Test Engineer, Materials Engineering

Tesla • Fremont, CA

148d

About The Position

You will be an integral part of the Materials Engineering organization, pursuing our mission to deliver new materials and manufacturing processes that revolutionize Tesla's products and accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy. As a Materials Test Engineer, you will lead materials-level testing, prototyping, characterization, test specification development, and failure analysis. The position will be based in Fremont (California, USA) at one of our three global Materials Engineering Labs.

Requirements

• Degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, or equivalent experience.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience in materials testing, characterization, or experimental development in a lab environment.
• Broad knowledge of materials science principles and automotive-relevant materials: metals, polymers, composites, coatings, textiles, etc.
• Proven experience with materials testing equipment, sample prep, and analysis techniques across mechanical, thermal, environmental, electrical and optical domains.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with a hands-on mindset and a passion for learning and innovation.
• Excellent communication and project coordination skills, with the ability to collaborate across disciplines and drive outcomes independently.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and committed to delivering high-quality data and insights under tight timelines.

Responsibilities

• Oversee corrosion testing for a wide variety of materials, components, and vehicles across all Tesla products.
• Assess risk within upcoming projects and ensure applicable tests are completed within demanding project timelines.
• Support off-site corrosion testing, including coordination with 3rd party test providers and internal test teams, performing detailed component and vehicle inspections, and documenting findings.
• Design and execute experiments to characterize material properties and solve high-impact engineering challenges, while maintaining robust data-driven documentation to enable fast iteration.
• Perform and coordinate a wide range of materials testing and prototyping, including Environmental Aging, Material Characterization, and Lab-Scale Materials and Processes prototyping.
• Validate computational models and processing-structure-property-performance relationships through rigorous experimental testing.
• Develop and author test specifications, aligning with both Tesla and international standards.
• Lead failure analyses and root cause investigations, translating insights into design or process changes.
• Work with test technicians to ensure efficient setup, execution, and interpretation of results.
• Communicate findings clearly through detailed reports and presentations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Support lab operations and continuous improvement by establishing protocols, maintaining equipment readiness, and fostering a culture of safety and innovation.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees