Controls Engineer, Cell Assembly

What to Expect

Tesla is seeking a highly motivated Controls Engineer to support the ramp of our 4680 Cell factory and contribute to the design of robust, stable equipment. This engineer will be at the forefront of controls technology, responsible for the advanced cell manufacturing equipment that produces Tesla's cutting-edge batteries.

The 4680 Cell is one of the most complex and challenging components designed and manufactured at Tesla, and this is an exciting opportunity to help build a world-class manufacturing facility right here in Austin. Tesla is a demanding, fast-paced environment, and this role owns a critical subsystem of some of our most exciting products.

The Controls Engineer will work with cross-functional teams throughout the entire lifecycle of the product and process, partnering closely with Quality and Production to bring new products from initial design through prototype development and into full production.

What You’ll Do

• Ramp manufacturing lines, including mechanical automation equipment, robots, electromechanical systems, PLCs, motion control, and vision systems
• Program state machines for complex processes involving conveyor processing, multi-station parallel processing, stamping machines, data acquisition, and PID control
• Manage safety standards (ANSI/RIA15.06, OSHA) and implement reliable controls safety systems to safeguard robots, gantries, conveyors, and other high-volume manufacturing equipment
• Define and manage a methodology for maintaining PLC code structure and backups, and design robust, stable, fault-tolerant systems with error handling and recovery
• Train technicians on the maintenance and repair of controls systems
• Manage electrical cabinet builds, field wiring, and pneumatic/fluid plumbing
• Interface with the Tesla Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to communicate product acceptability, machine status, and process variables
• Spearhead continuous improvement efforts to help build the most reliable and efficient cell manufacturing plant

What You’ll Bring

• Degree or equivalent experience in an engineering discipline or equivalent (Controls and Computer Control Systems, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, or related field)
• 5+ years of hands-on experience as a mechanical/manufacturing controls engineer working on automation and/or electromechanical systems
• Advanced proficiency programming industrial equipment in IEC 61131-3 languages, with a focus on structured text and ladder logic
• Experience with automated warehousing systems, and implementing and maintaining databases
• Experience with Siemens TIA Portal, Beckhoff, Rockwell, and similar platforms, including safety PLCs (Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Beckhoff, etc.)
• Experience with HMI/GUI systems (AB Panel View, Ignition, TIA/WinCC, B&R, etc.)
• Experience with fieldbus networks (EtherCAT, PROFINET, PROFIBUS, Modbus, POWERLINK, RS-232, etc.), OPC UA, and integration with PLCs, SCADA, and MES systems
• Proficiency selecting and integrating circuit protection, wire and cable, sensors, safety hardware, PLC hardware, remote I/O, VFDs, and servo systems
• Experience programming Cartesian, SCARA, and articulated robots (Fanuc, KUKA, etc.) preferred, along with vision systems (Cognex, Keyence, etc.)
• Experience with semi-automated/automated manufacturing equipment preferred