Full-Time
Technical Program Manager
Government Affairs, AI
Updated on 9/11/2026
Tesla
10,001+ employees
EVs and integrated renewable energy solutions
No salary listed
Palo Alto, CA, USA
In Person
The role may require travel to global facilities for on-site reviews and operational assessments.
Bachelor's
 Project & Program Management (1) |
|---|
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- A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Public Policy, Law, Operations, or equivalent experience.
- At least 3 years of experience in technical program management, operations management, or regulatory program management.
- Understanding of machine learning fundamentals, artificial intelligence development workflows, and how technical systems map to regulatory and safety frameworks.
- Familiarity with United States federal and state regulatory environments relevant to automotive and artificial intelligence, such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and state departments of motor vehicles.
- Ability to translate complex technical topics for legal, policy, and external government audiences.
- Ability to work in a fast-moving, high-ambiguity environment with competing priorities and tight regulatory timelines.
- Lead end-to-end program management for Tesla AI government affairs initiatives spanning regulatory engagement, investigations, statutory and voluntary reporting, and policy review; define and maintain roadmaps, milestones, and success metrics across concurrent workstreams; and produce program status reports and executive summaries covering progress, blockers, regulatory exposure, and next steps.
- Own investigation and regulatory inquiry workflows from intake, scoping, cross-functional data gathering, technical synthesis, stakeholder review, submission, to closeout, coordinating with Legal, Government Affairs, Engineering, Safety, and Operations to deliver timely responses with clear ownership, service-level agreements, and auditability.
- Track and drive fulfillment of ongoing reporting obligations to federal, state, and international regulators; surface risks early and drive resolutions across engineering and policy stakeholders.
- Monitor, review, and assess new and proposed regulations, guidance, and standards relevant to artificial intelligence and autonomy; translate policy implications into technical and operational requirements for internal teams.
- Support regulatory engagement and outreach with government agencies, standards bodies, and industry partners; prepare briefing materials, technical summaries, and executive-ready narratives that accurately represent Tesla’s artificial intelligence systems and safety posture.
- Identify process bottlenecks and drive improvements to scale investigation response, reporting, and policy review workflows; build and maintain tooling or scripts to automate program tracking, reporting calendars, obligation registers, and workflow coordination.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for United States and global alignment on government affairs and regulatory deliverables; support vehicle and autonomy program launches by coordinating regulatory readiness milestones, and conduct or coordinate on-site reviews and operational assessments as needed.
- Experience in artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, automotive, aerospace, or a high-growth technology environment.
- Experience managing regulatory engagement, investigations, compliance reporting, or policy analysis.
- International regulatory experience.
Tesla designs and sells electric vehicles and renewable energy products. Its cars (Model S, 3, X, Y, and Roadster) run on battery power, with a semi-autonomous Autopilot driving system and a global network of fast-charging stations called Superchargers. The company also provides solar panels, Solar Roof, and energy storage products (Powerwall, Powerpack, Megapack) to generate and store clean energy for homes and businesses. Tesla operates with a vertically integrated model, manufacturing key components (batteries, drivetrains) and selling directly to customers via its website and stores, while earning revenue from vehicle and energy product sales and regulatory credits. Its goal is to speed up the world’s transition to sustainable energy by combining mobility and energy solutions in one ecosystem.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Austin, Texas
Founded
2003
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Tesla says FSD recorded 4.1 times fewer collisions across Europe in 2026.
- Cybercab fleet reached roughly 1,000 Austin vehicles, accelerating robotaxi revenue tests.
- Megapack and energy storage growth diversify Tesla beyond cyclical car sales.
What critics are saying
- NHTSA opened AQ26002 on September 4, 2026 over Cybercab self-certification.
- EU courts can void Tesla's FSD approvals after October 6, 2026 vote failure.
- Sales softness in August 2026, especially Portugal, shows brand demand erosion.
What makes Tesla unique
- Tesla's 2026 Cybercab launched driverless paid rides before rivals matched scale.
