Internship, Engineering Automation Software Engineer, Vehicle Engineering; Fall

What To Expect

Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start around August or September 2026 and continue through the Fall term (ending approximately December 2026) or continuing into Winter/Spring 2027 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.

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.

Fremont, CA;
Palo Alto, CA;
Other locations around the San Francisco Bay Area

Tesla’s Vehicle Engineering department is composed of thousands of the world’s best vehicle, battery, and manufacturing engineers. These engineers are responsible for the 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 for making 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.

• Deliver web applications that are useful to diverse groups, e.g. professional design engineers and program managers
• Write reusable components with clean, modular patterns
• Work closely with other software engineers to integrate with backend systems and solve networking problems
• Work cross functionally with mechanical and design engineers to support evolving research projects and implement new features
• Maintain and improve existing applications to better support the Vehicle Engineering team
• Design database and manage DB migrations. Integrate the data with frontend applications written in Next.js

• Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent industry experience
• Hands‑on knowledge of React / Next.js / Type Script and/or building backend systems and APIs with Python or Go desired – hands‑on full stack web development experience preferred
• Experience with ORMs such as Drizzle and context management libraries such as Redux is preferred
• Proven experience in database management with specific proficiency in PostgreSQL, including the ability to write complex SQL statements
• Familiarity with database concepts such as views and SQL functions
• Proficiency with software engineering best practices including writing production quality code, agile development, 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 to demonstrate object‑oriented, test‑driven, and responsibility‑driven design
• Strong knowledge of at least one programming language related to our stack:
  Type Script, 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…