Sustaining Electronic Design Engineer, Drive Inverter

About the role

Sustaining Electronic Design Engineer, Drive Inverter | Tesla (Engineering & Information Technology)

Location: Palo Alto, California | Req ID: 282318 | Job Type: Full-time

What to Expect

As a Sustaining Engineer on Tesla's Drive Inverter team, you will be the design point of contact responsible for continuously improving traction drive inverters currently in production. Your scope includes the PCBA, factory test, and the hardware path into the fleet. The sustaining role is about continually improving the product, launching new product variants, reinforcing the supply chain (qualifying alternative components/suppliers), and turning factory and field issues into design, firmware, and test actions.

What You'll Do

• Own the electrical design of production drive inverters across Tesla vehicle programs, factories, and suppliers, and be the design authority for hardware changes
• Own factory test architecture for the PCBA and inverter. Set and update limits and coverage that hold across lines and factories
• Qualify alternate components and second sources with circuit analysis, schematic and BOM impact. Develop necessary test conditions to help validate the new designs
• Lead yield excursions, line holds, and root cause on component, PCB, and assembly issues, and drive containment with Manufacturing, Quality, and Suppliers
• Convert field and fleet failures into design, firmware, or test coverage changes through teardowns, failure analysis, and reproduction on the bench, dyno, or vehicle
• Launch next-revision hardware and product variants on existing architectures, including schematic, layout, DFM, BOM, change control, and safety-critical circuit updates
• Partner with Motor Controls and firmware on design changes, and lead cutover with Manufacturing, Process, Quality, Firmware, and Reliability
• Own cost, complexity, test coverage, and supply-chain resiliency improvements, including transferring solutions across inverter programs
• Visit suppliers for part qualifications, design change reviews, and line audits

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience
• 3+ years designing automotive or other high volume power electronics (inverters, gate drive, isolated supplies)
• Schematic and layout ownership in Altium or similar. Able to take a change from proposal through Gerber, BOM, change control, and DVP&R
• Ability to travel to different Tesla factories & offices as well as suppliers
• Strong engineering fundamentals in analog and power electronics (inverters, gate drive, isolated supplies)
• Proficiency with statistics and data analysis
• Preferred experience with factory test, yield, and DFM
• Preferred experience with failure analysis and root cause of field or line issues
• A detail-oriented personality with solid documentation and reporting skills

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$120,000 - $180,000/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.