- Tesla's 2026 EU FSD approvals in six countries show rare regulatory momentum.
- Tesla's vertical integration spans batteries, software, vehicles, and energy storage.
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Benefits
Remote Work Options
Flexible Work Hours
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -2%2 year growth
↓ -3%Tesla claims its Full Self-Driving technology recorded 4.1 times fewer collisions than manually driven Tesla vehicles across five European countries where it is currently permitted, according to data released ahead of a crucial EU vote on wider deployment. The findings are based on over 100 million kilometres of driving data collected between April and August. FSD-equipped cars were involved in three motorway collisions and nine on non-motorway roads, compared with 137 and 490 respectively for manually driven vehicles. The Netherlands granted provisional FSD approval in April, with Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, and Lithuania following suit. Tesla also published an open-source safety dashboard it says was shared with EU regulators in April. Reuters previously reported that experts said Tesla's safety statistics relied on invalid comparisons and could give a misleading impression of the system's performance.
Goldman Sachs analysts suggest Tesla's Cybercab could provide a cost advantage in the robotaxi market, though software performance will be more critical than manufacturing costs for scaling operations. Tesla held a Cybercab launch event in Austin on 3 September and has completed 1 million miles of unsupervised robotaxi operations. The company is seeking operators for Cybercab fleets and infrastructure. If Tesla achieves its targeted $20,000–$30,000 Cybercab cost at scale, Goldman estimates a potential $0.05–$0.30 per-mile cost advantage over competitors with upfront costs of $50,000–$100,000. However, analysts emphasise that Tesla's ability to scale rapidly across wider geographic areas depends on its artificial intelligence approach, making software a larger driver of robotaxi economics than vehicle price. Tesla has received provisional Full Self-Driving approval in the Netherlands and four other EU countries.
Gary Moss, a blind 62-year-old from Washington, says Tesla's Cybercab could help restore independence he lost when cancer took his sight five years ago. Moss, who once drove up to 40,000 miles yearly for business, now relies on others for transport. After riding the autonomous vehicle six times in Austin with his son David, Moss praised features like automatic doors and smooth driving. "I'd buy a Cybercab," he said, calling the experience "so close to being everything I need." However, gaps remain for blind users. Moss struggled to identify his vehicle amongst multiple Cybercabs and couldn't independently set destinations. He wants voice-activated ride-hailing: "If I could just say, 'Hey Siri or Grok, I need a cab,' and one showed up — I can't believe the options I'd have." Tesla made the Cybercab available to Austin's public following its launch event.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the Cybercab's electric motor operates without rare earth metals whilst maintaining the same range as conventional motors. "This was extremely hard to achieve," Musk said on X. The motor is 18% smaller and 25% lighter than its counterparts, according to Tesla investor Sawyer Merritt. The design could help Tesla navigate potential supply chain disruptions, as China dominates the global rare-earth supply chain, particularly for permanent-magnet production. However, investor Gary Black remains critical of the Cybercab launch. "Despite efforts to control the narrative, Tesla's Cybercab event was largely a bust," he wrote on X, citing lack of detail and unanswered questions about deployment plans. Regulatory uncertainty also exists due to the vehicle's absence of traditional controls like a steering wheel and pedals.
Tesla unveiled its autonomous Cybercab at an invitation-only event in Austin on Thursday, showcasing gold-coloured two-door vehicles with butterfly doors and no steering wheel or brake pedals. The company's Cybercab lead, Eric Earley, presented the fleet whilst CEO Elon Musk did not appear. Tesla shares initially rose 7% ahead of the event but fell 6% in Friday trading after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced an investigation. Regulators are examining how Tesla self-certified the vehicles meet federal safety standards despite lacking conventional manual controls. The agency will review Tesla's certification process and technical data, particularly regarding determinations that certain federal motor vehicle safety standards are inapplicable to the Cybercab. The rollout provided few details about commercial deployment beyond plans to expand from Austin to other locations.