Tesla Reporter

This role will be based in San Francisco, Detroit, or New York City.

About the role

The Wall Street Journal is looking for an ambitious reporter to cover the companies aiming to transform the automotive industry, including Tesla, autonomous and electric vehicle startups, and Elon Musk’s network of companies. We are witnessing a profound structural shift in mobility: legacy automakers are locked in a contentious pivot to electrification and autonomy, while pioneers like Tesla and Rivian redraw the rules of manufacturing, software integration, and consumer brand loyalty. Simultaneously, robotaxi frontrunners like Waymo are transitioning from experimental sci-fi to commercial reality, fundamentally threatening traditional models of car ownership. This beat intersects high-stakes corporate strategy, massive capital deployment, geopolitical supply chain friction, and bleeding-edge technology—where great journalism is necessary as these vehicles go mainstream.

We seek a reporter with deep experience covering some or all of these companies, who can deliver impactful scoops that help readers understand what’s really happening behind the scenes. This person must know how to crack insular corporate cultures, build high-value sources within boardrooms and factories, spot hidden details in financial filings, and dissect complex capital structures. Beyond winning the daily breaking news cycle, this reporter must identify the cultural and economic moments that explain how EVs and autonomous networks could rewrite the rules of the road and reshape modern society.

Responsibilities

• Consistently deliver impactful scoops on Tesla, Rivian, Waymo, and rising EV/AV startups, detailing their strategic pivots, production triumphs, bottlenecks, and executive-level thinking.
• Develop deep networks of sources across these companies, navigating everything from C-suites and activist boardrooms to factory floors, software engineering labs, and regulatory agencies.
• Deliver memorable, richly reported enterprise and deeply analytical features on the tech and corporate titans trying to win the race for autonomy and electrification.
• Continuously find fresh, proprietary angles on widely reported breaking news stories so the Journal's coverage distinctly stands out from the competition.
• Be a flexible player with a wide range of interests and a willingness to pitch outside your beat on occasion.
• Partner seamlessly with data, visual, investigative, and video teams to execute complex multi-platform projects and multimedia series.
• Work closely with other reporters and editors at the Journal covering the global auto industry, especially the sprawling network of Elon Musk’s companies, including SpaceX and Neuralink.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of professional journalism experience covering major corporate beats, ideally with a background in the automotive sector, technology, or industrial manufacturing.
• A proven track record of breaking high-profile corporate news and a demonstrated ability to find original angles on stories the entire world is watching.
• The high-gear metabolism required to deliver a steady cadence of quick-turn, accurate breaking news while simultaneously advancing deeply reported enterprise work.
• The persistence and sophistication needed to unearth fresh, high-stakes stories through aggressive sourcing, freedom of information requests, and deep document mining.
• A highly collaborative spirit and a desire to work across global bureaus to dominate a story with massive macroeconomic implications.
• Excellent communication and organization skills to liaise with editors and colleagues across different time zones.

Pay

Base pay range: $140,000 – $175,000. We’re committed to offering competitive and flexible compensation to attract top talent. This pay range reflects our good faith estimate for the role and may vary based on a candidate’s experience, skills, location, and other relevant factors. For bonus-eligible roles, targets are determined based on multiple considerations, including market benchmarks and individual contributions.

Benefits

For benefits-eligible roles, we offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package covering health, retirement, wellbeing, and more, along with optional benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees.