Internship, Materials Engineering (Winter/Spring 2027)

This position is expected to start around January or February 2027 and continue through the entire 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. International students must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site.

About the Role

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. Interns are included in projects critical to their team’s success, providing a real-life experience at Tesla.

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

Responsibilities

Qualified applicants may be reviewed by one or more of the following teams:

• Additive Engineering, Die Shop
  • Support hands-on operation of Additive Manufacturing (AM) machines and post-processing.
  • Collaborate with tool design engineers to develop and optimize parts using additive manufacturing technology.
  • Characterize fabricated parts to understand defects and mechanical properties (Charpy, Tensile test, metallography).
  • Monitor, troubleshoot, and correct issues associated with process or equipment.
  • Experience in Catia, NX, Magics, 3DXperts, or NTop preferred.
• Manufacturing Engineering, Coatings
  • Design and develop technically complex processes for finishing/coating products, including process development, specification, validation, and optimization.
  • Establish critical process parameters, design for manufacturing, and equipment specification/design.
  • Work with cross-functional teams, vendors, and technology partners on process development from concept to production.
  • Experience in developing, executing, and interpreting Design of Experiments (DOE).
  • Familiarity with Catia, SolidWorks, Inventor, or AutoCAD.
  • Interest in functional/aesthetic finishing processes, including automotive paint, powder coating, thin film coating (PVD, CVD, PECVD), thermal spray coating, dip coating, and surface finishing (sanding/graining, laser texturing).
• Materials Engineer, Polymers
  • Apply knowledge of polymer chemistry and structure-performance relationships.
  • Focus on one or more areas: paint, coatings, adhesives, soft goods, or structural plastics (thermoplastics).
  • Proficiency in coding (Python, Matlab) is a plus.
• Materials Engineer, Metals and Ceramics
  • Work on alloy development, failure analysis, material characterization, and process development.
  • Collaborate with design engineers, manufacturing, and production to deliver material solutions for metals, ceramics, or glass.
  • Fundamental understanding of mechanical, thermal, electrical, and physical properties of materials.
  • Strong first-principles problem-solving approach.
  • Skills in material characterization and data processing/visualization are a plus.
• Materials Test
  • Own a technical project focused on materials testing and characterization (metals, polymers, textiles, adhesives, ceramics).
  • Perform standardized validation testing, investigative material characterization, and develop new tests for custom materials.
  • Familiarity with materials testing, hazardous materials, and a commitment to health and safety.
• Fastener Engineering
  • Support the Fastener Engineering organization in providing fasteners, processes, and joining methods.
  • Work with engineering teams to suggest and implement optimal joining methods for systems.
  • Experience selecting fasteners, analyzing, and optimizing bolted joints is a plus.
• Mechanical Design Engineer, Castings
  • Design, manufacture, install, launch, and enhance high-pressure die casting dies (tooling).
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather requirements for new die designs.
  • Specify, engineer, and design mechanical aspects (Solid Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics, Heat Transfer) of high-pressure die casting.
  • Experience with CATIA V5/V6 and SolidWorks is advantageous.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a degree in Materials Science or a related field.
• Proficient in 3D CAD tools and/or simulation tools (CATIA, SolidWorks, Delmia, Witness, or similar).
• Strong fundamental understanding of mechanical, thermal, electrical, and physical properties of materials.

Skills

• Tensile testing
• Metallography
• Charpy test
• Design of Experiments (DOE)
• Materials: thermoplastics, coatings, adhesives, metals, ceramics, soft goods, structural plastics

Benefits

• Medical, dental (including orthodontic coverage), and vision plans with $0 payroll deduction options.
• Family-building, fertility, adoption, and surrogacy benefits.
• Company-paid HSA contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan.
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
• 401(k) and Employee Stock Purchase Plans.
• 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: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance.
• Commuter benefits.
• Employee discounts and perks program.

Pay

Expected compensation: $20.00 - $50.00/hour + benefits. Pay may vary depending on market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.