Internship

Denver, CO, USA
Job Type: Paid Internship

You may have heard the phrase, variety is the spice of life. That’s OptimumG. As an intern, you’ll notice the variety not only in your work, but also in the people. Our team is multiethnic and our client base is international – with series such as the World Endurance Challenge, American Le Mans Series, IndyCar, Australian V8 Supercars, Blancpain European GT Series, Argentinian Touring Cars 2000 and many more.

In 1997, our president and founder, Claude Rouelle, began OptimumG as a one-man, shop teaching vehicle dynamics seminars around the globe. OptimumG has now grown to become one of the world’s most sought-after racecar engineering firms – offering simulation software solutions, training seminars and consulting services.

Job Description and Responsibilities

If motorsports and automobile industries excite you, apply and we’ll give you a place to channel that excitement. As an OptimumG intern, you will:

  • Work with real customer data during creation and development of simulation software
  • Beta test software
  • Assist an OptimumG engineer
  • Work on current consulting projects using OptimumG software
  • Participate in all engineering meetings and work on consulting projects
  • Research theories and methods used in seminar materials
  • Be assigned consulting project tasks

Internship Duration

This internship is one year, which long enough for you to be properly trained. We want you to learn as much as possible so you feel independent enough to take charge of interesting and challenging projects.

Job Qualifications

You must:

  • Have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in mechanical, mechatronics, computer science or electrical engineering
  • Be experienced in software coding
  • Be passionate about motorsports
  • Have experience in FSAE and/or hands-on experience
  • Be able to understand, speak and write basic English
  • Be knowledgeable about vehicle dynamics
  • Have skills in Object Oriented Programming
  • Be willing and able to work with a team

How Your Professional Network will Advance

You will gain exposure to several race series around the world including the American Le Mans series for IMSA, IndyCar, Australian V8 Supercars, World Endurance Challenge, European Blancpain Endurance Series, Argentinian Touring Cars 2000, and many more.

Benefits

Because of all the variety at OptimumG, you’ll be exposed to new thoughts, languages, walks of life, cultures, foods and backgrounds every day. Plus, you’ll make friends and contacts with people across the globe. It will all contribute to your professional and personal growth.

The Specifics

Housing is provided – affectionately dubbed “Le Chateau” – in a safe neighborhood just minutes from the office for an easy commute. And you get a company car. Your flight, moving, and visa expenses are all paid when you finish your internship.

Tips for a Successful Application

Stand out and impress us! Those items are key because there’s a lot of competition. Send us examples (as attachments to your application) of your work and experience and highlight your strengths.

How to Apply

  • Send your resume and a cover letter highlighting your uniqueness. Describe your practical experience (both software and motorsports) and your theoretical knowledge/education. Share how your participation in OptimumG will benefit the company. And, don’t forget, send samples of your work.
  • We will confirm we’ve received your information and contact you if we’re interested.
  • If we are interested, you’ll give you a software coding test based on your skills and experience.
  • After that, we’ll schedule an interview.

To be considered for an internship, please send the specified materials to: jobs@optimumg.com

Back to Careers
“I first met Claude when I was studying mechanical engineering in Paris in the early 2000s. I decided to invest in his 3-days seminar on vehicle dynamics and data analysis. This was probably the best investment I have ever made as it gave me a very important and solid understanding of Motorsport Engineering principles, both theoretical and practical, that you could not acquire just by reading books. Following this seminar, I went to Denver to work with Claude for a 1-year internship working on all aspects of vehicle dynamics, Motorsport Engineering, and data analysis for a new 12-days seminar Claude was creating. This was a very valuable experience and my knowledge of Motorsport Engineering increased exponentially during this time. To this day, in my current job as a Race Engineer in F1, I am still mainly employing principles I learnt during this period. I can strongly recommend Claude’s seminar for anyone aspiring to have a career in Motorsport Engineering.”

– Julien Simon-Chautemps, Senior Race Engineer for Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing – F1 Team

“I first met Claude when I was studying mechanical engineering in Paris in the early 2000s. I decided to invest in his 3-days seminar on vehicle dynamics and data analysis. This was probably the best investment I have ever made as it gave me a very important and solid understanding of Motorsport Engineering principles, both theoretical and practical, that you could not acquire just by reading books. Following this seminar, I went to Denver to work with Claude for a 1-year internship working on all aspects of vehicle dynamics, Motorsport Engineering, and data analysis for a new 12-days seminar Claude was creating. This was a very valuable experience and my knowledge of Motorsport Engineering increased exponentially during this time. To this day, in my current job as a Race Engineer in F1, I am still mainly employing principles I learnt during this period. I can strongly recommend Claude’s seminar for anyone aspiring to have a career in Motorsport Engineering.”

– Julien Simon-Chautemps, Senior Race Engineer for Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo Racing – F1 Team

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What’s OptimumG all about?
In short, OptimumG improves vehicle performance for the automotive and motorsport industries with software, training, and consulting. Our mission is to combine engineering and innovation to solve vehicle dynamics problems. We do this by emphasizing the importance of data because it reveals why certain factors in the vehicle affect the overall outcome, and it underscores the importance of physical realities over speculation or intuition. Please visit our About section for more information about the company.
Where are former interns now?
Many are fulltime OptimumG employees or they work with companies or series such as Lotus Formula 1, Aston Martin, Audi Sport, Nismo, Michelin Competition, and many more.
How will an internship at OptimumG advance my professional networking?
You’ll get exposure to several race series around the world including the European Le Mans Series, IMSA, IndyCar, World Endurance Championship, GT World Challenge America, and many more. Apart from racing, you’ll also work with well-known clients such as Goodyear, Hyundai, and many others. This exposure will give you plenty of opportunities to make contacts in the racing and automotive industries.
What tasks will my work include?
We offer rewarding, challenging, and relevant work to jumpstart your career. Tasks will include vehicle dynamics simulation projects and software coding for clients to create custom solutions or help teams be more effective at the track.
Why does the internship last a year?
This internship is one year, which is long enough for you to be properly trained. We want you to learn as much as possible so you feel independent enough to take charge of interesting and challenging projects.
Why do you give an internship test?
We want to evaluate your skills, determine your knowledge of vehicle dynamics and programming, and prepare you for the OptimumG expectations. We don’t expect you to know everything or get every question right. We do want you to demonstrate your skills to the best of your ability. And, of course, we want to understand if you’re a good fit. During the applications process, our engineers interact with applicants and share feedback and suggestions.
What does the internship test entail?
You can choose a test from OptimumG or approach us with your own idea. The test must effectively illustrate your skills in vehicle dynamics simulation and software programming. You will need to be able to create software that can be saved/loaded and define parameters, run simulations, and export/plot results.
How long does the internship test take?
Anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months depending on your schedule. We want quality work, not quick work. We suggest taking enough time to do well and not try to impress us with speed.
Is there a good time to apply?
We suggest applying a few months before you’d be able to start to allow enough time for completing the internship test and hiring process. We prefer candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree who are available for a full year, but we will consider current students for a two-term co-op or internship. When applying, please make your availability clear.
What kind of experience do you prefer an in applicant?
We prefer some software coding experience and previous internship or work experience. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in motorsports, but we prefer interns who have some experience in the automotive industry. Experience in FSAE/FS/Baja or racing is a plus.
Can my thesis be used as the base of my internship test?
Yes, depending on the subject of your thesis.
What are the living arrangements for interns?
The interns live at a home owned by OptimumG. It’s affectionately dubbed “Le Chateau,” and is in a safe neighborhood just minutes from the office for an easy commute. It has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. It’s fully equipped with everything except food and beer.