Staff Software Engineer, Performance Engineering

The Performance Engineering team delivers a seamless digital experience to Tesla customers, employees, suppliers, and robots by proactively optimizing systems to handle varying workloads. Their work enables highly-performant applications with end-to-end automated scalability as well as load tests with detailed metric analysis. The group also orchestrates code analysis utilizing instrumentation/profiling and other observability toolsets; they detect & resolve regressions, employing best practices to enhance application capability at large.
This engineer will be responsible for identifying bottlenecks and guiding critical system architecture/design solutions to maintain optimal application performance under heavy-load or high-traffic scenarios. Your contributions will directly improve efficiency, scalability, and end-user experience across multiple verticals - all of which explicitly impact Tesla's bottom line.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with developers to improve the efficiency of code, refactor algorithms, and implement optimizations (e.g., database query optimization, memory leaks, CPU-intensive processes)
• Perform deep-dive analysis into application code using profiling tools to identify and resolve inefficiencies
• Investigate & resolve performance degradation incidents through root cause analysis
• Use deep diagnostic tools and methods, such as network analysis, database profiling, and code debugging to identify issues
• Drive continuous improvement by addressing and resolving performance bottlenecks discovered during testing or in production
• Analyze logs and system metrics (CPU, memory, disk I/O, network, and database performance) to detect potential bottlenecks or slowdowns
• Measure critical metrics such as Response time, latency, throughput, and error rates across the Application , CDN and network infrastructure
• Design and execute performance tests such as load, stress, and endurance tests using tools like JMeter, Gatling, Vegeta, or k6
• Define performance benchmarks and Service Level Objectives (SLOs) for applications based on user requirements
• Create and maintain performance test plans, strategies, and reports to validate the system's ability to scale under expected user loads

Requirements

• Expertise in using the profiling tools (e.g., Dotnet-trace, Pprof, PySpy, JProfiler, VisualVM, YourKit, Perf) for application code analysis & performance bottleneck identification
• Experience with database indexing, query optimization, connection pooling, and caching strategies (MySQL, MSSQL)
• Deep understanding of cloud infrastructure & container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes or Docker
• Knowledge of CI/CD tools like Jenkins & GitHub for integrating performance testing into release pipeline
• Understanding of TCP/IP, HTTP/HTTPS , DNS, load balancing, and CDN technologies
• Strong experience with scripting languages like Python, Shell, Bash, or Groovy to automate performance testing & monitoring tasks
• Knowledge of JMeter, Gatling, LoadRunner, Vegeta, k6, BlazeMeter, or other load testing frameworks is a plus

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:

• Aetna PPO and HSA plans > 2 medical 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 Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Aetna 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
• Employee Assistance Program
• Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary 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