What To Expect
The Drive System Engineering team (Drive Unit + Inverter) is looking for a Mechanical Systems Engineer with a Mechatronics focus. You will apply system-level thinking to improve the real-world performance of all Tesla Drive System products, including upcoming Cybercab and Tesla Semi platform ramp. Your primary goal is to increase the resiliency of Tesla’s vehicles against single-component failures and mechanical performance degradation. Your work spans from teardowns of field-returned drive units to instrumented lab testing to fleet-scale data analysis. You will own the mechanical failure mode lifecycle, from early detection and characterization through countermeasure development and validation.
What You'll Do
Own mechanical failure mode investigation for drive system components including geartrains, bearings, resolvers, oil pumps, stators, and rotorsPerform teardowns and failure analysis on field-returned drive units to identify root causes of events resulting in mechanical performance degradationDesign and execute instrumented hardware tests to characterize mechanical failure modes and validate countermeasures on dynos and test benchesDevelop and scale mechanical fault detection validation methods, including instrumented unit testing and model correlation in simulation environments (e.g SIL/PIL)Analyze fleet-scale data to track mechanical failure trends, emerging failure modes, and countermeasure effectivenessCollaborate with design, manufacturing, and firmware teams to drive root cause preventive measures from prototype through mass productionLead planning and execution of mechanical abuse and durability tests such as oil starvation, thermal cycling, vibration, and overload conditionsDefine and improve mechanical fault detection requirements based on field data, teardown findings, and physics-based modelingAdhere to safety protocols for handling hazardous materials and high-power electromechanical systems
What You'll Bring
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics Engineering, or equivalent experienceExperience performing hardware teardowns, root cause analysis, and failure mode characterizationExperience with rotating machinery: motors, gearboxes, bearings, pumps, or similar electromechanical systemsExperience creating and executing design validation plans on dynamometers or test benchesExperience with instrumentation and data acquisition systems (accelerometers, thermocouples, torque sensors, vibration analysis)Proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink for simulation and modelingAbility to analyze large datasets (SQL, Python) for fleet-level diagnostics and root-cause analysisFamiliarity with DFMEA and FTA methodologiesBackground in robotics, aerospace, automotive, or electromechanical systems development preferredFamiliarity with SIL/PIL/HIL testing environments, C/C++, or version control (git) preferred
Benefits
Compensation and 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
Expected Compensation
$109,600 - $164,400/annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefits
Pay 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.
, Tesla
