Spring 2027, Summer 2027

Engineer Co-op

Updated on 8/1/2026

Haast Autonomous

Haast Autonomous

1-10 employees

Autonomous VTOL aircraft for organ transport

No salary listed

San Francisco, CA, USA

In Person

Category
Aerospace Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Python
MATLAB
Robotics
SolidWorks

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Requirements
  • Candidates must be pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, computer engineering, computer science, or a closely related field.
  • Candidates must be able to work full-time during the Spring/Summer co-op term.
  • Candidates should be comfortable working in a shop, hangar, or field-test environment.
Responsibilities
  • Support the design, build, and testing of autonomous aircraft prototypes.
  • Own a focused engineering project based on individual skills and team needs.
  • Assist in airframe design, mechanical design, prototyping, avionics, controls, simulation, manufacturing, or flight-test support.
  • Build, assemble, modify, and repair aircraft hardware.
  • Create computer-aided design models, test fixtures, documentation, analysis, or simulation tools.
  • Help with flight-test preparation, data review, repairs, and design iteration.
  • Analyze test results and integrate lessons into future designs.
  • Thoroughly document work for continuous team improvement.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with computer-aided design, three-dimensional printing, drones, aircraft, robotics, controls, simulation, electronics, or manufacturing.
  • Participation in projects such as rocketry, Formula SAE, robotics, unmanned aerial vehicle teams, design teams, research labs, or personal hardware projects.
  • Experience with SolidWorks, Python, MATLAB, ArduPilot, PX4, electronics, composites, wiring, or flight testing.
  • Having built something that needed to work in the real world.

Haast Autonomous designs unmanned long-range VTOL aircraft to move organs and critical medical supplies between hospitals. The aircraft use hybrid gas-electric propulsion, can travel up to 800 miles at speeds up to 120 mph, and carry about 20 pounds, with a specialized storage bay that regulates pressure, temperature, and vibration to keep organs viable and compatible with standard preservation containers; the system is built to plug into existing hospital workflows with minimal new infrastructure. Unlike consumer drone developers, Haast focuses on medical logistics and integrates safety features like redundant avionics, multiple communication systems (including SATLINK), and a parachute-based emergency recovery system. The goal is to shorten organ transport times and improve transplant outcomes by enabling reliable autonomous transport for organs and other time-sensitive medical materials, with initial operations planned in 2026 pending FAA certification.

Company Size

1-10

Company Stage

Seed

Total Funding

$1.9M

Headquarters

Houston, Texas

Founded

2025

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • $1.85 million pre-seed funding supports prototype development and pilot trials.
  • Quarter-scale testing targets toxicology, blood, antivenom, vaccines, and stockpile medicine.
  • Real-time dispatch and chain-of-custody software strengthens hospital procurement appeal.

What critics are saying

  • FAA certification delays block autonomous transport and push back commercialization.
  • Prototype capability remains limited versus public range and payload aspirations.
  • Hospital adoption depends on workflow integration, liability approval, and validated operating procedures.

What makes Haast Autonomous unique

  • Full-stack medical logistics integrates aircraft, software, and hospital workflows.
  • Purpose-built VTOL uses regulated storage for organs and sensitive biologics.
  • Hybrid propulsion and redundant systems prioritize range, safety, and emergency recovery.

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