What to Expect

Consider before submitting an application:  

This position is expected to start around January or February 2025 and continue through the entire Spring term (i.e. through May 2025) or into Spring/Summer 2025 if available. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time and on-site, for most 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.  

Internship Program at Tesla  

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. 

The Cell Qualification team is responsible for designing and developing all cell performance and failure evaluation methods and equipment. The role requires strong fundamentals in multiple areas of electromechanical product design, a strong passion to think outside the box, reasoning from first principles, and being extremely detail oriented while maintaining high standards of quality and manufacturing. The individual will be responsible for developing new equipment, methods, and processes, while also taking part in cell design and manufacturing.

Equipment Design and Services (EDS) team designs custom cell testing equipment for Tesla cell labs. The equipment we design ranges from high volume cell cycling to low volume table-top fixtures. The team is comprised of mostly mechanical engineers however our work includes electrical design and software development.

What You’ll Do

Complete ownership of the design (art-to-part approach) from concept to production and deployment 

3D design of complex parts and assemblies and integration 

Hands-on prototyping using internal and external resources 

Root causing failures and equipment issues from first principles 

Collaboration with other engineering groups inside Tesla 

Travel to support deployment, debug issues and supplier visits 

What You’ll Bring

Currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field  

Experience with various manufacturing process 

Proficiency in CAD modeling, Catia V5/V6 experience is a plus, but not mandatory 

Experience with student Formula Vehicle, Solar Car, Hyperloop etc. 

Experience with heat transfer and thermal modeling 

Understanding of design for strength and stiffness 

Test equipment design experience 

GD&T 

Manufacturing Techniques 

Rapid Prototyping

Palo Alto, California

Intern/Apprentice