Internship, Traffic Prediction & Routing Algorithms Engineer, Vehicle Controls (Fall 2026)

Job description

What to Expect Consider before submitting an application: This position is expected to start September 2026 and continue through fall term (ending approximately December 2026 or later, if available). 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. About the Team: As a member of the Vehicle Controls team, you will work closely with our Navigation Software team on advancing the capability of Tesla’s in-house traffic prediction and routing algorithms that serve our customer cars today and will serve our future Robotaxis. You will apply a combination of basic physics modeling of the world, along with strong skillsets in statistical analysis, operations research, and machine learning to help improve our systems. What You’ll Do Assist in analyzing Tesla fleet data and statistics to support improvements in traffic prediction and routing algorithms Help design, prototype, and evaluate algorithms that enhance traffic prediction accuracy and the customer driving experience Work with Tesla Navigation Software Engineers to test and refine algorithms prior to deployment at scale Contribute to building test plans, tools, and pipelines that verify the quality of trip planning features Support validation efforts to catch regressions and ensure smooth rollouts of updated algorithms Prepare clear summaries of findings, results, and trade-offs for technical teams and decision-makers What You’ll Bring Currently pursuing a degree in Statistics, Operations Research, Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field, with a graduation date between December 2026 – December 2027 Proficiency in Python, Go, and C++ Familiarity with exploratory statistical analysis and testing on large data sets Experience with at least one of the following: Navigation and Routing, Machine Learning, Graph Algorithms Exposure to designing and evaluating forecasting or optimization methods through coursework or projects Demonstrated ability to collaborate on open-ended projects, work hands-on, and adapt quickly in fast-paced environments Extracted Data Skills: Python, C++, Machine Learning