Staff Software Engineer, Generative AI

Staff Software EngineerAs a Staff Software Engineer on the Bottlerocket team, you will architect and operate the backend infrastructure that powers Tesla's internal Generative AI platform. You will own critical, high-throughput services end-to-end and drive technical decisions across the stack. This role demands deep systems expertise, you will be solving hard problems around concurrency, reliability, and scale in a fast-moving environment where the playbook is still being written.ResponsibilitiesDesign, build, and operate production systems that handle high-throughput, low-latency workloads at scaleOwn backend services end-to-end: from API design and data modeling through deployment, observability, and incident responseDrive architectural decisions for complex systems involving event streaming, caching, service mesh, and workload orchestrationPartner with ML engineers, product teams, and infrastructure teams to translate requirements into robust, scalable backend solutionsMentor engineers across the team, establish engineering best practices, and raise the bar for code quality and system designLead capacity planning and reliability engineering to maintain high availability for business-critical servicesRequirements8+ years of experience building and operating production systemsStrong, production-level proficiency in Go and PythonDeep expertise with Kubernetes, Docker, and container orchestration in production environmentsHands-on experience with message brokers and event streaming systems like KafkaSolid background with relational and analytical databases (Postgres, ClickHouse, or similar) and caching layers (Redis)Strong understanding of networking fundamentals: gRPC, WebSockets, TLS, and reverse proxy architectures (Envoy)Experience with observability stacks: Prometheus, Grafana, structured logging, and distributed tracingProven experience with CI/CD pipelines, GitOps workflows, and infrastructure-as-code (Helm, Terraform)Proficient in leveraging AI coding tools (e.g., Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor) to accelerate developmentDemonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, make pragmatic tradeoffs, and deliver in environments where standards are still emerging as well as a problem-solving mindset with strong attention to detail and a preference for simple, correct solutions over clever onesCompensation & BenefitsAlong 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 deductionFamily-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefitsDental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contributionCompany Paid (Health Savings Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSAHealthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefitsCompany paid Basic Life, AD&DShort-term and long-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)Employee Assistance ProgramSick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly positions), and Paid HolidaysBack-up childcare and parenting support resourcesVoluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insuranceWeight Loss and Tobacco Cessation ProgramsTesla Babies programCommuter benefitsEmployee discounts and perks programExpected Compensation $200,000 - $300,000/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.