Internship, Software Engineer, Connectivity C++, Optimus (Winter/Spring 2026)

Consider before submitting an application:

This position is expected to start around January 2026 and continue through the Winter/Spring term (ending approximately May 2026) or continuing into Summer 2026 if available and there is an opportunity to do so. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time 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 are dedicated to providing 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

Tesla isseekinga highly motivated Software Engineer Intern for the Optimus Connectivity Team to help develop low latency andhighly reliableconnectivity to the bot. The role involves embedded software design and development across system layers, with an emphasis on performance, stability, and efficiency. You will help build the foundational infrastructure that supports autonomy workloads, working closely with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

• Assisting in writing, debugging, and maintaining components such as camera and vision processing pipelines, GPU kernels, low-memory footprint libraries, inter-process communication buffers, or tools for telemetry and logging
• Supporting development and testing of networking protocols and connectivity features, including Ethernet and TCP/IP
• Participating in efforts to optimize software performance and hardware resource usage, including working with custom hardware when applicable
• Contributing to test automation systems that help validate the reliability and performance of networking and connectivity features
• Learning and applying best coding practices, including writing clean, efficient, and maintainable code
• Helping improve internal tools for tracking software performance and memory usage
• Collaborating on generalizing and improving software frameworks while learning how to balance performance with good design practices

• Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
• C/C++ Experience
• Basic understanding of networking concepts and protocols such as Ethernet and TCP/IP
• Interest in low-level systems software and operating system fundamentals, such as memory management, threading, or performance optimization
• Experience developing software on a Linux environment, exposure to cross-compilation or embedded Linux is a plus
• Familiarity with multithreading, system-level programming (POSIX), SIMD instructions, or GPU programming (e.g., CUDA or OpenCL) is a plus

As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:

• Aetna PPO and HSA plans > 2 medical 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
• Employee Assistance Program
• Sick time after 90 days of employment 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

Pay 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.