Process Engineer, Module, Megapack

The Process Engineer will be responsible for process sustaining and continuous improvement on the production line, building Tesla's commercial scale energy storage product. This position will be responsible for applying lean manufacturing principles to monitor yield, fallout, and critical parameters and drive necessary process improvements. Daily work will be highly cooperative in nature with regularly interactions with manufacturing engineering, new product introduction, quality engineering, equipment engineering, and production operators - strong interpersonal skills are critical. The engineer will place a significant focus on troubleshooting and root causing test failures and fallout, including data collection and rework process development.
The Process Engineer should be detail focused with an understanding of the big picture. They must be curious, self-motivated, receptive to feedback, and appreciate an environment where superior work is encouraged, noticed and rewarded.
This role will be based out of the Greater Houston Area (TX) and will require 90% travel to the Bay Area (CA) to support early builds and validation support for the next 6-12 months.

Responsibilities

• Develop expertise in manufacturing processes. Understand process capabilities through critical data analysis and in depth understanding of the product. Develop and modify line layouts, including material flow, waste reduction, and ergonomics, utilizing Lean Manufacturing best practices. Participate in the transition of a product from concept to pilot line production and into mass manufacturing
• Root Cause analysis of complex systems, and mitigation of failure modes via a systems approach
• Analyze and optimize production processes to ensure safety while maximizing Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) in cost effective means while driving to achieve world-class quality levels. Champion continuous improvement projects (CIP) to maximize yield, capacity, and capability
• Lead continuous improvement activities to drive improvements to critical KPIs: safety, quality, output, and cost. Establish and monitor SPC for all critical process parameters, then analyze, develop, process, and implement Engineering Change Orders
• Lead NCM (non-conforming material) activities, including the documentation and troubleshooting of line fall out. Create troubleshooting guides and document procedures for offline failure analysis of test failures and non-conformances. Design, validate, and document rework procedures for non-conforming material
• Responsible for diagnosing issues found during the part manufacturing process and drive corrective action back to source, resulting in root cause identification and elimination. Utilize structured problem solving techniques such as DMAIC, Ishikawa, Five Why (5W) and Eight Disciplines (8D)
• Perform supporting activities for engineering and manufacturing including 5S and Lean manufacturing activities, material handling improvements, production line configuration, and safety procedures
• Monitor and reduce process variation using techniques such as Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA). Monitor and audit manufacturing processes to ensure product specifications and standards are achieved. Participate in the development and maintenance of FMEAs and Control Plans
• Create and maintain Manufacturing Instructions, routings, and associated processes. Develop and train sustaining technicians, assist in the training of operators as needed. Manage activities for process sustaining technicians to support day to day coverage of production line, including developing and documenting appropriate rework procedures
• Support 24 by 7 production operations

Requirements

• Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Robotics Engineering, or equivalent experience
• Experienced in programming, troubleshooting, and integrating PLC platforms with ladder logic and structured text
• Experience commissioning and optimizing equipment. Have a demonstrated track record of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) improvement
• Robotics maintenance, troubleshooting, optimization & programming, preferred
• 5+ years in an automated, high volume manufacturing facility
• Experienced in safety control devices and safety logic is preferred
• Strong problem-solving skills and an aptitude for learning systems quickly. Able to utilize structured problem-solving techniques such as DMAIC, Ishikawa, Five Why (5W) or Eight Disciplines (8D). Able to resolve high level performance issues into addressable actions, preferred
• Able to read and interpret basic mechanical drawings and electrical schematics, experience developing and improving HMI's, Fanuc Robotics / Ignition Experience, preferred
• Experience with Dispense systems, Vision (Keyence or Cognex), Laser welding and Fastening (Atlas Copco) preferred
• Strong SQL skills and ability to create interactive dashboards using data visualization tools like Power BI or Tableau preferred

Compensation and Benefits
Benefits

Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:

• Aetna PPO and HSA plans > 2 medical 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 Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Aetna 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
• Employee Assistance Program
• Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary 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