Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start August or September 2026 and continue through 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 (40 hours/week) 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 are dedicated to providing an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.
About the Team
The Body Controls Integration team leads the design, development, and lifecycle ownership of mechatronic systems that define how customers interact with Tesla vehicles. From doors, trunks, windows, and seats to sophisticated lighting systems, mirrors, wipers, and countless sensors and actuators, we translate high-level vehicle behaviors into integrated hardware-software solutions that deliver exceptional reliability and user experience.
This is a small, passionate, fast-moving team where you own complete system functionality from concept through production. You'll work side by side with electrical hardware, mechanical, firmware, validation, and manufacturing teams, driving cross-functional alignment and making critical architectural decisions. Join a group of deeply knowledgeable engineers who balance hardware fundamentals, software architecture, and pragmatic engineering judgment to deliver world-class embedded systems.
Responsibilities
- Support system integration tasks from concept to production
- Define system requirements, vehicle behaviors, and performance specifications that are measurable, testable, and manufacturable
- Contribute to architectural decisions for body controls systems, evaluating communication protocols, control strategies, and hardware-software partitioning
- Collaborate with electrical and mechanical hardware teams to define interfaces, instrumentation points, and validation strategies early in the design cycle
- Aid in calibration and tuning of electromechanical systems to meet performance and user experience goals
- Support firmware and validation teams in ensuring testability is integrated into designs
- Manage stakeholder alignment across firmware, hardware, reliability, homologation, service, manufacturing, and product security teams
Requirements
- Currently pursuing a degree in Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field of study with a graduation date between December 2026 – December 2027
- Strong foundation in both hardware and software fundamentals with ability to bridge electrical schematics and firmware architecture
- Experience with embedded communication protocols
- Understanding of motor control, sensing systems, and electromechanical system behavior
- Ability to read electrical schematics and use lab equipment (oscilloscopes, power supplies, multimeters) for bring-up and troubleshooting
- Familiarity with Embedded C to review firmware and collaborate effectively with developers on implementation details
- Experience defining requirements from high-level vehicle behaviors and making them measurable and testable
- Ability to design simple automation tools, test scripts, or parsers to improve bring-up and validation efficiency
- Bias toward incremental progress, systematic problem-solving, and explicit risk-based decision making
- Experience with safety-critical systems, functional safety concepts, or automotive validation processes, 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
$42.07 - $58.89 + 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.