Internship, Materials Engineering; Summer

Position: Internship, Materials Engineering (Summer 2026)
What to Expect

Consider before submitting an application:

This position is expected to start May 2026 and continue through summer term (ending approximately August 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.

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.

Multiple Locations Possible:
Austin, TX;
Buffalo, NY;
Fremont, CA;
Lathrop, CA;
Sparks, NV

What You'll Do

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

Additive Engineering, Die Shop

* The die shop team is seeking an Additive Engineer intern. You will work with other engineers and technicians in support of the hands-on operation of Additive Manufacturing (AM) machines and post-processing. You will closely collaborate with tool design engineers to develop and optimize parts to leverage additive manufacturing technology. This candidate will work to characterize fabricated parts to understand defects and mechanical properties such as Charpy, Tensile test, and metallography.

They will monitor, troubleshoot and correct issues associated with process or equipment. Experience in Catia, NX, Magics, 3DXperts, NTop preferred

Manufacturing Engineering, Coatings

* The Coatings team is seeking a Manufacturing Engineering Intern. You will work with other engineers in support of the design and develop technically complex processes for finishing/coating our products; which includes process development, specification and validation, establishing and optimization of critical process parameters, design for manufacturing, equipment specification and design, as well as installation and commissioning. The candidate will work closely with internal cross-functional teams, external vendors and technology partners on process development from concept to production.

Seeking candidates who have experience in developing, executing and interpreting results of Design of Experiments (DOE); familiar with Catia, Solid Works, Inventor, and/or AutoCAD; and interested working with or developing functional/aesthetic finishing processes, including but not limited to:
Automotive Paint and Powder Coating, Thin Film Coating (eg. PVD, CVD, PECVD), Thermal Spray Coating, Dip Coating and Surface Finishing  (eg. Sanding/Graining, Laser Texturing, etc.)

Materials Engineer, Polymers

* The polymers team is seeking a Materials Engineer intern with a solid foundation in polymer chemistry and a deep understanding of the structure-performance relationships of polymers. The ideal candidate should possess knowledge in one or more of the following areas: paint, coatings, adhesives, soft goods, or structural plastics (thermoplastics). Additional proficiency in coding, particularly with Python and Matlab is a plus

Materials Engineer, Metals and Ceramics

* The Metals and Ceramics Team is seeking a Materials Engineering intern. We select, quantify, standardize, and design new materials. Our team works closely with design engineers, manufacturing, and production to deliver the right material solution for any metal, ceramic or glass used in our products. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on alloy development, failure analysis, material characterization and process development.

This candidate…