Platform Firmware Engineer, AI Datacenter

Position: Staff Platform Firmware Engineer, AI Datacenter
# Staff Platform Firmware Engineer, AI Datacenter Tesla $188K - $432K Palo Alto, CA, USSenior

AI/ML Engineer Interested in this AI/ML Engineer role at Tesla?

Apply Now →### Skills & Technologies Python## About This Role### What to Expect Tesla's AI Hardware team builds the custom silicon and datacenter infrastructure behind Full Self Driving, Optimus, and some of the largest AI training clusters in the world. Every GPU, every custom accelerator, and every server in these clusters depends on PCIe as the critical high speed interconnect linking compute, memory, networking, and storage.

As we push toward PCIe Gen 5 and Gen 6 speeds, the firmware and driver stack must deliver maximum bandwidth, minimal latency, and rock solid reliability at massive scale.

We are seeking a Senior or Staff Platform Software Engineer with deep PCIe expertise to own the firmware and Linux driver stack for our AI compute platforms. You will develop, optimize, and validate PCIe subsystems across custom SoCs, GPUs, and datacenter hardware   ensuring our interconnect infrastructure keeps pace with the demands of next generation AI workloads.
** What You'll Do
** Develop and optimize PCIe Gen 5/Gen 6 firmware and Linux kernel drivers for Tesla's AI compute platforms
* Implement PCIe enumeration, link training, and configuration for custom SoCs and accelerator cards
* Bring up proto hardware and develop proof of concept firmware to validate new platform designs before production

Build and run platform level validation     PCIe performance, thermal, power, and stress testing across the full compute stack under AI training workloads
* Debug PCIe link failures, signal integrity issues, and protocol errors using analyzers and silicon debug tools

Develop Linux device drivers for custom hardware     DMA, interrupts, MMIO, and peer to peer transfers
* Drive root cause analysis of PCIe failures across firmware, kernel, and hardware
** What You'll Bring
** Degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience
* 8  years in firmware or low level software development with focus on PCIePCIe Gen 4/5/6 architecture     link training, transaction layer, configuration space

Linux kernel driver development     device drivers, DMA, interrupts

Platform validation and performance testing     PCIe, thermal, power, system level stress
* C programming; kernel debug tools (ftrace, perf, crash)
Hardware debug experience     protocol analyzers, JTAG, oscilloscopes

System architecture fundamentals     IOMMU, NUMA, memory hierarchies

Preferred Qualifications:

Background in AI/ML infrastructure     GPU clusters, training frameworks, or high performance compute environments
* Familiarity with large scale AI workload characteristics and their impact on interconnect performance (data movement patterns, collective operations, memory bandwidth demands)
* Experience with high speed networking stacks that share PCIe infrastructure
* Experience with CXL (Compute Express Link) or next generation interconnect technologies

Familiarity with GPU/accelerator interconnects     NVLink, Infinity Fabric, UALink, or similar chip to chip and multi node interconnect technologies
* Python scripting for test automation and performance tooling
* Yocto or Buildroot for embedded Linux image builds### 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…