Powertrain Controls Engineer, Vehicle Controls

What to Expect

Autonomy is only as good as the control systems that carry it out.

As a Powertrain Controls Engineer, you will design, implement, and calibrate the software that turns customer and Full Self-Driving requests into torque at the wheels. That includes the features people notice — Plaid acceleration, One-Pedal Driving, Regen-Backfill, off-road modes, and FSD speed control — and the quieter work underneath: torque split between motors, regenerative braking, regen blending, backlash control, and driveline damping.

You will build models of the powertrain, design the control strategies, and work with Firmware and Integration to get them running and debugged on the vehicle. All this work is across our entire fleet of cars, Cybertruck, Semi, and the next platforms coming behind them. The work spans physics, modeling, firmware, and in-car tuning. You'll build the model, write the control, and refine it until the car is responsive, efficient, and consistent — so motion stays smooth and autonomy can follow its plan with precision.

What You’ll Do

• Develop control-oriented models of the powertrain, and use them to develop, implement, and refine control strategies
• Work with Firmware and Integration engineers to implement, test, and debug these algorithms
• Calibrate powertrain performance attributes like pedal response, drive-ability, torque split, etc. to deliver the best customer experience in terms of responsiveness, range, NVH, etc.
• Improve our tools and processes used to calibrate algorithms for future powertrains
• Work with Mechanical, Electrical, and Firmware Engineers to define control system capability and establish actuation/sensing requirements for next generation powertrains
• Advance the state-of-the-art in Powertrain Control systems

What You’ll Bring

• Excellent background in linear systems analysis, state-estimation, and first principles design and analysis of control systems
• Excellent proficiency with creating controls-oriented dynamic system models of electro-mechanical systems
• Understanding and intuition for the physics of basic electric propulsion, motion control systems, and batteries
• Demonstrated ability to ground-up design, analyze, and implement control systems in real-world applications
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate cross-functionally, work hands-on, and execute on open-ended projects in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment
• Basic proficiency with embedded firmware development in C/C++
• Experience with vehicle longitudinal performance characteristics, preferred
• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent in experience and evidence of exceptional ability