Construction Project Manager, Solar Manufacturing

What to Expect

As a Tesla Construction Project Manager for the PV Cell manufacturing program in the Greater Houston Area, you will own construction execution of advanced solar manufacturing facilities in a greenfield environment, from crystal growth and wafering through cell production lines. You will drive a manufacturing-environment buildout where foundations, core and shell, clean/controlled spaces, utilities, and process readiness are critical. This is an execution role with full accountability for schedule, budget, safety, and quality across a fast-paced, multi-contractor industrial manufacturing program. If you thrive on complexity, understand what it takes to deliver production-ready factories, and refuse to let construction be the gate to manufacturing ramp, this role was built for you.

What You’ll Do

• Own a specific discipline or shop area within ingot, wafer, and/or cell manufacturing scopes from mobilization and procurement strategy through installation, mechanical completion, and manufacturing readiness handover
• Drive schedule performance with urgency across building systems, process utilities, tool foundations, clean/controlled areas, and production equipment interfaces, protecting the critical path to factory start-up
• Manage project budget and cost performance, tracking earned value, administering change orders, and escalating variances with recovery plans already in hand
• Coordinate tightly with Manufacturing, Facilities, Tool Install, Procurement, Quality, and Commissioning so construction sequencing supports tool install, utility energization, and production ramp requirements
• Lead contractor and vendor performance through structured accountability and consistent field presence, from civil/structural packages through mechanical, electrical, process piping, and specialty system install
• Maintain rigorous look-ahead planning with project controls and procurement, identifying long-lead equipment, cleanroom/controlled-environment materials, and utility gaps before they threaten tool install or start-up
• Communicate status, risks, and critical path exposure clearly to program leadership, with particular focus on manufacturing readiness milestones and production-blocking constraints

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years of project management or construction management experience delivering manufacturing, semiconductor, battery, or advanced industrial production facilities, with demonstrated ownership of scopes $30M+
• Proven experience managing multi-discipline construction in an operating or pre-operations manufacturing environment, including tool install interfaces, process utilities, and start-up-driven sequencing
• Strong working knowledge of industrial manufacturing facility construction: structural/architectural packages, process mechanical/piping, electrical/controls, HVAC/clean or controlled environments, and specialty utility systems
• Engineering degree or equivalent technical experience preferred: mechanical, electrical, chemical, industrial, civil, or related discipline
• Exceptional communicator who can align construction contractors with manufacturing and process stakeholders around hard production dates
• Relentless, on-site execution leader with extreme ownership: you clear constraints fast and keep the factory build on the path to ramp
• Experience with solar manufacturing (ingot, wafer, or cell), semiconductor, or high-volume process manufacturing construction is a strong asset