Software Engineer, Hardware Test Automation

Tesla

📍Palo Alto, CA
Posted May 25, 2026

Job Overview

Position

Software Engineer, Hardware Test Automation

Company

Tesla

Location

Palo Alto, CA

Work Type

On-site

Job ID

li-4418913349

Job Description

What To Expect
This team supports over a hundred stakeholders across a dozen hardware testing teams at Tesla by developing and continuously improving software related to hardware reliability test automation. This includes everything from writing code to interface with physical equipment/vehicle components, to creating an intuitive application layer for test engineers/technicians to deploying full-stack APIs, databases, and frontends. This Engineer has a lot of agency in deciding the roadmap to improving the reliability testing ecosystem, and as such must have solid software development fundamentals.

What You'll Do

  • Use Python to improve a modular, highly extensible hardware testing framework


  • Build robust interfaces for test equipment that communicate over CAN, Serial, TCP/IP, and other protocols


  • Build and deploy APIs that improve the capabilities of the system and the quality of life of test engineers


  • Design and manage databases and data tools for the storage, retrieval and visualization of test data


  • Create user interfaces for writing, executing, and monitoring hardware tests


  • Train engineers, technicians, and interns to use new tools and drive their adoption


  • Elevate the entire testing organization by encouraging best software practices


What You'll Bring
  • Degree in Computer Engineering or equivalent experience


  • Strong software engineering fundamentals: capable of writing correct, performant, and secure software


  • Strong Python proficiency


  • Experience deploying highly-available applications to production


  • Familiarity with software development tools like Git, CI/CD, Docker


  • Experience designing and implementing complex systems


  • Experience creating React/NextJS frontends is a plus


  • Strong communication skills and collaborative spirit


Benefits
Compensation and 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

$120,000 - $252,000/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

Interview Prep

AI-powered insights to help you prepare

Key Skills

Required:
Preferred:

Practice Questions

💡Technical Questions (3)
  • 1.How would you design a Python-based hardware testing framework to be highly modular and extensible for over a dozen different hardware testing teams?
  • 2.Can you describe your approach to building a robust software interface for a piece of test equipment that communicates over CAN or Serial?
  • 3.What strategies would you use to design a database and data visualization tool for storing and retrieving high-volume hardware test data?
🎯Behavioral Questions (3)
  • 1.Tell me about a time you had to train engineers or technicians to use a new software tool you developed. How did you drive adoption?
  • 2.Describe a situation where you had to elevate an organization's software practices. What pushback did you face and how did you handle it?
  • 3.Give an example of a time you designed and implemented a complex system with a high degree of agency. How did you decide on the roadmap?
🧩Situational Questions (2)
  • 1.You just deployed a new API that test engineers rely on to monitor hardware tests, and it goes down during a critical 24-hour reliability test. What is your immediate response and long-term fix?
  • 2.A stakeholder from a hardware testing team requests a highly specific, custom feature added to the core testing framework that wouldn't benefit other teams. How do you handle this request?

Resume Keywords

Make sure these keywords appear on your resume

PythonHardware Test AutomationCANSerialTCP/IPAPI DevelopmentDatabase DesignReactNextJSCI/CDDockerSoftware Best Practices

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