Mechanical Design Engineer, Battery Cell Formation

About the role

As a Mechanical Design Engineer in Tesla's Battery Cell Formation team, you will be responsible for the mechanical side of battery formation and testing equipment. You will join a team that works closely with manufacturing engineers, equipment engineers, and controls engineers. The work is fast-paced and challenging—you must be excited by Tesla’s mission and vision. Cell formation pushes the limits of mechanical engineering, requiring knowledge and application of statics & dynamics, fluids & thermals, mechanics & vibration, and more. The role is highly multi-disciplinary, demanding familiarity with controls methodology, controls hardware, sensor selection, and machine design. Strong design skills, a ‘first-principles’ approach to problem-solving, and curiosity are essential.

At Tesla, design work extends beyond the computer screen. You will drive prototype builds, engineering testing, and validation of equipment, owning the design from conception through mass production and beyond. You will also tackle complex problems by defining them clearly, performing root cause analysis, and validating solutions through practical testing.

Responsibilities

• Modeling and design of mechanical components and assemblies, including plastics, sheet metal, fasteners, and other components
• Selection and application of off-the-shelf components such as motors, bearings, gears, sensors, pneumatics, cables, fasteners, and thermal hardware
• Mechanical design analysis covering thermal, tolerances, structural, vibrations, kinematics, and fluids
• Solving electronics packaging issues, including thermal management, fastening, connector application, busbar design, and cable routing
• Developing engineering test plans for designs
• Creating drawing packages and manufacturing instructions for parts and assemblies
• Assisting in engineering prototype builds and component fabrication
• Collaborating with mechanical, systems, electrical, digital control, manufacturing, industrial design, and test engineers to transition designs from prototype to mass production

Requirements

• 5 or more years of experience as a Mechanical Engineer
• Experience with SolidWorks CAD and PDM software
• Experience with machine design
• Strong understanding of drafting standards and the application of GD&T (e.g., ASME Y14.5)
• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience
• Proven understanding of engineering fundamentals and their application to equipment design and process development for high-volume manufacturing
• Solid foundation in failure mode analysis and problem-solving
• Working knowledge of mechanics, kinematics, structure design, thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics
• Experience on student engineering teams (e.g., BAJA, Formula SAE) is a plus

Benefits

• Competitive pay and full-time benefits starting on day 1 of hire
• Medical plans with $0 payroll deduction
• Family-building, fertility, adoption, and surrogacy benefits
• Dental and vision plans with $0 paycheck contribution options
• Company-paid Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan
• 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 salaried positions, accrued hours for hourly positions) and paid holidays
• Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
• Voluntary benefits, including 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