Staff New Programs Engineer, Interiors Architecture

What to Expect

New Programs Engineering is at the front end of every new vehicle developed at Tesla. We take executive directions and turn them into a product: vehicle attributes, full-vehicle and sub system architectural design & engineering, and a production concept ready for Giga scale. This is a small team designed to rapidly pursue new product concepts & technologies, then architect vehicles that are delightful for our customers globally.

We’re looking for a mechanical design engineer to own full vehicle interior architectures on new products. You will work with Design, Human Factors & Ergonomics, Color, Materials & Finish, and Vehicle Engineering Teams to create products that are world-class in form and function and surprise & delight our customers. Product design expertise and a first principles approach matter more here than extensive project engineering or automotive-only experience.

What You’ll Do

• Architect and develop vehicle interiors from initial sketches through design & release of prototype-level components and systems that represent future production vehicles

• Produce engineering test articles that range in sophistication & fidelity from bucks and bench tests to full Alpha vehicles

• Own the product plan of record. Identify and burn down key risks & decisions. Close them with rigorous engineering & data so the concept is high-performing, robust, and desirable

• Own interiors attributes in the first stages of product definition. Frame tradeoffs for leadership — customer use cases, market data, cost, mass, performance, and other constraints that should drive the decision. Be the voice of the customer that advocates for experiences that surprise & delight them

• Capture, document, and trade off internal and legal requirements that determine the form and function of interior systems. Ensure assigned systems conform to all relevant market regulations

• Architect the system, design components, and participate in Studio design reviews to present proposals on design, engineering, vehicle packaging, safety, craftmanship, occupant safety, restraints, critical component packaging & integration, and other relevant criteria to drive down-selection with company leadership. Track interior surface feasibility and maturity through concept development

• Develop Catia 3D geometry for interior systems — instrument panel, center console, door trim, overhead trim, soft and hard trim, and seating — that can be tooled and mass manufactured

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field, or equivalent experience

• 5+ years of relevant industrial design and engineering experience

• Proficiency in 3D CAD using parametric elements and knowledge-based engineering tools (Catia, 3DX)

• Ability to interpret CAE results and integrate recommendations into product design. Capability to run FEA at part and system level

• Knowledge of vehicle attributes as they relate to interior systems, including Vehicle Safety, Human Factors & Ergonomics, NVH, and Durability

• Experience with automotive low-voltage and infotainment systems

• Knowledge of relevant manufacturing processes for production and prototype — injection/compression molding, composites, sheet metal forming, 3D printing, waterjet, and CNC

• Prior volume production experience

• Excellent communicator. Resourceful, proactive, and able to drive projects through ambiguity and tight timelines