Tesla

Makes electric cars, robotaxis and grid batteries

Software Engineer Intern - Autonomy Systems Foundations

Software EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Internship · Winter 2027, Spring 2027Palo Alto, CA, USANo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a relevant field of study, with a graduation date between May 2027 and May 2028.
Strong proficiency in C and C++.
Proficiency developing software on a Linux host for embedded Linux targets, including cross-compilation, is a plus.

Responsibilities

Write, debug, and maintain robust C and C++ software across the Autopilot and Humanoid robot software stacks.
Depending on needs and the candidate’s interests and skills, work on high-frame-rate camera and vision code, write GPU kernels, design and implement low-memory-footprint image-compression libraries, implement high-performance inter-process communication data buffers, improve or extend image and raw-data logging and telemetry code, or improve the stability and performance of evaluation and replay software.
Optimize hardware resource usage and leverage custom hardware components where appropriate.
Advocate for best coding practices within the group and build tools that help engineers improve their code, such as performance and memory tracking tools.
Generalize software frameworks when necessary while considering that excessive abstraction can become a bottleneck.
Write tests and integrate with the evaluation pipeline to ensure system and functional stability.
Develop system tools to benchmark, characterize, and optimize the latency and throughput of autonomy workloads on the Full Self-Driving chip.

Desired Qualifications

Experience or familiarity with computer vision, machine learning, and related software concepts.
Experience with performant software design, object-oriented C++, compiler design, and/or low-level C programming.

Category	Tesla SI
Location	Palo Alto, California
Requisition ID	282825
Type	Intern/Apprentice

Job Description

Consider before ApplyingThis position is expected to start January 2027 and continue through Spring term (ending approximately May 2027) or continuing into Summer 2027 if available and there is an opportunity to do so. 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. About the TeamAs a C++ Software Engineer within the Autonomy group, you will have the opportunity to apply your technical skills to a variety of system components & foundational code targeting higher performance of Self-Driving and Humanoid robot. The nature of the role means that the code you will write, debug, and maintain will almost always connect with a variety of other components. You will be building robust code foundations for the autonomy teams to write their applications on top of and evangelize best software practices for the better of Self-Driving and Humanoid robot. You will be developing system tools to benchmark, characterize and optimize the latency and throughput of the autonomy workloads on the Full-Self-Driving chip. You will write tests and integrate with our evaluation pipeline to ensure the system and functional stability of our stack.

Job Responsibilities

Write, debug and maintain robust C/C++ software to the entire Autopilot and Humanoid robot software stack
Depending on needs and your interests/skills, you might work on code related to our high-frame rate Camera & Vision stack, write GPU kernels, design and implement low memory footprint image compression libraries, implement high-performance inter-process communication data buffers, improve/extend our image & raw data logging/telemetry code, or make our evaluation/replay software more stable and performant
Optimize hardware resources usage, leverage custom hardware components where appropriate
Advocate for best coding practices amongst the group, build tools helping engineers to write better code (for instance, performance/memory tracking)
Generalize software frameworks when necessary while keeping in mind that too much abstraction can sometimes become a bottleneck

Job Requirements

Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or relevant field of study with a graduation date between May 2027 - May 2028
Strong proficiency in C/C++
Experience or familiarity with Computer Vision, Machine Learning & related software concepts a plus
Experience with performant software design, object-oriented C++, compiler design and/or hardcore lower-level C code a plus, but preferred
Proficient developing software on a Linux host, for embedded Linux targets (cross-compilation, etc.) a plus

About the Company

Tesla

Makes electric cars, robotaxis and grid batteries

Tesla makes electric cars and batteries that store power for homes and utilities, and it develops self-driving software and humanoid robots. In 2023, its Model Y became the first electric vehicle to rank as the world's best-selling car. Buyers order the Model 3 sedan, Model Y SUV, or Cybertruck pickup directly from Tesla instead of through dealers, and they charge on its Supercharger fast-charging network. It also sells Megapack and Powerwall batteries, runs a robotaxi service, and charges drivers a monthly fee for self-driving software that still needs their supervision. Tesla was founded in 2003, with Elon Musk as its lead early investor and a recognized co-founder, and it is based in Austin, Texas.

Company size: 10,001+
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: Austin, TX
Founded: 2003

Recently Posted Jobs

Explore more opportunities at Tesla

See more jobs