Internship, Site Controller Software Engineer, Energy Engineering (Fall 2026)

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Internship, Site Controller Software Engineer, Energy Engineering (Fall 2026)

| Job Category | Engineering & Information Technology | | Location | Palo Alto, California | | Req. ID | 272615 | | Job Type | Intern/Apprentice |

What to Expect

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 later, if available). 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 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.

About the Team

Join the team behind the world's largest fleet of smart energy storage systems and help build the heart and soul ofTesla's Energy products. We develop the applications that run on the Tesla Site Controller - the brain that orchestrates every asset on an industrial site: solar, batteries, generators, vehicle chargers, power meters, and more. The Site Controller also talks to the Tesla cloud and feeds the data behind our customer-facing applications. As an intern on this team, you won't be on the sidelines: you'll write real code that ships, debug real systems, and deliver features that let customers power entire communities with renewable energy. If you're eager to take on hard problems, learn from engineers at the top of their field, and see your work run in the field, we want you on the team.

What You’ll Do

• Develop high-quality, testable software in Golang and Rust for a server-class embedded Linux platform
• Contribute to system architecture and design discussions, and turn ideas into working features
• Help evaluate and improve customer interfaces and telemetry collection
• Investigate issues, reproduce them, and work alongside senior engineers to devise solution paths
• Collaborate with validation teams to build and run integration test strategies
• Write unit tests and learn how we practice test-driven development at scale

What You’ll Bring

• Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• Programming experience in one or more systems/application languages — Golang, Rust, C++, or similar (coursework, personal projects, prior internships, or research all count)
• Familiarity with Linux and comfort working from the command line
• Exposure to core CS concepts: concurrency or multi-threading, networking (TCP/IP, sockets), and object-oriented or systems design — through classes, projects, or self-study
• A genuine eagerness to learn embedded systems and an ever-evolving codebase
• Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate across teams
• Comfort multitasking, prioritizing, and working in a fast-paced environment​
• Experience with embedded Linux, real-time systems, or hardware-adjacent software
• Familiarity with messaging or industrial protocols such as NATS, MQTT, or OPC UA
• A track record of test-driven development or writing meaningful unit test
• Personal projects, hackathons, or open-source contributions you're proud to talk about

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 + 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.

Tesla is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any factor, including veteran status and disability status, protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.

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