Nima Kianipour, Test Engineer – Tesla
Nima graduated from BCIT’s Mechanical Engineering Degree Program in 2016 with a deep appreciation for hands-on learning, a mindset that has shaped his entire career. From the start, he was drawn to the practical side of engineering: the satisfaction of building, testing, and seeing systems come to life. Where design meets reality, and theory becomes something you can touch, test, and improve.
His first role was at Janox Fluid Power, a small hydraulics company where he was involved in projects from concept to completion. He designed components, coordinated fabrication, and traveled to job sites to help install and commission hydraulic systems. That early exposure to the full lifecycle of a mechanical system taught him how small details can make or break performance and how important it is to build with real-world conditions in mind.
He then joined Dometic, a global leader in recreational vehicle and marine products, where he contributed to the development of electromechanical products used in the marine industry. His work involved designing equipment and systems to validate products that met strict safety and performance standards, running functional tests, and working closely with manufacturing teams to ensure designs were both reliable and producible. It was here that he first learned the value of balancing innovation with practicality, a skill that would serve him well in every role that followed.
Next, at Genesis Motion Solutions, Nima took on a more specialized challenge, designing and building automated test equipment and data acquisition workflows, to run durability and performance evaluations on motion components like motors, gearboxes, and actuators. This experience deepened his understanding of mechanical testing protocols and gave him a unique edge in creating reliable, repeatable validation processes.
Today, as a Test Engineer at Tesla, Nima is part of the team developing the mechanical systems behind Optimus, Tesla’s humanoid robot. He works on validating high precision geartrains and motion components, ensuring they perform reliably under demanding performance requirements. A key part of his role involves designing and building custom automated test equipment and systems that help bridge the gap between prototype and production, enabling faster iteration and more confident design decisions. While the technology is cutting-edge, what drives him is the satisfaction of solving complex mechanical challenges and seeing a system work, not just on paper, but in the real world. “It’s rewarding to be part of something that’s pushing the boundaries of what machines can do,” he reflects. “But more than that, I’m grateful for the foundation I built at BCIT, the kind of training that prepares you not just for your first job, but for every challenge you’ll face in your career.”
Looking back, he sees a clear thread: from small companies to global innovation, from design to test to deployment. “The best engineering happens when you’re willing to build, test, and learn. Again and again, until it works.”