Component Engineer

About the role

• Component Engineer | Tesla (Supply Chain)
• Location: PALO ALTO, California | Req ID: 281952 | Job Type: Full-time
• What to Expect

As a Staff / Senior Staff Component Engineer at Tesla, you will own the technical strategy, selection, qualification, and lifecycle management of critical electronic and electromechanical components that enable vehicle, energy, and autonomy products. You will operate as the technical authority for your commodity domains—driving first-principles decisions on performance, reliability, cost, and supply risk—while partnering deeply with Design, Reliability, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and suppliers from concept through high-volume production.

This role demands hands-on engineering depth, supplier technical leadership, and the ability to set standards that scale across programs. You will de-risk new technologies, resolve complex field and factory issues, mentor junior engineers, and influence architecture choices that directly affect product quality and manufacturability.

What You'll Do

• Own end-to-end technical responsibility for assigned component families (e.g., passives, connectors, power devices, magnetics, sensors, ASICs, electromechanical parts), including roadmaps, second-source strategy, and obsolescence management
• Define and maintain component requirements, derating guidelines, preferred parts lists (PPL), and design rules in partnership with electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering
• Lead component selection, characterization, and qualification (AEC-Q, JEDEC, Tesla-specific reliability and environmental stress tests); author and approve qualification plans and reports
• Drive supplier technical engagement: process capability, FMEA/control plans, change management (PCN), audits, and corrective actions (8D/SCAR) for quality escapes and field failures
• Perform and lead root-cause analysis on component-related failures using electrical test, physical FA (X-ray, CSAM, cross-section, SEM/EDX, FIB), and statistical methods; close the loop into design and supplier process improvements
• Partner with Supply Chain purchasing and Engineering to ensure dual-source readiness, capacity alignment, cost reduction without quality tradeoffs, and smooth NPI ramp into high-volume production
• Evaluate emerging component technologies (wide-bandgap devices, advanced packaging, next-gen interconnects, higher-density passives) and run structured technology insertion programs
• Establish and enforce component engineering standards, review checklists, and DFM/DFT guidance; serve as a gate reviewer for design releases and ECO/PCN impacts
• Mentor Component and Design engineers; raise the bar on first-principles thinking, data quality, and cross-functional communication
• Represent component risk and readiness in program reviews; escalate technical blockers early with clear options and recommended paths

What You'll Bring

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field, or equivalent practical experience
• 8+ years (12+ years preferred) of experience in component engineering, hardware design, reliability, or semiconductor/electronics product engineering in automotive, consumer electronics, industrial, or aerospace
• Deep expertise in one or more commodity domains: power semiconductors, passives, connectors/interconnect, magnetics, MCUs/SoCs, or electromechanical components—and working fluency across adjacent categories
• Proven ownership of component qualification to automotive-grade or equivalent harsh-environment standards (AEC-Q100/101/200, ISO 16750, JEDEC); strong grasp of reliability physics (HTOL, HAST, TC, power cycling, wear-out mechanisms)
• Hands-on experience with electrical characterization, datasheet critical review, application circuit constraints, and interpreting failure analysis results
• Demonstrated success driving suppliers on process control, yield, quality systems, and technical change management; comfortable on the factory floor and in FA labs
• Proficiency with problem-solving frameworks (8D, FTA, DOE, SPC, FMEA) and data analysis (JMP, Python, or equivalent)
• Ability to influence design and program decisions without formal authority; clear written specs, concise executive updates, and constructive technical debate
• Set commodity strategy, unblock multi-program issues, mentor teams, and deliver measurable improvements in quality, cost, and supply resilience
• Willingness to travel to suppliers and Tesla manufacturing sites as needed (typically up to 25%)

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$132,000 - $240,000/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.