Demo

Diagnostics Engineer, Autonomous Driving

Tesla
Palo Alto, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 5/12/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 7/5/2026
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


Compensation and Benefits
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
Expected Compensation
$94,520 - $368,628/annual salary cash and stock awards benefits

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.

Salary : $94,520 - $368,628

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Diagnostics Engineer, Autonomous Driving?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Diagnostics Engineer, Autonomous Driving career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$93,348 - $109,523
Income Estimation: 
$112,230 - $133,397
Income Estimation: 
$91,370 - $117,201
Income Estimation: 
$115,390 - $147,559
Income Estimation: 
$106,780 - $140,358
Income Estimation: 
$104,963 - $131,876
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Tesla

  • Tesla Wilmington, DE
  • What To Expect As a Tesla Technician, you become a vital part of our global team, working towards our mission of accelerating the world's transition to sus... more
  • 5 Days Ago

  • Tesla Salem, NH
  • What To Expect At Tesla, our Customer Experience Specialist Gallery is at the heart of everything we do. They deliver exciting, engaging, and educational e... more
  • 5 Days Ago

  • Tesla Draper, UT
  • What To Expect At Tesla, we're revolutionizing the future of sustainable energy, and our Residential Energy Support organization is at the forefront of thi... more
  • 5 Days Ago

  • Tesla Sparks, NV
  • What To Expect The Battery Cell Manufacturing team is looking for a motivated and energetic Training Supervisor dedicated to leading a team of training coo... more
  • 5 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Diagnostics Engineer, Autonomous Driving jobs in the Palo Alto, CA area that may be a better fit.

  • Tesla Motors, Inc. Palo Alto, CA
  • What to Expect Tesla is seeking a DiagnosticsEngineer forAutonomous DrivingSystems, which includesSelf-drivingsoftware and associated hardware, such as cam... more
  • 1 Month Ago

  • 42dot Sunnyvale, CA
  • We are looking for the best We are seeking a highly skilled Simulation Engineer to join our Autonomous Driving organization. As a Simulation Engineer, you ... more
  • 22 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!