Internship, Controls Engineer, Manufacturing (Winter/Spring 2027)

This position is expected to start January or February 2027 and continue through the winter/spring term (ending approximately May 2027 or later, if available). We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site. Our internship program is for students who are actively enrolled in an academic program. International students: if your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying.

About The Team

Tesla is seeking highly-motivated interns to contribute to the design and development of new automation equipment and assembly lines for our advanced production facilities. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of the team "building the machine that makes the machine." Tesla is a demanding and fast-paced environment where you will work on a critical subsystem of incredibly exciting products and may work in one of the following departments: Automation Development, Vehicle Manufacturing, Paint Manufacturing, or Powertrain Manufacturing.

The Controls Engineering Intern will work under the guidance of Controls Engineers to develop, design, and program control systems for new equipment being deployed to the production floor. The Intern will learn, apply and contribute to the further development of Tesla’s innovative controls program architecture to components such as logic controllers, machine interfaces, servo drives, and industrial robots used in our production processes.

Multiple locations possible: Austin, TX; Buffalo, NY; Fremont, CA; Lathrop, CA; Sparks, NV.

Responsibilities

• Lay out new industrial electrical control panels which are NFPA79/NEC/UL508A compliant, and create electrical schematics
• Develop and debug ladder logic PLC code with an emphasis on generating code that is organized, structured, documented, maintainable and reusable
• Interface with conveyors, robots, Manufacturing Execution System (MES), LabView
• Implement (ANSI/RIA15.06/OSHA compliant) control reliable safety systems for safeguarding
• Generate aesthetically simple HMI screens for complex machinery while providing sufficient feedback for troubleshooting
• Commission vision cameras for part inspection and 2D/3D guidance of machinery (Cognex, Keyence)
• Manage and implement small machine projects from start to finish

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Computer Science or a related field
• Coursework in analog and digital circuits, control systems, logic, and programming
• Exposure to programming microcontrollers
• Proficiency with CAD (AutoCAD, CATIA, SolidWorks)
• Able to work under pressure while managing competing demands and tight deadlines
• Exemplary verbal and written communication skills and well organized with meticulous attention to detail
• Strong propensity to build, assemble, fix and program things is preferred
• Use of common power and hand tools is preferred
• Mastery of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio and programming experience in C++, Python, SQL or similar language is preferred
• Experience with industrial electrical panel design, PLC programming (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Beckhoff or similar), HMI/SCADA programming (Allen-Bradley, Ignition or similar), industrial robots (Fanuc, Kuka or similar) and Servo motors and controllers (Kinetix or similar) is preferred

Benefits

• Medical plans with plan options including $0 payroll deduction
• Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
• Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans with an option for $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 including critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
• Commuter benefits
• Employee discounts and perks program

Pay

Expected compensation: $27.00 - $46.00/hour + benefits. Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.