Internship, Engineering Automation Software Engineer, Vehicle Engineering (Summer 2026)

Tesla Motors, Inc.
20.00 - 50.00 USD
paid holidays, flex time, 401(k)
United States, California, Palo Alto
Jan 07, 2026
What to Expect Consider before submitting an application: This position is expected to start around May or June 2026 and continue through the Summer term (ending approximatelyAugust 2026) or continuing intoFall 2026 if available and there is an opportunity to do so.We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time and on-site, for most internships. Our internship program is for students who are actively enrolled in an academic program. Recent graduates seeking employment after graduation and not returning to school should apply for full-time positions, not internships. International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year. Internship Program at Tesla The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We provide an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team's success. Multiple Locations Possible: Fremont, CA; Palo Alto, CA; Other locations around the San Francisco Bay Area About the team: Tesla's Vehicle Engineering department is composed of thousands of the world's bestvehicle,battery, and manufacturing engineers. These engineersare responsible forthe mechanical and industrial design of all major programs, for example, batteries, Optimus, Robotaxi, and all new factories. Design Technology, which is part of Vehicle Engineering,is responsible formaking the tools these engineers use every bit as intelligent and dynamic as the products themselves. As a software engineer on the Design Technology team, you will develop software applications that automate or streamline parts of the design process. What You'll Do Deliver web applications that are useful to diverse groups,e.g.professional designengineersandprogram managers Write reusable components with clean, modular patterns Work closely with other software engineers to integrate with backend systems andsolvenetworkingproblems Work cross functionally with mechanical and design engineers to support evolvingresearchprojectsand implement new features Maintain and improve existing applications to better support the Vehicle Engineering team Designdatabaseand manage DB migrations. Integrate the data with frontendapplicationswrittenin Next.js What You'll Bring Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent industry experience Hands-onknowledge of React / Next.js / TypeScript and/orbuilding backend systems and APIs with Python or Go desired - hands-on full stack web development experiencepreferred Experience with ORMs such as Drizzleand contextmanagement libraries such as Redux is preferred Proven experience in database management with specificproficiencyin PostgreSQL,including theability to write complex SQL statements Familiarity with database concepts such asviews andSQL functions Proficiencywith software engineering best practices including writing production qualitycode, agiledevelopment, API design, version control, CI/CD (docker,kubernetes,jenkins), and familiarity with major cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) Experience building data-intensive applications Ability to debug live software systems Ability todemonstrateobject-oriented, test-driven, and responsibility-driven design Strong knowledge of at least one programming language related to our stack: TypeScript, Go, Java, C++, C#, Python, Bash Strong knowledge of distributed systems architecture and event streaming platforms Strong understanding of REST and/or gRPC based APIs and microservice architecture Strong understanding with one or more database technologies Familiarity with code reviews in the context of a team and providing constructive feedback to others Familiarity with diagnosing problems and incidents in multi-layered enterprise application Familiarity with containerization and deployment configuration with Docker and Kubernetes is preferred Familiarity with CAD tools like Catia/3DX and Solidworks is preferred Compensation and Benefits Benefits As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for: Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period) Employee Assistance Program Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays Back-up childcare and parenting support resources Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance Commuter benefits Employee discounts and perks program Expected Compensation $20.00 - $50.00/hour + benefits Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.