Sr. Controls Engineer, Solar Manufacturing

About the role

• Sr. Controls Engineer, Solar Manufacturing | Tesla (Manufacturing)
• Location: Brookshire, Texas | Req ID: 274947 | Job Type: Full-time
• What to Expect

Tesla is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to support controls architecture, automation development, and MES integration for various solar manufacturing operations at massive scale. You will help deploy 100GW of solar manufacturing from raw materials. This role is core to Tesla's mission of accelerating the world's transition to sustainable energy. Tesla is a demanding and fast-paced environment where you will work with a highly motivated team on extremely challenging projects.

What You'll Do

• During launch of this greenfield facility, you will support development, configuration, and maintenance of PLC programs for various processes like: Czochralski crystal pulling, diamond wire saw slicing, texturing, wafer cleaning, thin film deposition, screen printing, and laser operations
• Maintain and troubleshoot SCADA and HMI interfaces
• Support MES integration to enable automated data collection for yield and quality
• Maintain interlock logic and alarm management systems
• Troubleshoot PLC, SCADA, and network issues
• Write Python and SQL scripts to automate data extraction, reporting, and process trend analysis
• Equipment programming, including PLCs, HMIs, robotics, motion, vision systems, safety controllers, SCADA integration, networking, etc.
• Document controls architecture, ladder logic, and system configurations to maintain engineering standards
• Support continuous improvement projects targeting automation of manual steps in manufacturing

What You'll Bring

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of automation or controls engineering experience in semiconductor, solar, or industrial manufacturing
• Familiarity with SCADA platforms and HMI development for manufacturing process monitoring
• Experience with recipe management systems and MES integration for production data collection
• Experience programming Fanuc robots, iRVision, Keyence, and/or Cognex vision systems
• Understanding of interlock logic design and alarm management best practices
• Experience in Python and SQL for manufacturing data analysis and automation
• Troubleshooting skills for controls hardware, software, and network issues
• Capability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally. Travel will vary based on launch timing. More frequently during build, less during HVM and sustaining

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)