Software Engineer, Core SI Compiler & Runtime, Pre-Silicon

About the role

Software Engineer, Core SI Compiler & Runtime, Pre-Silicon | Tesla (Tesla SI)

Location: Palo Alto, California | Req ID: 270299 | Job Type: Full-time

What to Expect

You will design and build the compiler and runtime that turn Tesla’s next-generation SI silicon into the highest-performance, highest-volume inference engines on the planet. This stack already powers neural networks in millions of vehicles and will enable unsupervised autonomy, Optimus at scale, and data-center workloads.

Working pre-silicon means the hardware does not exist yet—your decisions shape both the silicon and the software that extracts every useful operation from it. Hardware and software teams sit together, review designs weekly, and iterate on a multi-month cadence. Abstractions that hide performance are deleted.

You invent the APIs, DSLs, and code-generation paths that give SI engineers direct, high-performance access to unique silicon capabilities. This is pure first-principles co-design at the absolute frontier of SI hardware and software.

What You'll Do

• Own critical pieces of the pre-silicon compiler and runtime for Tesla’s custom SI accelerators including SI5, SI6, and beyond
• Develop MLIR/LLVM backends, code generation, and optimization passes that map neural networks onto architectures still under design
• Create new APIs and domain specific languages so model developers can express intent that maps cleanly and efficiently onto the hardware
• Drive performance and functional correctness on massively parallel systems long before tape out using simulators, emulators, and early silicon bringup
• Close the loop with production models that will ship in FSD, Optimus, and data centers that directly dictate what the compiler must deliver next
• Collaborate daily with silicon architects, SI researchers, and systems engineers so that your code influences transistor level decisions and vice versa

What You'll Bring

• Demonstrated expertise building or extending ML compilers/runtimes (MLIR, LLVM, XLA, PJRT, TensorRT, or equivalent)
• Experience designing or implementing performance-oriented DSLs or programming models (Triton, Pallas, cuTile-style, or equivalent)
• Strong modern C++ and solid systems programming skills
• Deep familiarity with CPUs, GPUs, and modern SI accelerators; ability to reason about computer architecture, memory hierarchies, parallelism, and performance bottlenecks at a fundamental level
• Comfort debugging complex functional and performance issues across software and simulated hardware
• Preference for first principles design over layering more software on existing frameworks, and a drive to work on hard problems that matter at the highest possible scale
• Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent in experience and evidence of exceptional ability

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$160,000 - $435,000/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.