What to Expect

Tesla is currently seeking a motivated and accomplished manufacturing engineer with who will lead the design and implementation of automated material handling system for new and existing factories and programs at Tesla. This position will be based in Gigafactory Texas near Austin, TX. The ideal candidate will excel in a demanding and fast-paced environment where they will work as part of a smart, agile and highly motivated team to accomplish some of the most ambitious projects being attempted in any industry today. He/She takes pride in his/her thoroughness, analytical ability, organizational skills and attention to detail.

Manufacturing engineers on the Material Flow Engineering team (MFE) are responsible for developing solutions for the efficient and reliable flow of material to the Tesla manufacturing lines. As a manufacturing engineer you are responsible for managing and owning automated material handling projects from “cradle to grave”. This includes the concept, design, install, commissioning, ramp, handing over to production team, and continuous improvement of automated material handling equipment such as but not limited to automated storage systems (ASRS), final assemble conveyance such as car bodies, batteries, and drive units, automated lifts, material handling robot cells etc. Besides owning the design and technical scope of a project, manufacturing engineers also provide mentorship and guidance to other engineers and stakeholders within Tesla. A manufacturing engineer’s role is to make sure that MFE system’s designs meet Tesla’s goals and objectives. Traditional project management functions such as timelines, budgets and coordination’s with vendors and other manufacturing teams, but also factory layout, construction, packaging, production teams within Tesla are also the responsibility of the manufacturing engineer on the Material Flow Engineering team.
What You’ll Do

Design highly automated material handling solutions to establish new and improved existing material flows throughout the factory. The design includes material arrival at docks, automated delivery to line-side locations, material transport between internal manufacturing lines, buffer/storage systems, robotic material handling solutions. Solutions will handle a large variety of products such as car bodies, large commodities (tires, seats, fascia, …), powertrain parts (electric motor and battery components), pallets/boxes/trays, individual battery cells.
Concept development, detailed engineering design, and collaboration with 3rd parties on system build, installation, commissioning, and acceptance test/validations.
Develop analytical models to establish design criteria and overall system performance criteria
Responsible for specifying equipment in form of project specifications, requirements, and generating request for quotations (RFQs)
Drive equipment and process optimization to increase yield, throughput, and availability while reducing cost and lead-time
Leveraging outside partners for solution development and design
Lead the overall layout and system design process
Support and provide inputs in the modeling and simulation of individual technologies and entire systems
Technical project management and implementation
Manage budget, timeline and scope
Communication with internal and external stakeholders and vendors about project status, critical items and priorities
Support troubleshooting during installation and start-up
Smooth handoff to operations at Tesla factory locations

What You’ll Bring

7+ years of experience with BS Degree or 5+ with MS degree
5+ years of practical automated material handling and process equipment design experience in industries such as automotive, consumer goods/food and beverage manufacturing, distribution, and semiconductor
Working Knowledge of 2D/3D software such as Auto Cad, Solid works, Autodesk Inventor etc.
Experience in Design and calculation of Mechanical Drive mechanism, Structural design knowledge is plus.
A passion to work with automation equipment and design processes around it
Ability to lead a project from concept through to installation and hand-over while working in a close-knit, team environment.
Must understand the integration of equipment design into existing or new systems.
Values people, ethics, commitment, fun and an engaging culture.
Knowledge of and experience with material flow strategies and dynamic manufacturing systems.
Strong analytical and organizational skills. Ability to manage several complex projects at the same time with high degrees of variation and uncertainty.
Natural ability to speak and write effectively at all organizational levels.
Position will offer unique and complex engineering challenges that require persistence, innovative thinking, and a positive attitude
Preferred Qualifications:
MS Degree in Mechanical/Mechatronics/Industrial Engineering (or equivalent)
Knowledge of basic electrical systems such as panels, NEC/NFPA and safety standards
Knowledge of basic controls and robot systems such as AB/Siemens PLCs, Fanuc Robots