Tesla Inc is hiring managers for legal and external relations teams in China, according to a job post on its Wechat account, as the electric-car maker faces public scrutiny in the country over safety and customer service complaints.
US-based Tesla, which is making electric Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport-utility vehicles in Shanghai, is hiring external relations managers in several Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
The job advertisement went into details of external relations positions, but separate posts showed the managers will handle government relations as well.
This news comes after reports in May that Tesla was boosting its engagement with mainland regulators and beefing up its government relations team, according to Reuters, which cited people familiar with the matter.
The company is hiring lawyers specialised in construction, anti-monopoly and data privacy protection areas, while also looking for public relations managers.
In April, Tesla was targeted by state media and regulators after a customer, angry over the handling of her complaint about malfunctioning brakes, climbed on top of a Tesla car in protest at the Shanghai auto show. Videos of the incident went viral.
Last month, the automaker sold 32,968 China-made vehicles in July, including 24,347 for export, industry data showed.
• Reuters and Jim Pollard
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