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

Description:
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.

Responsibilities:
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

Requirements:
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 & 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 + benefitsPay 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.