Silicon Validation Engineer Intern – Post-Silicon Validation

Job Description

Internship, AI Hardware Silicon Validation Engineer | Tesla

The Tone:
This is an internship at Tesla, located on-site. Tesla is at the forefront of revolutionizing artificial intelligence through cutting-edge hardware innovation, designing and developing advanced AI inference chips tailored to accelerate machine learning capabilities. This includes Dojo, Tesla’s custom supercomputer system, and the AI that powers Full Self-Driving (FSD) and the Optimus humanoid robot. This role is critical as it focuses on developing the post-silicon validation necessary for Tesla’s custom SoCs and Platforms, ensuring computational efficiency and performance for intelligent machines.

The TL;DR
• Role: Internship
• Type: Full-time (40 hours/week)
• Location: In-person, on-site
• Pay: $20–$55 hourly
• Team: Tesla AI Hardware team, focused on custom AI inference chips and the Dojo supercomputer.
• Mission: Develop post-silicon validation plans, tools, and infrastructure for Tesla’s custom SoCs and Platforms designs, ensuring robust and high-performance AI hardware.
• Tech Stack: C/C++, Python, bash, git, JTAG, OpenOCD, Logic Analyzer, Protocol Analyzer

What You’ll Actually Do
• Create and execute synthetic workloads that stress functional blocks within silicon platforms, such as the NPU, CPU, and Camera Interface.
• Assist in identifying and resolving hardware bugs before products enter the production phase.
• Bring up and characterize Autopilot Custom Silicon and PCBA designs.
• Collaborate with diverse teams on hardware design, schematic reviews, firmware development, and automated test infrastructure building.
• Write comprehensive test plans, develop specific test cases, and detect design bugs prior to production.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Actively pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, with an expected graduation date between 2026 and 2027.
• Experience: Microcontroller and Embedded Systems programming experience. Experience in design, verification, or validation disciplines, including system/platform level debugging, root cause isolation, methodology, and tools. Experience with Test Automation Framework Development.
• Skills: Deep knowledge of computer architecture; proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems programming; skilled in Python and bash scripting; familiarity with git and version control systems; familiarity with Logic or Protocol Analyzer equipment.
• Bonus: Familiarity with ARM and/or x86 microarchitecture; familiarity with JTAG and/or OpenOCD; good system-level and architectural knowledge; some experience with DFT and PDE work.