Tesla is building Optimus, a general-purpose humanoid robot designed to perform unsafe, repetitive, or boring tasks. Bringing this product to scale demands a quality function that operates as fast as engineering and production - and that holds the line on safety, reliability, and build integrity at every stage. As a Quality Engineer on the Optimus program, you will own quality across the full lifecycle of robot subsystems and assemblies: from supplier and component qualification, through line build and integration test, into reliability validation and field return analysis. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with design, manufacturing, controls, and supplier engineering to drive defects toward zero and turn field data into upstream design and process improvements.
Own quality for assigned Optimus subsystems (e.g., actuators, joints, sensors, harnesses, structural assemblies) end-to-end: supplier to incoming to line build to integration test to field
Develop and execute integration and functional test plans for sub-assemblies and full-robot validation; partner with controls and software teams on HIL and regression strategies
Lead root-cause investigations (8D, fishbone, fault-tree) for line-side defects, integration test failures, and field returns; drive corrective and preventive actions to closure
Define and monitor in-line quality controls - FAI, FQT, SPC, Cpk targets, poka-yoke - and partner with manufacturing engineering to design defects out of the process
Qualify new suppliers and components: PPAP, sample inspection, capability studies, and on-site supplier development as needed
Build the reliability data pipeline for Optimus: failure mode tracking, MTBF/durability targets, DFR feedback into design reviews, and warranty/field-quality reporting
Drive disposition decisions on non-conforming material (MRB) and lead containment when escapes occur
Translate field and production data into prioritized engineering action - what is actually breaking, why, and what changes upstream
3+ years of quality engineering experience in robotics, automotive, aerospace, medical devices, or other complex electromechanical hardware
Strong hands-on experience using AI/LLM tools (e.g., Claude, Copilot, Cursor) to accelerate root-cause analysis - querying large production and test datasets, summarizing failure modes, and building data pipelines to turn raw SCADA/MES/test data into actionable engineering insight
Hands-on experience with at least three of: manufacturing/line QE, supplier quality and PPAP, system integration test, reliability/DfR, field/warranty analysis
Demonstrated ownership of structured problem solving (8D, DMAIC, FTA) with measurable defect-reduction results
Working knowledge of GD&T, measurement systems (MSA, gage R&R), and SPC
Comfort working directly on the production floor - debugging robots, pulling data, and standing up containment in hours, not days
Proficient in data analysis using SQL, Python, or equivalent; able to turn raw production/test data into actionable insight
Strong written and verbal communication; able to brief findings to engineering leadership and influence cross-functional decisions
Benefits
Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire: