Internship, Robotics Motor Design Engineer, Optimus (Fall 2026)

What To Expect

This position is expected to start August or September 2026 and continue through summer term (ending approximately December 2026) or continuing into Winter/Spring 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.

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.

This position will support the development of the high-performance Tesla motors. You will support design and manufacturing activities to industrialize and scale Tesla motors into high volume production. You will join a team of mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic engineering disciplines in a highly collaborative environment.

What You'll Do

• Mechanical design and industrialization of stators for integration into Tesla’s powertrains
• Collaboration with electromagnetic motor design engineers and actuator engineers to develop bespoke motors perfectly suited for integration
• Continuous improvement of existing designs to reduce cost, improve performance and reliability
• Prototyping, testing and troubleshooting of electric motors
• Basic fabrication, machining, wiring, general electronics, debugging, and testing
• Collaboration with supply chain, vendors, and manufacturing engineers
• Pilot production assembly, offering hands on support, driving process improvement, ensuring quality and manufacturing engineering support

What You'll Bring

• Currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics or a related field with a graduation date between 2026 - 2027
• Experience in mechanical engineering in a product design and manufacturing environment
• Basic fabrication, machining, wiring, general electronics, debugging, and parts chasing
• Experience with design and manufacturing of motors for actuators used in motion control applications
• Experience prototyping stators, rotors, and geared actuators. In particular, understanding of stator manufacturing methods and processes
• Experience with assembly and quality control processes and systems
• Hands-on experience in a machine shop environment. Skill with hand tools, shop and metrology equipment. Experience operating mill/lathe is desirable
• Knowledge and experience with engineering drawings, GD&T, tolerance stacks and FEA. Skill with 3DX (Catia), Solidworks or similar
• Experience with project management of small teams of engineers and technicians delivering high intensity, fast-paced projects
• Familiarity with various electric motor, electric drive, and motion control technologies

, Tesla