Software Engineer, Scenario Evaluation, Autopilot Simulation

Software Engineer, Scenario Evaluation, Autopilot Simulation Tesla Motors, Inc. 132,000 - 390,000 USD paid holidays, flex time, 401(k) United States, California, Palo Alto Mar 14, 2026
What to Expect As a Software Engineer on the Autopilot Simulation team, you will play a critical role in building and maintaining the validation mechanisms that ensures Autopilot AI performs safely and reliably on the path to full vehicle autonomy. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Autopilot Software, Hardware, and Test Engineering, to drive comprehensive validation of new and existing features through sophisticated test scenario development. Your work will directly impact the quality and safety of Tesla's autonomous driving capabilities by creating scalable scenario authoring tools, advanced reporting systems, and robust automation frameworks. You will also contribute to the Simulation team's mission of delivering high reliability, scalability, and performance through rigorous testing methodologies. The Autopilot Simulation team's goal is to recreate real world experiences with exceptional fidelity, providing a comprehensive virtual proving ground for Autopilot. The team is tasked with building high-trust in evaluation metrics and a test harness runtime that accurately recreates all aspects of autonomous driving for the TeslaAI products. What You'll Do
Design, develop, and maintain software evaluations and tools to engineer, author, and manage high-value simulation scenarios and evaluation metrics at scale
Architect and implement scenario evaluation pipelines that enable rapid iteration and comprehensive coverage of edge cases
Evaluate TeslaAI model performance through collaborating with feature owners and driving success through improved metrics and test coverage
Develop sophisticated tooling and automation to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and coverage of simulator validation
Build and maintain scenario reporting and analytics tools that provide actionable insights into test results and system performance What You'll Bring
Degree in Computer Science, Physics, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or proof of exceptional skills in related fields, with practical software engineering experience, or equivalent experience
3+ years of software development experience, preferably in ML-based evaluation systems, robotics simulation, or closed-loop evaluation systems
2+ years of HIL, SIL, or closed-loop evaluation experience in a production environment
Strong proficiency in Python and some C++
Experience troubleshooting complex issues at both the software and hardware level
Proven track record solving difficult QA challenges, including sim-to-real gap, statistical analysis & numerical methods, reporting, and parallelization
Experience designing automation frameworks and developing test automation software from the ground up
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and version control systems (e.g., Git) 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
$132,000 - $390,000/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.