Quality Engineer, Body in White, Megafactory

Tesla•Lathrop, CA

About The Position

Tesla is accelerating the world's transition to sustainable energy and our Energy business is at the forefront of this effort. We're seeking an experienced Quality Engineer to oversee the manufacturing of Body in White (BIW) structures, ensuring that welded assemblies and the manufacturing processes— including spot welding, MIG welding, and related joining techniques—meet the highest standards of safety, reliability, and quality. To ensure the highest standards, we are striving for a "built right first time" and zero defect mindset, with a strong emphasis on continuous improvement, to guarantee that every BIW component and vehicle body that leaves our factory meets our exceptional standards.

Requirements

Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Materials or Industrial Engineering, or equivalent experience
Minimum 2 years of experience in a manufacturing environment and Quality Engineering function, with emphasis on automotive or metal fabrication
Minimum 1 year of experience with BIW assemblies, welding processes (spot welding, MIG welding), or sheet metal manufacturing preferred
Quality Engineering expertise including ASQ certification preferred (Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, Certified Quality Auditor, Certified Manager of Quality, etc.)
Exceptional problem-solving skills and expertise utilizing problem-solving methodologies such as 8D, Lean Six Sigma, and Shainin methodology; relevant certification is a plus
Specific training, fundamental understanding, and demonstrated success in applying Automotive Core Tools and other relevant methods and tools (8D, FMEA, Control Plan, SPC, Capacity Study, MSA, APQP, PPAP, DOE, Hypothesis Testing, etc.), with application to welding and joining processes
Strong background and demonstrated success analyzing and interpreting large sets of data, including data mining, databases, and scripting experience (e.g., MySQL, Python); Minitab, JMP, or other statistical software expertise preferred for weld quality data analysis
Understanding and familiarity with Quality Management standards such as ISO 9001 and IATF 16949
Bring broad technical expertise and background to work with cross-functional teams, including engineering, manufacturing, service engineering, and suppliers, particularly in BIW welding technologies and automotive body structures

Responsibilities

Accountable for the quality of incoming components and quality controls and assurance in the BIW production process, with a focus on spot welding, MIG welding and other joining methods, driving continuous improvement
Responsible for solving complex technical challenges impacting internal and external customers by leading problem-solving processes utilizing methodologies such as 8D, Lean Six Sigma and Shainin, particularly related to weld integrity, joint strength and assembly defects
Lead cross-functional teams to safeguard and improve product and component quality, including risk assessment, containment actions, conducting in-depth root cause analysis, experiments, executing corrective and preventive actions, including lessons learned for future BIW designs and welding processes
Lead cross-functional teams to achieve and improve internal & external customer satisfaction, field reliability, nonconformities, scrap and improving first pass yield for BIW welding operations, along with additional relevant objectives and key results
Lead Advanced Product Quality Planning for new vehicle programs, including development of quality-critical product, component, and process requirements and characteristics for BIW structures, such as spot and MIG weld specifications, including supplier qualification
Drive Design & Process Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA) to identify risks in BIW welding processes (e.g., weld defects, porosity, or distortion) and implement appropriate actions to mitigate these risks together with cross-functional teams, including proactive and continuous improvement of current controls
Identification and deployment of critical product/subassemblies/components and manufacturing requirements for BIW to ensure customer and production needs, including supplier development for welding equipment and materials
Develop, validate, implement, and consistently improve effective quality controls across BIW production lines—focusing on spot welding, MIG welding, robotic automation, and inspection techniques—in coordination with Design, Production, Operations, Controls and Maintenance teams
Participate in program, project, and design change management reviews to ensure BIW subsystem quality and reliability requirements are met, including analysis, trials and validation of weld processes
Assist development with dimensional analysis, statistical tolerancing, and other methods to investigate the effects of part and process variability (e.g., electrode wear in spot welding or wire feed in MIG welding) on system performance and manufacturability, including process capability analyses to investigate and improve the ability of suppliers and production processes to meet defined specifications and quality standards for BIW assemblies

Benefits

Medical plans > 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 Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSA
Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
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 (90 day waiting period)
Employee Assistance Program
Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly 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