Automation Engineer Internships
Automation engineer internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience, mentorship from working engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Openings are concentrated across Manufacturing, Distribution & Wholesale, and Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, with Tesla, ByteDance, and Siemens among the employers posting roles now.
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About Redwood Materials
Redwood is localizing a global battery supply chain that seamlessly integrates recovery, reuse, and recycling — keeping critical minerals in circulation and driving the energy transition. Founded in 2017, we’re delivering low-cost and large-scale energy storage and producing battery materials in the U.S. for the first time, all from batteries we already have.
Test Automation Engineering Intern
Redwood Energy is building some of the fastest, lowest-cost energy storage in the U.S. from both new battery modules and second-life EV packs. Second-life hardware arrives with a history — different chemistries, capacities, and states of health — and every unit has to be proven safe and reliable before it ships. That proof comes from test: the automated systems that exercise the firmware and electronics inside our products and decide whether they're ready for the field.
Our test engineering team builds those systems — the test stands on the production floor, the hardware-in-the-loop benches that validate firmware releases, and the CI pipelines that tie them together. As a Test Automation Engineering Intern, you'll work alongside our engineers building the next generation of this test capability. You'll write Python that drives real instruments and real battery hardware, help bring up new test stands from the bench up, and debug failures where the root cause could live in the test code, the firmware, or the unit under test. This is a great opportunity to apply what you've learned in coursework to production test systems, with mentorship from experienced engineers along the way.
Responsibilities will include:
- Test Automation: Write and maintain Python test automation for firmware and hardware validation, using pytest and our internal test frameworks.
- Instrument Control: Develop drivers and tooling for programmable power supplies, electronic loads, data acquisition, and switching hardware over protocols like SCPI, CAN, and Modbus.
- Test Stand Bring-Up: Help bring up new test stands — from fixtures and wiring through the software that sequences them — as we expand our validation capability.
- System Debugging: Investigate real failures on real equipment, using CAN traces, instrument logs, and bench tools to determine whether the fault lies in the test code, the fixture, or the unit under test.
- Continuous Integration: Add regression coverage to our CI pipelines so firmware changes are validated automatically rather than by hand.
- Documentation & Process: Contribute to documentation and test processes that support taking test systems from prototype toward production.
- You'll own a scoped project end to end and present your results to the engineering team at the close of the internship.
Desired Qualifications:
- Background: Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mechatronics, or a related field.
- Programming Foundations: Working proficiency in Python, including comfort reading and modifying a codebase you did not write.
- Testing Experience: Experience writing automated tests with pytest or a comparable framework, from coursework, projects, or prior internships.
- Version Control: Experience with Git and a pull-request-based development workflow.
- EE Fundamentals: Solid grasp of circuit basics — voltage, current, resistance, and power, and how they relate — sufficient to predict what a measurement should read and recognize when it doesn't.
- Hardware Fundamentals: Able to read a schematic, wiring diagram, or datasheet and act on it; hands-on experience working safely around energized equipment — power supplies, loads, or battery hardware — from lab work, projects, or prior internships.
- Communication Protocols: Familiarity with CAN, Modbus, SCPI, or other instrument and industrial protocols is a plus, even if only from classwork or personal projects.
- Linux: Familiarity with the Linux command line is a plus.
- Curiosity & Rigor: A safety-conscious mindset, strong attention to detail, and eagerness to learn how production test systems are built. Prior industry or energy storage experience is not expected.
In accordance with California pay transparency laws, the salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on a variety of factors, including experience, education, and skills.
California Pay Range:
$41 - $47.50 USD
The position is full-time. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.
We collect personal information (PI) from you in connection with your application for employment with Redwood Materials, including the following categories of PI: identifiers, personal records, professional or employment information, and inferences drawn from your PI. We collect your PI for our purposes, including performing services and operations related to your potential employment. If you have additional privacy-related questions, please contact us at privacy@redwoodmaterials.com.
About Redwood Materials
Redwood is localizing a global battery supply chain that seamlessly integrates recovery, reuse, and recycling — keeping critical minerals in circulation and driving the energy transition. Founded in 2017, we’re delivering low-cost and large-scale energy storage and producing battery materials in the U.S. for the first time, all from batteries we already have.
Test Automation Engineering Intern
Redwood Energy is building some of the fastest, lowest-cost energy storage in the U.S. from both new battery modules and second-life EV packs. Second-life hardware arrives with a history — different chemistries, capacities, and states of health — and every unit has to be proven safe and reliable before it ships. That proof comes from test: the automated systems that exercise the firmware and electronics inside our products and decide whether they're ready for the field.
Our test engineering team builds those systems — the test stands on the production floor, the hardware-in-the-loop benches that validate firmware releases, and the CI pipelines that tie them together. As a Test Automation Engineering Intern, you'll work alongside our engineers building the next generation of this test capability. You'll write Python that drives real instruments and real battery hardware, help bring up new test stands from the bench up, and debug failures where the root cause could live in the test code, the firmware, or the unit under test. This is a great opportunity to apply what you've learned in coursework to production test systems, with mentorship from experienced engineers along the way.
Responsibilities will include:
- Test Automation: Write and maintain Python test automation for firmware and hardware validation, using pytest and our internal test frameworks.
- Instrument Control: Develop drivers and tooling for programmable power supplies, electronic loads, data acquisition, and switching hardware over protocols like SCPI, CAN, and Modbus.
