Launch Mechanical Design Engineer, Structural Battery Pack

What To Expect

As a launch and sustaining engineer in Tesla’s Structural Battery Design Engineering Team, you will be responsible for the local release, launch, ramp, and sustaining of Structural Battery components and assemblies for upcoming Model Y production, and future Tesla vehicles, in Gigafactory Texas. You will be part of the global team that designs and executes the batteries in all of Tesla’s vehicle and Energy Products. This is a hard-core team; this must excite you. This includes all structural, thermal, and electrical components required to make a large battery out of thousands of cells. The Launch Engineer is the “local” or “resident” expert in the factory with respect to the product design critical-to-quality features, function, etc. The role requires strong engineering/physics fundamentals and the tenacity to apply that to hands-on problem solving. A team player mentality is critical, as you are the design representation on the ground collaborating with our factory-based colleagues. Tesla moves quickly, so being self-motivated and disciplined is critical. You must be passionate, but direction changes quickly, so you must also be resilient, boundary-less, and ready to adapt all the while being excited to do so. This role is for the hands-on do-it-yourself type personality wherein you take direct responsibility and direct action; be the first to jump into “driver’s seat” when solving problems. The on-site design team will be small, working in a large cross-functional manufacturing environment so you must be comfortable being outspoken and assertive while maintaining healthy and trusting working relationships with your peers. This role requires people skills amongst the technical skills. This role requires a chameleon…a high-aptitude, boundary-less “do whatever it takes” even if it’s not a typical mechanical design engineer role. You need to be the person that everyone says “that person is awesome; they know how to get stuff done!” You should be as comfortable with gloves and hard-hat as you are with a keyboard in front of you.

What You’ll Do

• Collaborate directly with Manufacturing, Process, and Quality to solve yield barriers and scrap issues.
• Report to HV Battery Engineering Team based in California.
• Own product improvements (cost, complexity reductions), scope dependent upon skill level
• Sustaining design work à BOM changes, part revisions, drawing revisions, scrappy bench-tests to characterize part/product problems, factory or field teardowns, release/update/challenge specs.
• Root-Cause & Corrective Analysis for production issues
• Collaborate with process engineering team to create and implement rework lines, including kicking-off necessary testing to validate these rework methods
• Own basic on-site component and system level testing to support design and specification changes; coordinate large validation testing for changes with global team
• Support new line FATs
• Battery teardowns for field and factory failures
• Visit suppliers for part qualifications, design change reviews, line audits, etc.
• Participate in DFMEA’s and support PFMEA’s
• Take over local design responsibility from new product development engineers during production launch, ramp and sustaining phase
• Support local supply-chain parts readiness & quality à need to wear multiple hats at times and overlap with SIE/Quality teams.
• First-responder to yield excursions
• Participate in design review and change control
• Fully understand the factory process and equipment
• Disposition of non-conforming material
• Create feedback loop between manufacturing and design and make necessary improvement to specs/drawings accordingly
• Own and refine product specifications
• Serve as local design authority for line launches, design-changes, trials, deviations/dispositions, root-cause analysis, etc à Think like a design-engineer: understand and uphold product function and requirements in your work.

What You’ll Bring

• Minimum 2 years of experience as a design or launch/sustaining engineer, preferably in battery or automotive (high volume)
• Proficiency with statistics and data analysis
• Preferred experience with various manufacturing processes such as plastic injection molding, metal stamping, thermoforming, welding/brazing, plating, heat treating, and bonding.
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related w/ solid mechanical intuition; Masters a plus
• Demonstrated hands-on abilities (e.g. machine shop skills, technical hobbies/projects, etc)
• Based in Austin, TX, USA for minimum 75% time. Remainder can be spent in California, United States at Design Headquarters in Palo Alto.
• Strong Engineering fundamentals in heat transfer, fluids, mechanics, and electronics
• Proficiency in CAD modeling. CATIA V5/V6 experience a plus but not mandatory.

Benefits
Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:

Aetna PPO and HSA plans > 2 medical plan options with $0 payroll deduction

Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits

Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution

Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Aetna medical plan with HSA

Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

LGBTQ+ care concierge services

401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits

Company paid Basic Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays

Back-up childcare and parenting support resources

Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance

Weight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs

Tesla Babies program

Commuter benefits

Employee discounts and perks program

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