Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer, Vehicle Power Electronics

About the role

Sr. Mechanical Design Engineer, Vehicle Power Electronics | Tesla (Energy - Solar & Storage)

Location: Palo Alto, California | Req ID: 283229 | Job Type: Full-time

What to Expect

As a Mechanical Design Engineer in Tesla's Vehicle Power Electronics team, you will design cutting edge, world-class power converters in use across the entirety Tesla vehicle lineup (Model 3/Y, Cybertruck, Semi, Cybercab, Roadster, and next generation vehicle platforms).  You will be joining an elite team of driven engineers with a huge scope, reach, and potential impact. Our power electronics products are critical components in electric and autonomous transportation (and SI data centers).  The work is fast-paced and challenging.  Tesla’s mission and vision must excite you.

Power electronics is unique.  Despite its name, it pushes the limits of the wide breadth of mechanical engineering.  You will be required to know and apply statics & dynamics, fluids & thermals, mechanics & vibration, and more.  Our work is highly multi-disciplinary and you will be expected to know or learn basic electrical and magnetic physics, material science, statistics, and advanced manufacturing techniques.  Strong design skills, a ‘first-principles’ approach to problem solving, curiosity to learn and drive to develop/grow are must-haves.

At Tesla, our design work doesn't only exist on a computer screen and we don’t waste time on products that we don’t see a future in. Your designs will come to life and exist in the real world within industry record time. Design engineers will drive prototype builds, engineering testing, and validation of our products.

Your day-to-day tasks will involve design, analysis, and testing of all structural, thermal, environmental, and insulating aspects of converter components and their electrical connections. An example would be the detailed design of custom magnetic components such inductors or transformers or high-performance heat exchangers. You will own the design from conception thru its full evolution to mass-production.

Roles available at multiple seniority levels i.e. Sr, Staff, etc. for those with more experience.

What You'll Do

• Modeling and design of electro-mechanical parts and assemblies including plastics, sheet metal, heat sinks, insulation systems, magnetic components, high voltage connectors, fasteners, and other components
• Mechanical design analysis including thermal, CFD, structural, design for assembly, and design for test
• Collaborate with program stakeholders to integrate designs into vehicles, energy products, AI data centers, and more
• Solve electronics packaging issues: electrical isolation, sealing, thermal management, interconnection, shock and vibration management, electromagnetic interference (EMI), RF communications, etc.
• Develop engineering test plans for designs
• Create drawing packages and manufacturing instructions for parts and assemblies
• Assist in engineering prototype builds and component fabrication
• Collaborate with other mechanical, systems, electrical, magnetic, digital control, manufacturing, industrial design, and test engineers to take designs from concept through prototype to mass production

What You'll Bring

• 4+ years of full-time industry experience in mechanical design-related field or demonstrated technical excellence in product design and analysis
• Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals & physics first-principles
• Strong organization, written, and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of GD&T, tolerance stacks, design for manufacturing/automation/test/reliability (DFM/DFA/DFT/DFR).  Experience with DFMEA and PFMEA
• Experience using CATIA V5 and/or V6 3DExperience
• Experience with PLM systems, engineering changes, deviations, BOM structuring, etc.
• Working knowledge of MATLAB, Simulink, Python, Ansys, & StarCCM.  Experience with modeling, finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), & multi-physics simulations

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 - $316,800/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.