Sr. Manufacturing Engineer, Electrode Mixing

Tesla • Austin, TX

1d

About The Position

Tesla’s Cell Engineering group is looking for a highly motivated engineer to lead design and development of mixing equipment integral to Tesla’s dry battery process. This individual should be experienced with rotating equipment and ideally mixing equipment. This hire will join a cross-functional engineering team responsible for the development lifecycle and launch to manufacturing of in cell mixing. You will be the key interface to our operations and maintenance teams at all sites globally as a mixing equipment expert.
This role will invent, develop, scale up and optimize battery manufacturing equipment, focused heavily on anode and cathode mixers. In addition, this individual will help to integrate this equipment into our overall anode and cathode processes
Thoroughly learn and understand existing processes and equipment to address ongoing technical challenges and identify step-change improvement opportunities, including blank-slate concepts
Support design, development, and implementation of equipment modifications, improvements, and next generation tools from proof of concept through to full scale production to enable improved battery performance and/or cost
Validate and characterize performance of newly implemented designs to establish controls for critical parameters and improve process robustness
Execute DoEs to optimize process conditions
Lead mixing vendor development projects
Employ computational modeling (e.g., FEA or CFD) to guide designs and predict outcomes and use data analysis tools to interpret and present validation data
Work collaboratively with cross functional teams to help fabricate and test quick turnaround prototypes
Drive equipment commissioning on new production lines
Perform PFMEA risk assessments to prioritize equipment and process improvement projects

Requirements

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Physics, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of mechanical equipment design required; experience with rotating equipment (motors, bears, seals, etc.) is strongly preferred
• Proven strong understanding of engineering fundamentals and ability to apply them to equipment design and process development for high volume manufacturing
• Proven hands-on experience with prototyping and custom fabrication using CNC, lathe, mill, 3D printing, waterjet, etc.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to perform basic FEA for design validation
• Structured thinking and problem-solving abilities

Nice To Haves

• Preferred advanced-level 3D CAD design experience

Responsibilities

• Lead design and development of mixing equipment integral to Tesla’s dry battery process
• Key interface to operations and maintenance teams at all sites globally as a mixing equipment expert
• Invent, develop, scale up and optimize battery manufacturing equipment, focused heavily on anode and cathode mixers
• Integrate equipment into overall anode and cathode processes
• Thoroughly learn and understand existing processes and equipment to address ongoing technical challenges and identify step-change improvement opportunities, including blank-slate concepts
• Support design, development, and implementation of equipment modifications, improvements, and next generation tools from proof of concept through to full scale production to enable improved battery performance and/or cost
• Validate and characterize performance of newly implemented designs to establish controls for critical parameters and improve process robustness
• Execute DoEs to optimize process conditions
• Lead mixing vendor development projects
• Employ computational modeling (e.g., FEA or CFD) to guide designs and predict outcomes and use data analysis tools to interpret and present validation data
• Work collaboratively with cross functional teams to help fabricate and test quick turnaround prototypes
• Drive equipment commissioning on new production lines
• Perform PFMEA risk assessments to prioritize equipment and process improvement projects

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees