Thermal Engineer Internships
Thermal engineer internships give university students, recent graduates, and early-career switchers hands-on project experience in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and thermal system design, mentorship from working engineers, and, at many employers, a path toward a full-time offer. Demand is strongest across {{top_industries_phrase}}, with Tesla, Meta, and Blue Origin among the employers posting roles now.
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Consider before submitting an application:
This position is expected to start around January 2027 and continue through the entire Spring term (ending approximately May 2027 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.
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.
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:
Tesla SI Hardware team is revolutionizing artificial intelligence and looking for a highly motivated Thermal Design Engineer to cool the next generation of high-density SI data centers powered by Dojo – our custom supercomputer.
The role involves design and validation of air and liquid cooling solutions for SI hardware and cross functional collaboration on the full system design including chip package, PCBs, compute/network trays, rack and infrastructure. We will explore advanced cooling technologies to push the limits of compute density and system efficiency. A deep understanding of the fundamentals of fluid flow and heat transfer and ability to breakdown complex engineering problems into simple pieces that can be tackled by fundamentals is a must. Creative thinking, ability to solve complex and challenging problems, and ability to work independently are of paramount importance. This position involves working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment with tight timing and dynamic constraints.
What You'll Do
- CFD modeling of heat transfer and fluid flow for SI hardware cooling
- Support the evaluation of new cooling technologies (TIMs, heat spreaders, coldplates).
- Perform thermal and mechanical first principles analysis and simulations
- Test and validate the electronic systems across all low voltages electronics
- Provide support to manufacturing lines and test engineers to quickly identify issues, resolve problems, and come up with production solutions
- Create clear documentation and presentations to communicate concepts, designs, and findings
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, or thermals-related field with a graduation date between May 2027 - December 2027
- Strong understanding of fundamentals of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics
- Experience in CFD and developing numerical models of thermal/fluid systems at any level
- Passionate about electro-mechanical product design, creative problem solving, and finding simple solutions to complex mechanical and thermal challenges
- Hands-on experience with mechanical or thermal testing and data analysis
- Strong teamwork, communication and presentation skills
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 around January 2027 and continue through the entire Spring term (ending approximately May 2027 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.
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.
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:
Tesla SI Hardware team is revolutionizing artificial intelligence and looking for a highly motivated Thermal Design Engineer to cool the next generation of high-density SI data centers powered by Dojo – our custom supercomputer.
The role involves design and validation of air and liquid cooling solutions for SI hardware and cross functional collaboration on the full system design including chip package, PCBs, compute/network trays, rack and infrastructure. We will explore advanced cooling technologies to push the limits of compute density and system efficiency. A deep understanding of the fundamentals of fluid flow and heat transfer and ability to breakdown complex engineering problems into simple pieces that can be tackled by fundamentals is a must. Creative thinking, ability to solve complex and challenging problems, and ability to work independently are of paramount importance. This position involves working in a dynamic and fast-paced environment with tight timing and dynamic constraints.
What You'll Do
- CFD modeling of heat transfer and fluid flow for SI hardware cooling
- Support the evaluation of new cooling technologies (TIMs, heat spreaders, coldplates).
- Perform thermal and mechanical first principles analysis and simulations
- Test and validate the electronic systems across all low voltages electronics
- Provide support to manufacturing lines and test engineers to quickly identify issues, resolve problems, and come up with production solutions
- Create clear documentation and presentations to communicate concepts, designs, and findings
What You'll Bring
- Currently pursing a degree in Mechanical Engineering, or thermals-related field with a graduation date between May 2027 - December 2027
- Strong understanding of fundamentals of heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics
- Experience in CFD and developing numerical models of thermal/fluid systems at any level
- Passionate about electro-mechanical product design, creative problem solving, and finding simple solutions to complex mechanical and thermal challenges
- Hands-on experience with mechanical or thermal testing and data analysis
- Strong teamwork, communication and presentation skills
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.
Thermal Engineer Internship Market
Who's Hiring
Tips for Your Thermal Engineer Internship Search
Apply earlier than your peers
Large aerospace, defense, and energy employers open summer intern recruiting as early as August or September the year before. If you wait until spring to start, the structured cohort programs are already closed. Set a calendar reminder at the start of each fall semester and treat that as your application window.
Build a thermal analysis portfolio before you apply
Hiring teams for thermal engineer intern roles have little work history to assess, so your projects carry the interview. Document two or three complete analyses, name the tools you used, such as ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL, or SolidWorks Simulation, and make the work viewable, whether through a design portfolio, a GitHub repository, or a linked report.
Work your campus network and apply directly at the same time
Campus career fairs surface structured intern programs tied to your university, and professors and 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, since many thermal engineering teams hire one or two interns outside formal programs.
Practice your technical screen out loud
Thermal engineer intern interviews typically include a technical screen covering heat transfer fundamentals, thermodynamic cycles, and sometimes applied problems in MATLAB or simulation software. Practice solving problems aloud and explaining your assumptions, because interviewers weigh your reasoning process as much as whether you arrive at the right answer.
Target structured rotational and university programs early
Larger employers in aerospace, automotive, and energy run rotational or cohort-based intern programs built to develop engineers new to the field. These programs recruit on a fixed cycle and fill in the first wave of applications, so identify the ones that fit your background and apply before the general posting goes wide.
Set your work-type filter before you start
On-site roles are 100% of the thermal engineer internships listed here. Decide what you can realistically commit to before you search, then filter by location and work type so you're not sorting through roles that require relocation you haven't planned for or remote arrangements your program doesn't accommodate.
Thermal Engineer Internships: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a thermal engineer internship?
Lead with coursework and personal projects rather than work history, since hiring teams expect limited experience at the intern level. The concrete artifact that gives recruiters something to assess is a design or CAD portfolio documenting a complete thermal analysis or system project, including the tools used and your reasoning. Combine direct applications with campus career fairs, where recruiters often move faster for students they meet in person.
Can a thermal engineer internship turn into a full-time job?
Many employers extend return offers to strong interns, but conversion is never guaranteed. What actually drives it is performance on real project deliverables, available headcount on the team at the time of your return-offer conversation, and whether you have that conversation proactively before your internship ends. Position for a return offer by owning your assignments fully, but keep applying to other roles in parallel.
When should I apply for thermal engineer internships?
Earlier than most students expect. Large aerospace, automotive, and energy employers open summer intern recruiting the preceding fall, often as early as August or September. Smaller companies, startups, and co-op programs post much closer to their actual start dates, so thermal engineer internship openings appear year-round rather than in a single window.
Are thermal engineer internships paid?
Most professional thermal engineer internships in the United States are paid. Compensation varies by company size, industry, and location. Where an employer discloses pay, it appears directly in the listing, so you can compare offers as you search without needing to ask upfront.
What should a thermal engineer internship resume include?
Lead with two or three complete, documented projects rather than work history. For each, name the thermal analysis tools you used, such as ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL, or SolidWorks Simulation, and link to or reference where the work can be seen, whether a design portfolio, GitHub repository, or published report. Add relevant coursework in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics, and keep the whole document to one page.
Are there remote thermal engineer internships?
Yes. Remote and hybrid roles make up 0% of the thermal engineer internship listings here, with the rest on-site. Remote cohorts fill fast because they draw applicants from across the country, so apply early and filter by work type to see them before they close.
Can international students get thermal 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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