Diagnostics Engineer, Autonomous Driving

About the role

• Diagnostics Engineer, Autonomous Driving | Tesla (Vehicle Software)
• Location: PALO ALTO, California | Req ID: 269767 | Job Type: Full-time
• What to Expect

Tesla is seeking a Diagnostics Engineer for Autonomous Driving Systems, which includes Self-driving software and associated hardware, such as cameras and the self-driving computer. This role is uniquely positioned within our engineering organization as the owner of diagnostic tools and features, acting as an advocate for the end users in our global service operations.

A strong technical background in diagnosing complex electrical systems with heavy software content and deployed in safety-critical applications is required. You must be passionate about autonomous vehicles, a strong critical thinker, and capable of understanding technical system-level architecture and issues.

As a Diagnostics Engineer in the Vehicle Software organization, you will be reviewing real-world issues, digging into logs and code, and designing enhanced diagnostics that improve the experience for customers and service technicians alike. You won't just report problems; you'll root-cause them, propose solutions, and implement improvements yourself.

What You'll Do

• Review and triage field cases: analyze vehicle logs and diagnostic data to root-cause issues across hardware and software
• Own the diagnostic strategy for autonomous driving features: define what needs to be detected, design the diagnostic approach, and implement it in production code (alerts, automated scripts, and service routines)
• Optimize repair procedures and guide future product designs to improve serviceability
• Analyze fleet metrics to identify trends, edge cases, and areas for improvement
• Support vehicle-level testing and validation of fixes and new features
• Present insights and recommendations to leadership and cross-functional teams
• Establish and support a strong feedback loop from Customer Support and Service teams to the development teams focused on autonomous driving, advocating for service and field needs with engineering leadership

What You'll Bring

• Strong engineering fundamentals with the ability to diagnose both hardware and embedded software
• Experience with common communication protocols (CAN, LIN, SPI, Ethernet)
• Software development skills in C++, Python, and/or JavaScript; able to review, debug, and contribute to production codebases, not just write scripts
• Experience working with driver assistance and autonomous driving systems (perception, vehicle controls); experience with camera-based perception systems a plus
• Data analysis skills (SQL, data visualization, basic statistics)
• Clear written and verbal communication; able to distill complex technical findings into actionable recommendations for engineering, service, and leadership audiences
• A collaborative but independent working style, comfortable digging into problems autonomously, questioning assumptions
• Demonstrated experience coordinating successful projects across hardware / software engineering, field service, and customer support teams
• Prior experience in Formula SAE or experience working on personal cars is a plus

Benefits

Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:

• Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
• Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
• Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution
• Company Paid (Health Savings Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSA
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
• Company paid Basic Life, AD&D
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly 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
• Weight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs
• Tesla Babies program
• 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$94,520 - $368,628/annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefitsPay 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.