Internship Software Development Technician Jobs in California

About Tau
Power conversion is the bottleneck between the compute, energy, and mobility industries and the future they're trying to build. Most of the industry is still solving it with decades-old approaches. Tau is fixing that. We're a venture-backed hardtech company in Redwood City, building power conversion technology for data centers, EVs, and energy systems. Several products are already moving into production.
We hire people who own problems end-to-end: power electronics, embedded software, controls, test and validation, mechanical design. We solve from first principles, not legacy playbooks. We're past "promising technology." Customers are buying, volume is coming, and the people who join now set the standard everyone builds on after.
Who you are
You genuinely like being useful in the moment something is needed, not after. You move between building, fixing, organizing, and troubleshooting without losing the thread on any of them. Context-switching doesn't drain you, it's part of what makes the job interesting.
You take pride in things being right: the torque spec followed, the bench wired cleanly, the inventory actually matching what's on the shelf. You raise the standard for the people around you, and you fix what's broken instead of waiting for it to be someone else's job.
You reprioritize when requirements shift, without losing momentum. Ambiguity about what's next doesn't bother you, and you enjoy finding the highest-leverage thing and doing it.
Our Engineering Approach
Solve customer problems, not engineering puzzles. Great technical work becomes exceptional when it creates reliable products, enables meaningful new capability, and solves real customer problems.
Think in systems. Understand how your work affects the complete product and the people who build it. Make tradeoffs that improve the whole, not just your direct area of ownership.
Exercise judgment. Apply the engineering rigor the risk requires. Make timely decisions with the available evidence, communicate uncertainty, and balance technical excellence with program needs.
Raise the standard. Deliver quality work on time, improve how the team works, and leave the products, systems, tools, and people around you better than you found them.
About the role
The best labs have someone everyone relies on, and almost nobody has to ask for. The bench is built before it's needed. The tool is where you left it. The fixture works the first time because someone thought it through in advance. That's this role.
You're not a support function bolted onto engineering; you're inside it. You'll build prototypes, build the benches and infrastructure engineers work on, keep the lab in a state where anyone can walk in and get to work, and support validation from setup through teardown. When five things need attention at once, that's a normal Tuesday, not a crisis.
No hand-off delays. No waiting on someone else to get the lab ready. You will not be measured by how busy you are, but by how much engineering moves faster because you're here.
Because our success depends on collaboration, we expect new employees to work onsite five days a week to build strong working relationships with the team.
Areas of ownership
Prototype assembly and bench building

• Build prototype powertrains, subassemblies, fixtures, and test benches from engineering intent
• Support first builds alongside engineers
• Catch assembly issues early and flag practical fixes, not just problems
• Capture build observations that make the next design better

Engineering test support

• Prepare hardware for validation: instrumentation, wiring, plumbing, sensors, mechanical integration
• Support commissioning, debugging, and engineering investigations
• Operate lab equipment during development activities

Lab readiness

• Keep the lab organized, clean, and safe as a default state, not a cleanup event
• Manage inventory, consumables, fixtures, and prototype materials
• Prepare equipment and work areas ahead of need
• Support purchasing, receiving, and material organization
• Find and fix the small workflow frictions that slow engineering down

Equipment and tool stewardship

• Maintain lab equipment and prototype hardware: routine maintenance, inspection, calibration, minor repair
• Catch equipment issues before they interrupt someone's build
• Improve equipment documentation and operating procedures

Cross-functional support

• Work directly with Mechanical, Electrical, Test Systems, Manufacturing, and Program Management
• Translate engineering intent into high-quality builds
• Communicate build issues, risks, and observations clearly and early

Technical foundation
You'll likely have working knowledge of some mix of the following. We're less interested in checking every box than in judgment and hands-on capability.

• Mechanical assembly of electromechanical systems
• Precision measurement and inspection equipment
• Reading engineering drawings, assembly documentation, basic GD&T
• Hand tools, shop equipment, lab equipment
• Fastener installation and torque practices
• Wiring, plumbing, tubing, prototype integration
• Safe lab practices
• Inventory and material organization
• Basic calibration, equipment maintenance, troubleshooting

Experience
Relevant background helps: automotive, aerospace, robotics, industrial equipment, manufacturing, R&D labs, motorsports, or similar hands-on environments. Technical training, apprenticeship, military technical experience, or an associate's degree are all reasonable paths in.
We're open to candidates across experience levels and backgrounds. If you can point to something you built, fixed, or kept running and are proud of the standard you held yourself to, we want to talk to you.
What success looks like in year one

• Engineers trust the hardware you build, without double-checking it
• The lab runs better because you're in it, organization, tooling, documentation, all up a notch
• You've caught problems before they cost someone else a day
• People come to you when something needs to get done right and fast

Compensation and Benefits
US Salary Information
$65,000 - $173,000
Tau is committed to paying competitive compensation that is fair and equitable. Your experience, qualifications, training, critical skills, and/or business considerations determine your compensation. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package that may include an annual performance bonus, equity, and other incentive compensation plans considered part of Tau's total compensation package. To learn more about our top-tier benefits, please visit www.taumotors.com. The level will depend on the candidate's experience. Our ideal candidate exhibits a can-do attitude and approaches his or her work with vigor and determination. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate excellence in their respective fields and possess the ability to learn quickly within a fast-paced environment.
Perks

• Become part of an emerging company during a rapid growth phase-within an industry undergoing dramatic transformation for a global imperative.
• Work with some of the smartest and most talented experts from different fields to: (1) attack some of the most pressing issues of today while (2) contributing to technically demanding and deeply innovative solutions.
• Growth potential-we advance team members who have an outsized impact.
• Competitive compensation based upon experience level, including stock options-we believe in capturing value in the future we create together.
• Flexible time off and paid holidays.
• Centrally located in the Bay Area on the Peninsula in vibrant downtown Redwood City
  • Blocks from the Caltrain
  • Walking distance to food and entertainment
  • Easy access to both the 101 and 280
• Excellent medical, dental, vision & life insurance
• Comprehensive benefits including 401(k), HSA and FSA benefits, commuter benefits and more

Equal Opportunity Employer
Tau is an equal opportunity employer that guarantees a work environment that respects and values diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
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