What to Expect
This team at Tesla Manufacturing Brandenburg in Grünheide builds the autonomy that lets a reach truck operate unmanned across our warehouse operations. We own the full on-vehicle stack: perception and vision-based localization, state estimation and mapping, motion planning and the behaviour layer that sequences navigation and load handling, the real-time interfaces to the vehicle's motion and safety systems, low-latency teleoperation for supervised recovery, and integration with the WMS and FMS that dispatch and track the work. Our remit runs from that software and systems architecture through to a machine that is functionally safe, CE-certified, and proven from a first pilot cell to dependable, everyday operation.
Turning a vehicle and a kit of sensors and compute into a working pilot, and proving with data that it holds up, takes someone who owns the field. That is this role. You are the person who makes the pilot real and makes it repeatable.
Role mission
You own the physical integration of the autonomy kit and lead the commissioning of the vehicle in the field, and you stay responsible for the integration, commissioning, and data-capture requirements through to a robot that is ready to work. Your scope is the autonomy kit itself, meaning the sensors, the compute, the mounts, and the harnessing, rather than the base vehicle itself.
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Own the mechanical integration of the autonomy kit onto the vehicle, from the sensor mounts and the compute bay through to cable routing and preserving each sensor's field of view, all to the drawings and tolerances.
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Lead field commissioning, including intrinsic and extrinsic calibration of the cameras and LiDAR, pilot-cell setup, and bringing the robot to operational readiness.
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Define the data-capture requirements, then log, organise, and analyse the runs so that whether a robot is well integrated and performing is answered with evidence and metrics rather than a hunch. This is the basis on which a vehicle is signed off.
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Keep development moving by operating the robot yourself during testing and recovery, handling first-line maintenance, and staying on top of spares.
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Work with the vehicle's manufacturer and other suppliers on mounting, on the combined mass and centre-of-gravity stability, and on the details of the integration.
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Follow the site's safety and quality process, including lockout, change control, and keeping the drawings redlined and honest.
What You'll Bring
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Three years or more in mechanical integration or field commissioning of robots, vehicles, or other automated equipment, with a real portfolio of systems you have brought up in the field.
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Hands-on fabrication and mounting, comfort with a mainstream mechanical CAD package for brackets and fixtures, and the cabling and electrical basics that go with it.
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A methodical command of data capture, analysis, and documentation. This is a core part of the job rather than a bonus.
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Comfortable leading testing on site, including the shift flexibility that commissioning sometimes asks for.
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Strong English, the language the team works in.
Nice to have
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Experience deploying mobile robots or vehicles in the field.
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Intrinsic and extrinsic sensor calibration (cameras, LiDAR).
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Forklift driving experience or a licence, which is directly relevant to this vehicle.
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A comfortable, AI-native way of working, using modern AI tools in your data, logging, and analysis work.
How you work with the team
You work closely with the perception and integration engineer on calibration and on the data coming back from the vehicle, with the Controls Engineer during bring-up, and with the technical lead on what to integrate and in what order. You also deal directly with the vehicle's manufacturer and other suppliers on mounting and stability.
Outcomes in first 6-12 months
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The first vehicle's autonomy kit is integrated, commissioned, and cleared for production use.
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The calibration and commissioning procedures are documented and repeatable, so the next vehicles come up faster.
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A data pack and checklist define what "production-ready" means and show that this vehicle meets it, with mounting and stability issues closed out with suppliers.
Candidates are expected to uphold and actively promote sustainability principles in their daily work, operating in line with Tesla Global Environmental, Health, Safety & Security (EHS&S) Policy and EMAS requirements, fostering a culture of continuous environmental improvement.
Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.
