Source description
About the role
Build your Career at Tesla

Internship, Software Engineer, Code Hardening & Framework Resilience, Robotaxi (Fall 2026)
| Job Category | Engineering & Information Technology | | Location | Palo Alto, California | | Req. ID | 271372 | | Job Type | Intern/Apprentice |
What to Expect
Please Consider Before Applying:
This position is expected to start August/September 2026 and continue through the entire Fall term (i.e., through December) or into early Spring 2027, if available. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time, for most 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. Again, please do not apply until you know you can work 40 hours per week. This is required for external applicants. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.
About the Team
The goal of Full-Self-Driving (FSD) isn’t just to get it working — it’s to make it more dependable than any human driver could ever be. Miles-per-intervention is the key metric we look at to measure this, and our primary focus is keeping that number as high as possible while Robotaxi expands globally. Achieving this requires wiping out every bug as quickly as possible, regardless of how rare its occurrence on the road may be. When issues are identified, we must analyze why tests missed them, devise innovative detection methods through tooling, and rigorously stress-test fixes to eliminate vulnerabilities. In this role, you’ll be responsible for building critical program analysis tools (fuzzers, compiler instrumentation passes, run-time monitoring components, static analysis) to catch these bugs before they reach the fleet. You'll work with a lean team of experienced developers in improving code health, boosting fault tolerance, and enabling extensive end-to-end testing. These efforts will underpin system safety, driving Robotaxi’s scalability as a direct result.
What You’ll Do
- Integrate & maintain static analysis and other library hardening tools (sanitizers, clang-tidy, fuzzers)
- Enhance fault tolerance and improve/design new redundancy-aware frameworks in mature autonomous systems
- Collaborate with other teams to understand the current architecture and propose/implement future improvements to boost code reliability & robustness
What You’ll Bring
- Pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or relevant field of study with a graduation date between December 2026 - August 2027
- Proficiency with C++, including modern C++ (17/20/23), and Linux
- Prior industry/research experience with compilers, program analysis, fuzzing, or static analysis is a plus
- Familiarity with Bazel and knowledge of build systems is a plus
Compensation and Benefits
Benefits
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As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
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Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
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Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
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Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
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Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
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Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
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401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
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Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
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Employee Assistance Program
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Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
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Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
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Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
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Commuter benefits
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Employee discounts and perks program
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Expected Compensation
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$125000.00 - $125000.00 + 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.
For quick access to screen reading technology compatible with this site click here to download a free compatible screen reader (free step by step tutorial can be found here). Please contact ADA@tesla.com for ADA related questions or to request ADA accommodations.
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