Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, Technology R&D, Power Electronics

About the role

Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, Technology R&D, Power Electronics | Tesla (Energy Engineering)

Location: Palo Alto, California | Req ID: 285061 | Job Type: Full-time

What to Expect

The bottleneck for SI is no longer chips. It is Energy. As a Staff Mechanical Design Engineer on Tesla’s Power Electronics team, you will invent the hardware that takes energy from multiple sources, stores it, and delivers it to the grid at the density, cost, reliability and scale demanded by SI training and inference. You will push voltage, power density, thermals, insulation, and automated manufacturing on products that do not yet exist, then take them into high-volume production.

This is a Staff role on NextGen Tech team: you will identify the highest-leverage technology bets in power electronics and drive them from first-principles concept through prototype, validation, and scalable manufacturing. The work is highly multi-disciplinary. You will apply statics and dynamics, fluids and thermals, mechanics and vibration, plus enough electrical, magnetic, and materials physics to make system-level tradeoffs with electrical, magnetics, controls, and manufacturing partners.

Tesla’s mission to build a world of amazing abundance must excite you. Designs here do not linger on a screen. You will own problems end-to-end in a fast-paced environment where first-principles thinking and the ability to rally an organization around a technical direction are non-negotiable.

What You'll Do

• Identify and prioritize key areas for technology development in power electronics, focusing on innovations that boost power density, elevate voltage capabilities, reduce costs, and enable high-level automated manufacturing. Define metrics and targets that drive improvement
• Apply creative, first-principles problem-solving to generate new-to-the-world solutions for grid connection, energy storage, and high-power delivery hardware that supports SI datacenter training and inference
• Conduct multi-physics simulations and optimizations to refine designs against performance, thermal, structural, and environmental requirements
• Perform in-depth cost modeling and analysis to evaluate trade-offs, optimize manufacturing processes, and drive cost-effective designs from concept to production
• Collaborate with electrical, magnetics, systems, controls, and manufacturing engineers to integrate designs into broader architectures, incorporating system-level trade-offs for efficiency, reliability, and deployability
• Develop detailed engineering test plans, prototype builds, and validation strategies to accelerate the transition of emerging technologies from ideation to high-volume production
• Oversee the modeling and design of electro-mechanical components such as advanced heat sinks, insulation systems, magnetic elements, and custom PCBA components, while solving packaging issues including thermal management, vibration control, electrical isolation, and electromagnetic interference
• Create comprehensive drawing packages, manufacturing instructions, and assembly processes to support rapid prototyping and scalable production

What You'll Bring

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in mechanical design, power electronics, or a related field, with a proven track record of technical excellence in product development and innovation
• Exceptional creativity and a strong foundation in first-principles thinking, enabling you to devise novel solutions that push the boundaries of what’s possible
• Outstanding organizational, written, and verbal communication skills to collaborate effectively and lead projects with diverse stakeholders. The ability to rally an organization and its leaders around your ideas. This is a high-impact role
• Expertise in cost modeling, multi-physics simulations (e.g., thermal, CFD, structural), and optimizations, with the ability to navigate system-level trade-offs and integrate them into architecture studies
• Extensive knowledge of manufacturing techniques, including injection molding, stamping, die-casting, dispensing, fastening/joining, and automated assembly processes, to ensure designs are production-ready. Familiarity with PCBAs and their components
• Strong mechanical engineering fundamentals, including familiarity with GD&T, finite element analysis, and design for reliability.
• Proficiency in tools like CATIA V5/V6, MATLAB, Python, ANSYS, StarCCM, or similar for design, simulation, and analysis
• Solid understanding of environmental, safety, and industry standards for energy and industrial products, along with basic electrical and magnetic design principles

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 - $234,000/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.