Sr. Materials Engineer, Cell Materials Qualification

Sr. Materials Engineer, Cell Materials Qualification | Tesla

Location: Palo Alto, California | Req ID: 268108 | Job Type: Full-time

What to Expect

The active materials research team is seeking an experienced Materials Engineer to develop, test, and validate next-generation in-house and vendor-produced battery materials. In this role, you will focus on sourcing and qualifying materials that deliver significantly higher energy density, durability, and cost-effectiveness compared to today’s commercial solutions. You will work closely with material and cell vendors, and cell design engineers to qualify and integrate new advanced active materials into large-format cells.

What You'll Do

• Stay at the forefront of battery materials research—including Li-ion and Na-ion cathodes and anodes—and lead qualification studies for integrating these technologies into Tesla’s next-generation cells
• Source and qualify high-performance, cost-effective cathode materials that offer superior energy density, cycle life, and safety
• Maintain detailed documentation of R&D progress and regularly present key findings and recommendations to leadership
• Design and execute experiments and validation tests to assess material performance, then qualify new materials for cell-level reliability, safety, and manufacturability
• Collaborate closely with validation engineers, manufacturing teams, supply chain specialists, electrochemists, vendor development teams and modeling experts to scale up and integrate new active materials into production-ready battery cells

What You'll Bring

• Degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
• Hands-on experience with anode and cathode materials synthesis and qualification
• Familiarity with battery electrode stack design, including optimization of mass loading, electrode thickness, and N/P ratio to ensure accurate performance evaluation
• Proficiency with materials characterization and electrochemical testing techniques (XRD, SEM, ICP, BET, EIS, GITT) for evaluating cathode materials and full cells
• Demonstrated ability to perform root-cause analysis and resolve interfacial “cross-talk” between cathode, electrolyte, and anode to improve full-cell cycle life
• Practical experience in cell fabrication, including slurry coating, coin-cell and pouch-cell assembly, electrolyte formulation, and filling
• Strong programming skills (Python, MATLAB, or similar) for processing and analyzing battery test data
• Working knowledge of chemical reaction kinetics, unit operation, heat and mass transfer, and condensed matter physics as applied to battery materials is a plus
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with strong problem-solving ability and sound judgment when working with incomplete information

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$91,600 - $195,600/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.