Battery Design Team Lead, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Products

About the role

Battery Design Team Lead, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Products | Tesla (Energy Engineering)

Location: Palo Alto, California | Req ID: 265344 | Job Type: Full-time

What to Expect

Tesla Energy is bringing battery, solar, and charging technologies to the grid, establishing new industries and defining the future of renewable energy ecosystems. This team is at the forefront of how we generate, distribute, and consume power today and in the future.

As the Battery Design Team Lead, you will lead the team that drives the design of the battery systems that help make Tesla Energy products such as Megapack and Powerwall world class, working with a highly motivated and interdisciplinary team that rethinks how battery systems should be designed from the ground up. We start from blank page designs and build up to top-level system design ownership with a first principles design approach. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to achieve project goals and ensure seamless execution.

The role is highly collaborative and cross-functional. This role requires the ability to apply engineering fundamentals to design battery systems that are at the core of Tesla’s success. Our team is composed of individuals who are thoughtful, fast-moving, self-motivated, who love to solve difficult problems, and are team players.

What You'll Do

• End-to-end ownership of the battery system designs for new and existing Tesla Energy products, leading a team of mechanical engineers in the full life cycle product development for multiple parallel battery programs
• Responsible for all battery design attributes and driving team and cross-functional execution to achieve product performance, schedule, cost, reliability, and quality targets while successfully scaling into mass production
• Lead detailed mechanical design and analysis, including thermal, structural, dynamic, electrical, and design for assembly/manufacturing/serviceability
• Build-to-print mechanical design component design ownership, inclusive of current collectors, battery chassis, isolation strategies, adhesive joints, cold plates / cooling tubes, high voltage interconnects etc.
• Develop and lead execution of component and system design validation plans and test methods to validate product adherence to requirements, in collaboration with parallel test and systems engineering teams
• Develop and maintain technology and process/workflow roadmaps, spearheading the future of Tesla battery system designs

What You'll Bring

• 7+ years of product design experience and 3+ years of design leadership experience
• Proficiency in CAD modeling, CATIA V5/6 a plus, and PLM/engineering change systems
• Experience designing for high volume production
• Proficiency in GD&T, a thorough understanding of tolerances, and development of high-quality drawing packages/manufacturing instructions for parts and assemblies
• Strong engineering fundamentals in heat transfer, fluids, and structural mechanics and the ability to develop and efficiently simplify engineering analysis workflows
• Understanding of material science of components used in mechanical design (metals, insulators, plastics, connectors, gaskets, etc.) and their fabrication processes (injection molding, thermoforming, casting, forging, bonding, brazing/welding, machining, etc.)
• Familiarity with design for reliability/FMEA concepts with a strong understanding of component and system failure modes
• Familiarity with battery cell manufacturing and design, cell characteristics and cell fundamentals (swelling, DCR, PPR, etc.) is preferred, not required
• Experience with obtaining compliance and certification to global standards
• Detail-oriented personality with solid documentation and reporting skills, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work in a fast-paced and challenging environment

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
• Earned Wage Access: Real-time pay access paid daily, subject to eligibility and schedule (applicable for below Sr. Managers levels)

Expected Compensation$130,400 - $276,000/annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefitsPay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.