Supply Chain Manager, Cell Materials

About the role

• Supply Chain Manager, Cell Materials | Tesla (Supply Chain)
• Location: Palo Alto, California | Req ID: 285471 | Job Type: Full-time
• What to Expect

You will own a global commodity (e.g. battery raw material) end-to-end. That means strategy, not just POs: which suppliers we use, where we localize, how we de-risk ramps, and how we hit cost without starving the line. You will sit between Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, and Legal, and you will be the person who can say whether we can build the next program on time.

This is not a coordinator role. You will negotiate multi-year agreements, stand in factories, and make calls when a supplier is late, a process is slipping, or a second source is the only way through SOP.

What You'll Do

• Own commodity strategy: make/buy, dual-source, localization, capacity, and cost roadmap through SOP and steady-state production
• Identify, qualify, and manage a global supplier base; drive RFQs, should-cost, TCO, and multi-year contracts (pricing, capacity, quality, IP, liability, exit)
• Secure capacity ahead of vehicle, energy, and cell ramps; build inventory and dual-source plans that survive a 60+ day slip, not just a one-week switchover
• Partner with Engineering and Manufacturing on DFM, material selection, process capability, and NPI — from prototype through PPAP / PPQ and volume
• Run supplier performance: OTD, quality, cost, capacity utilization, and recovery plans. Escalate early; do not wait for a line-down
• Lead cost reduction and VA/VE without trading away quality or supply continuity; track actuals vs. should-cost and landed cost
• Map and mitigate risk: single-source, geopolitics, process change, financial health, and long-lead tooling or retrofit projects
• Travel to supplier sites (often 25–40%) for audits, negotiations, ramp support, and problem-solving
• Brief leadership with a clear recommendation: go / no-go, timing, cost, and what happens if the plan slips

What You'll Bring

• Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business, or related field, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years in strategic sourcing, commodity management, or supply chain in automotive, battery, electronics, or high-volume manufacturing
• Proven ownership of a global commodity: contracts, dual-source, capacity, and cost at production scale
• Strong technical fluency — you can walk a process, challenge a quote, and talk with design and process engineers without a translator
• Expert negotiator; comfortable with complex international contracts and multi-site supplier networks (APAC, NA, EU)
• Data-driven: cost models, capacity math, inventory cover, and risk windows. You do not present a plan without the failure mode
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to write a one-page decision and defend it with executives
• Willingness to travel internationally on short notice and operate in a high-tempo, ambiguous environment
• Direct experience in cells, cathode/anode materials, battery industry commodities

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$104,000 - $192,000/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.