Manufacturing Quality Engineer, Joining Quality

What to Expect

As part of the Manufacturing Quality team within Tesla's Vehicle Engineering organization, you will work across all manufacturing shops with a primary focus on joining, joint integrity, and joint traceability. In this role, you will drive proactive, plant-wide quality improvements for joining systems and processes. Key focus areas include joining systems integration and data pipelines, identification of critical parameters affecting data integrity and joining quality, incorporation of system and software failure modes, optimization through quality data engineering tools, and development of standardized integration and implementation requirements. The goal is to embed quality considerations early, reduce complexity at launch, and ensure robust detection, prevention, and traceability across all joining technologies in high-volume manufacturing environments.

What You’ll Do

• Own joining quality improvement projects from concept to completion across all shops and programs, spanning joining systems, joint integrity, traceability, data pipelines, and standardization

• Serve as the Joining SME, embedding early with joining, process, design, and controls teams to shape line and product design before it is finalized, and partnering with Design Engineering to implement joining process designs

• Investigate and optimize joining systems integration and data pipelines, challenging current architecture to better support high-volume manufacturing

• Identify system, software, and process failure modes across all joining technologies and build in corresponding detection and prevention methods (e.g., Poka-Yoke, failure mode elimination)

• Integrate joining systems with quality data engineering and anomaly detection tools to enable earlier detection and faster root cause analysis and corrective action

• Standardize joining technologies, parameters, and control function blocks—adhesives, torque, self-piercing rivets (SPR), bonding, welding, dispense and assembly—and define integration requirements that reduce control plan and validation complexity at launch

• Partner with Controls and Automation to build joining systems, dispense equipment traceability, and critical characteristics into plant control systems from the outset, reviewing automation and PLC logic early

• Lead end-to-end resolution of joining process faults, joint non-conformances, and factory-controllable root cause investigations as the dedicated quality liaison across shops

• Lead PFMEAs and control plans during early line design and support launch validations that drive improvements exceeding build quality targets for safety and reliability

• Build quality audit standards and procedures for joining systems, joint integrity, and traceability, and drive continuous improvement in joining methods and processes

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or Controls Engineering, or equivalent experience

• 2+ years of engineering experience in manufacturing or a manufacturing-related industry preferred, with a strong focus on joining processes

• Experience across multiple manufacturing shops or with high-volume automated assembly lines, with deep knowledge of joining technologies (welding, adhesives, torque, self-piercing rivets, bonding, etc.) and joint integrity and traceability practices

• Demonstrated expertise in joining systems integration, data pipelines, traceability systems, and resolution of joining process faults and non-conformances

• Familiarity with automation, PLC systems, and controls integration; ability to review PLC logic and support problem resolution on automated lines

• Experience with quality data engineering and anomaly detection tools and data integrity practices

• Proven ability to drive early cross-functional input on PFMEAs, control plans, and joining standardization across shops, including close collaboration with Design Engineering on joining process designs

• Strong background in identifying system, software, and process failure modes and implementing detection and prevention methods (including Design for Manufacturing and Poka-Yoke) in high-volume automotive or similar manufacturing

• Problem-solver with a strong quality- and customer-focused mindset and a bias for action

• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally to Tesla's sites as needed