Software Integration Intern

Job Description

Internship, Software Integration Engineer, Optimus (Fall 2026) | Tesla

The Tone:
This is an internship at Tesla, located on-site. Tesla is a leading company at the forefront of electric vehicles, energy solutions, and advanced robotics, including the Optimus humanoid robot. This role is crucial for bridging the gap between software and hardware development teams, ensuring the seamless integration of various subsystems into a cohesive final product. The intern will play a key role in guiding robot development by understanding software-hardware dependencies and mitigating risks.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, on-site
• Pay: $125000 yearly
• Team: Guides a team of engineers through software development, leveraging systems engineering principles.
• Mission: Integrate software and hardware across robot engineering teams to deliver new user experiences and functional prototypes for the Optimus robot.
• Tech Stack: C, C++, Python

What You’ll Actually Do
• Bridge: Act as the primary software interface between all core robot engineering teams and broader Tesla software and hardware teams working on electronics, actuators, distribution, and manufacturing.
• Develop: Write C and/or C++ code to bring up new software features or enhance existing ones, integrating different subsystems to provide a new user experience.
• Integrate: Lead and manage the integration of initial prototype systems, including the bring-up, debugging, and engineering test of alpha- and beta-phase prototype new robots.
• Collaborate: Work cross-functionally across mechanical, electrical, actuator design, and firmware development teams to understand new hardware changes and how to support them in firmware.
• Ensure: Partner with manufacturing teams to guarantee that functions are rolled out and operating properly, potentially including the development of processes, diagnostic tools, and root-cause diagnosis for product issues.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Currently working towards a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field of study, with a graduation date between December 2026 – December 2027.
• Experience: With systems involving multiple networked microprocessors and smart electro-mechanical actuators, and experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and leading through influence.
• Skills: Proficiency in C and/or C++ programming. Ability to multi-task and context switch between orthogonal projects running in parallel. Ability to communicate complex technical topics across organizational levels and functions.
• Bonus: Experience with Python programming.