Software Engineering Manager Jobs in Palo Alto, CA
Software Engineering Manager jobs in Palo Alto are concentrated in the Stanford Research Park, California Avenue corridor, and downtown along University Avenue, with demand running deep across enterprise software, AI infrastructure, and semiconductor tooling. Tesla, JPMorganChase, and Rivian are among those hiring right now. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 47+ Software Engineering Manager jobs
Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start January 2027 and continue through the entire Winter/Spring term (i.e through April/May 2027) or into Summer 2027 if available. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships.
International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week. 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.
Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to renewable energy. This isn’t just a slogan to us. We are building the largest battery storage systems in the world. We are constantly expanding the Supercharger network, the largest electric car charging network ever. We are growing the largest fleets of residential solar, battery storage,and car charging devices in many countries around the world. And we need your help.
The Energy Battery Firmware team works on low-level safety critical battery management and charging software. This role entails developing low level firmware and validation platform infrastructure for our world class Energy product software and firmware, ranging from design, implementation, through validation and ongoing fleet improvements. Opportunities range from low-latency C/Rust drivers and algorithms all the way up to high level C++ controls logic and Python SIL testing infrastructure.
Location: Palo Alto, CA
What You'll Do
- Develop, enhance and debug new and existing real-time software in C, Rust and C++ in embedded RTOS environments
- Work with hardware to bring up new embedded platforms from scratch
- Assist in tool development for testing and system integration
- Specify, design, and implement functionality and behaviors of embedded subsystems
- Engage in cross-functional collaborations with electrical and software teams
- Understand and debug interfaces/interactions required for successful implementation of product-level features
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics or related field
- Proficiency in C and/or Rust, and C++
- Some background in embedded firmware systems development
- Strong fundamentals in computer or electrical engineering
- Exceptional capacity for managing simultaneous activities and challenges
Benefits
As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
- Earned Wage Access: Real-time pay access paid daily, subject to eligibility and schedule (applicable for below Sr. Managers levels)
Expected Compensation
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start January 2027 and continue through the entire Winter/Spring term (i.e through April/May 2027) or into Summer 2027 if available. We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships.
International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week. 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.
Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to renewable energy. This isn’t just a slogan to us. We are building the largest battery storage systems in the world. We are constantly expanding the Supercharger network, the largest electric car charging network ever. We are growing the largest fleets of residential solar, battery storage,and car charging devices in many countries around the world. And we need your help.
The Energy Battery Firmware team works on low-level safety critical battery management and charging software. This role entails developing low level firmware and validation platform infrastructure for our world class Energy product software and firmware, ranging from design, implementation, through validation and ongoing fleet improvements. Opportunities range from low-latency C/Rust drivers and algorithms all the way up to high level C++ controls logic and Python SIL testing infrastructure.
Location: Palo Alto, CA
What You'll Do
- Develop, enhance and debug new and existing real-time software in C, Rust and C++ in embedded RTOS environments
- Work with hardware to bring up new embedded platforms from scratch
- Assist in tool development for testing and system integration
- Specify, design, and implement functionality and behaviors of embedded subsystems
- Engage in cross-functional collaborations with electrical and software teams
- Understand and debug interfaces/interactions required for successful implementation of product-level features
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics or related field
- Proficiency in C and/or Rust, and C++
- Some background in embedded firmware systems development
- Strong fundamentals in computer or electrical engineering
- Exceptional capacity for managing simultaneous activities and challenges
Benefits
As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:
- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program
- Earned Wage Access: Real-time pay access paid daily, subject to eligibility and schedule (applicable for below Sr. Managers levels)
Expected Compensation
Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
See All 47 Software Engineering Manager Jobs in Palo Alto
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Find JobsSoftware Engineering Manager Job Market in Palo Alto
Who's Hiring
- Tesla14
- JPMorganChase9
- Rivian7
- SpaceXSI4S
- Wing3
Top Industries Hiring
- Fintech
- Banking & Financial Services
- Investment & Asset Management
- Insurance
Software Engineering Manager Jobs in Palo Alto: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a software engineering manager job in Palo Alto?
The strongest path is targeting Palo Alto's dense cluster of enterprise software, developer tools, and AI platform companies, particularly those anchored in Stanford Research Park and the California Avenue tech corridor. Hiring managers here weight hands-on engineering depth heavily, so candidates who can speak credibly to system design decisions, not just team process, stand out. Prior experience at a Bay Area product company, even in a senior IC role, meaningfully shortens the interview cycle at most local employers.
Which companies hire software engineering managers in Palo Alto?
Employers hiring software engineering managers in Palo Alto right now include Tesla, JPMorganChase, and Rivian, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Palo Alto's employer mix skews toward established product companies and deep-tech firms rather than early-stage startups, so openings tend to carry well-defined scope and multi-team leadership expectations.
Are there remote software engineering manager jobs in Palo Alto?
Yes, though fully remote roles are less common for software engineering managers than for individual contributors, since the role typically involves real-time team coordination, performance conversations, and cross-functional stakeholder work that many Palo Alto employers prefer to keep partially on-site. About 38% of software engineering manager openings tied to Palo Alto are remote or hybrid as of November 2026. Hybrid arrangements with two to three anchor days are the most common format among established Palo Alto technology employers.
How can I get a software engineering manager job in Palo Alto with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving into a tech lead or staff engineer role at a Palo Alto-area product company first, then transitioning internally once you have direct reports or project ownership on your record. Companies in Stanford Research Park and along California Avenue frequently promote strong senior engineers into people manager roles. Gaining experience with performance cycles, roadmap planning, and cross-functional delivery in any capacity, even informally, makes that internal transition far more credible to local hiring committees.
Which industries hire the most software engineering managers in Palo Alto?
Most software engineering manager openings in Palo Alto sit in Fintech, Banking & Financial Services, and Investment & Asset Management, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Palo Alto's proximity to Stanford and its long history as a hub for instrumentation and semiconductor IP means the local employer base skews toward technically demanding product areas, which drives consistent demand for engineering managers who can bridge deep technical work and organizational execution.
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See All 47 Software Engineering Manager Jobs in Palo Alto
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