and semiconductor IP solutions. It provides tools and services for designing and verifying complex semiconductor devices and systems. The company plays a pivotal role in the semiconductor industry, helping engineers innovate and deliver higher-quality products faster. Synopsys is committed to advancing technology standards and offers a range of software and hardware solutions to its clients globally.