- Test Stand Bring-Up: Help bring up new test stands — from fixtures and wiring through the software that sequences them — as we expand our validation capability.
- System Debugging: Investigate real failures on real equipment, using CAN traces, instrument logs, and bench tools to determine whether the fault lies in the test code, the fixture, or the unit under test.
- Continuous Integration: Add regression coverage to our CI pipelines so firmware changes are validated automatically rather than by hand.
- Documentation & Process: Contribute to documentation and test processes that support taking test systems from prototype toward production.
- You'll own a scoped project end to end and present your results to the engineering team at the close of the internship.
Desired Qualifications:
- Background: Currently pursuing a BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mechatronics, or a related field.
- Programming Foundations: Working proficiency in Python, including comfort reading and modifying a codebase you did not write.
- Testing Experience: Experience writing automated tests with pytest or a comparable framework, from coursework, projects, or prior internships.
- Version Control: Experience with Git and a pull-request-based development workflow.
- EE Fundamentals: Solid grasp of circuit basics — voltage, current, resistance, and power, and how they relate — sufficient to predict what a measurement should read and recognize when it doesn't.
- Hardware Fundamentals: Able to read a schematic, wiring diagram, or datasheet and act on it; hands-on experience working safely around energized equipment — power supplies, loads, or battery hardware — from lab work, projects, or prior internships.
- Communication Protocols: Familiarity with CAN, Modbus, SCPI, or other instrument and industrial protocols is a plus, even if only from classwork or personal projects.
- Linux: Familiarity with the Linux command line is a plus.
- Curiosity & Rigor: A safety-conscious mindset, strong attention to detail, and eagerness to learn how production test systems are built. Prior industry or energy storage experience is not expected.
In accordance with California pay transparency laws, the salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on a variety of factors, including experience, education, and skills.
California Pay Range:
$41 - $47.50 USD
The position is full-time. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.
We collect personal information (PI) from you in connection with your application for employment with Redwood Materials, including the following categories of PI: identifiers, personal records, professional or employment information, and inferences drawn from your PI. We collect your PI for our purposes, including performing services and operations related to your potential employment. If you have additional privacy-related questions, please contact us at privacy@redwoodmaterials.com.
Automation Engineer Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Manufacturing
- Distribution & Wholesale
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
Tips for Your Automation Engineer Internship Search
Apply months before your target start date
Large employers recruit summer automation engineer interns the preceding fall, and structured cohort programs often close before the calendar year ends. Smaller companies and co-op rotations post closer to start dates, so check listings throughout the year rather than waiting for a single hiring window.
Build a project portfolio before you apply
Automation engineer intern recruiters expect limited work history, so your evidence comes from what you have built. Document two or three complete projects with the tools used, such as PLC programs, robotic cell simulations, or control-system scripts, and link to the files or repository so reviewers can assess your work directly.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured programs tied to your university, and professors or career center staff often know which employers recruit from your school before roles post publicly. Applying directly to companies running smaller cohorts alongside campus activity widens the pool you reach and catches openings that never appear at fairs.
Practice your technical screen out loud before you apply
Automation engineer intern interviews typically involve a technical screen covering controls concepts, ladder logic or scripting exercises, and sometimes a troubleshooting scenario. Practice explaining your reasoning step by step, not just producing the answer, because interviewers weigh how you think through a problem as much as whether you reach the right solution.
Target structured rotational and university cohort programs early
Larger manufacturers and industrial technology companies run rotational engineering internship programs built to train people new to the field. These programs recruit early and fill fast, so identify the ones aligned with your skills, confirm their application windows, and submit in the first wave rather than waiting until roles are widely advertised.
Set your work-type filter before you start searching
On-site roles are 80% of the automation engineer internships listed here. Decide what you can commit to before you start reviewing listings, then filter by location and work type so you are not sorting through roles you cannot take.
Automation Engineer Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an automation engineer internship?
Lead with coursework and personal projects rather than work history, since hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. For automation engineer candidates, a linked GitHub repository or documented project portfolio gives recruiters something concrete to assess. Combine direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can an automation engineer internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. For automation engineer interns, what actually drives it is performance on real project work, available headcount on the team, and the timing of the return-offer decision. Treat the internship as an audition, deliver visible results, and ask your manager early about the return-offer timeline without counting on a specific outcome.
When should I apply for automation engineer internships?
Earlier than most expect. Large employers recruit summer automation engineer interns the preceding fall, sometimes as early as August or September. Smaller companies and co-op programs post closer to their start dates, so openings appear year-round. Check listings regularly rather than waiting for a single application season.
Are automation engineer internships paid?
Most professional automation engineer internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location, and listings show it where the employer chooses to disclose it. Unpaid arrangements exist but are uncommon at established engineering programs, and some states have rules that affect unpaid internship arrangements.
What should an automation engineer internship resume include?
Lead with projects, not work history. Include two or three complete, documented projects with the tools and platforms used, and link to the work directly, such as a GitHub repository, a published report, or a design file. Add relevant coursework in controls, PLCs, robotics, or software, and keep the entire resume to one page.
Are there remote automation engineer internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 20% of the automation engineer internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast, so apply early and filter by work type to see them before they close.
Can international students get automation engineer internships?
Yes. F-1 students can intern through CPT while enrolled or through OPT work authorization after finishing a degree, and the employer does not have to file anything for either, so many companies are open to international interns. Confirm your eligibility and timing with your university's international student office before accepting an offer.
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