Website Tesla
What to Expect
Disclaimer: This posting is for both the Spring and/or Summer terms. Please accurately state your availability when applying. The Spring Internship is expected to start around January 2024 and continue through the entire Spring term (i.e. through May 2024). The Summer Internship is expected to start around May 2024 and continue through the entire Summer term (i.e. through August 2024). We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site. Please consider before submitting an application.
International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week. Many students will be limited to part-time depending on their academic standing.
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.
Locations
- Palo Alto, CA
- Fremont, CA
What You‡ll Do
Qualified applicants may be reviewed by one or more of the following teams:
Application Engineering:
The Materials Applications Team is part of the larger Materials Engineering organization at Tesla. We, however, are not materials scientists; we are mechanical design engineers. We tackle select materials-related design challenges that have high value to Tesla but no one is working on because they don‡t have the time or the expertise. Our job is to evaluate options through modeling and testing until we have achieved proof of concept. Projects range across all Tesla products and factories.
Manufacturing Engineering, Coatings
The Coatings team is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Intern. You will work with other engineers in support of the design and develop technically complex processes for finishing/coating our products; which includes process development, specification and validation, establishing and optimization of critical process parameters, design for manufacturing, equipment specification and design, as well as installation and commissioning. The candidate will work closely with internal cross-functional teams, external vendors and technology partners on process development from concept to production.
Manufacturing Engineering, New Project Installation
The successful candidate will have technical knowledge and Manufacturing Engineering experience within a high-volume manufacturing environment – specifically, experience in managing new product and technology introductions, equipment projects (new installations) and process optimization, upgrades and modifications. In addition to developing manufacturing equipment and processes, Manufacturing Engineers work with cross-functional teams throughout the entire product lifecycle. You will work closely with Design Engineering, Quality and Production to take new vehicle designs or design changes from initial concept through prototype development and into full production. Knowledge and experience of project life cycle from Concept & Build through to equipment handover is essential. Experience in automotive process automation, cost justification, cell concept development, robots, safety regulations, PLC integration is preferred in operations, maintenance, or design capacity.
Materials Test teamThe Materials Test Team is part of the Materials Engineering organization and gets involved with almost all aspects of materials level testing performed at Tesla. Activities encompass a broad spectrum of materials, including metals, polymers, textiles, adhesives, and ceramics. The scope of testing is similarly broad, spanning standardized validation testing, investigative material characterization for manufacturing troubleshooting and creating new tests and characterization capabilities to develop custom materials faster. As an intern on the Materials Test Team, you will take on the role of a Materials Test Engineer and be given ownership of a technical project focused on one of the growing needs within the team.
Fastener Engineering
You will be an integral part of Fastener Engineering organization, pursuing our mission to provide Fasteners, Processes and Joining methods that equip Tesla’s Engineers and Manufacturing Facilities with a competitive advantage in their mission to design and produce products that accelerate the world to sustainable energy.
You will work closely with our engineering teams in the early phases of design to suggest and implement the best joining methods for systems to control assembly time, cost and process are as lean as possible from the start.
Technical Program ManagementWorking within the Materials Engineering group at Tesla, this individual will support the management of materials development, validation, and information programs, covering the group‡s technology roadmap, database systems, and materials validation programs.
Metals, Ceramics, and Glass
The Metals, Ceramics, and Glass Team is part of the larger Materials Engineering organization at Tesla. We select, quantify, standardize, qualify, and design new materials. We work with mechanical design engineers, manufacturing, and process to deliver the right material solution for any metal, ceramic or glass that is used in our products. Products range from stamped sheet metal, castings, extrusions, welds, electrical connections, electromagnetic metals, and many more. We are seeking engineers eager to apply fundamental materials science to atomistic problems up to hands on the manufacturing.
Solar Materials
Solar Engineering develops solar products for Tesla Energy. The Solar Materials team supports Solar Engineering with all materials-related issues including qualifying new materials, failure analysis and materials innovation. The Tesla Solar Roof system comprises a wide variety of materials including glass, plastics, adhesives, sealants, pottants, composites, metals, and paint. The Solar Materials team seeks an intern to support the evaluation and characterization of solar materials. The intern will be expected to manage and execute an independent project as well as to assist with on-going projects as needed. The solar material internship represents an opportunity to not only learn about a wide variety of materials and characterization techniques, but also to gain experience in industrial project management and effective communication.
What You‡ll Bring
- Currently pursuing a BS or MS in an Engineering degree, preferably Materials Science, Metalurgy,
- Mechanical, Mechatronics, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry or relevant
- Please note that these requirement listed below are suggestions and not strict prerequisites
Application Engineering
- Facility with CAD systems, GD&T, FEA tools, Arduino or other microcontrollers, and Matlab or Python for building models and processing data
Manufacturing Engineering, Coatings
- Experience in developing, executing and interpreting results of Design of Experiments (DOE)
- Familiar with Catia, SolidWorks, Inventor, and/or AutoCAD
- Interest in working with or developing functional/aesthetic finishing processes, including but not limited to: Automotive Paint and Powder Coating, Thin Film Coating (eg. PVD, CVD, PECVD), Thermal Spray Coating, Dip Coating and Surface Finishing (eg. Sanding/Graining, Laser Texturing, etc.)
Manufacturing Engineering, New Project Installation
- Understanding of machine guarding principles, regulatory requirements such as LOTO, hazardous materials/process handling among others typically found in high volume manufacturing environments.
- Proficient in 3D CAD tools and Simulation tools (CATIA, Solidworks, Delmia, and Witness or similar such as TC, Process Designer, Process Simulate would be considered an advantage).
Materials Test team
- Familiarity with materials testing and characterization, such as through lab classes and other internships
- Experience working with or around hazardous materials and a willingness to promote health and safety
Fastener Engineering
- Experience with CAD systems (Catia/3Dx preferred), GD&T, FEA tools
- Real-world design experience selecting fasteners, analyzing, and optimizing bolted joints a big plus
Technical Program Management
- Strong organizational and presentation skills
- Experience or interest in the automotive or manufacturing space
- Experience with materials testing and characterization techniques preferred
Metals, Ceramics, and Glass
- Strong fundamental understanding of mechanical, thermal, electrical, and physical properties of materials
- Understanding of material failure mechanisms
- Ability to interpret data obtained by various materials testing and characterization methods
Solar Materials
- Previous lab experience, e.g. sample preparation or characterization.
Compensation and Benefits
Benefits
As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
- Aetna PPO and HSA plans > 2 medical 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)
- LGBTQ+ care concierge services
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick time after 90 days of employment 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 – $60.00 + 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.