Lead Thermal Engineer, Energy Products

What to Expect
Tesla Energy is bringing battery, solar, and charging technologies to the grid, establishing new industries and defining the future of renewable energy ecosystems. This team is at the forefront of how we will generate, distribute, and consume power today and in the future. Our team is composed of individuals who are fast-moving, self-motivated, who love to solve difficult problems, and are team players.

As the Thermal Engineering Lead of the Thermal Design Team, you will lead the thermal engineering team that is modeling and driving the detailed design of the thermal systems, including refrigerant cycles and air/coolant systems, that help make Tesla Energy products world class. You will be working with a highly motivated and interdisciplinary team that rethinks how thermal systems should be designed from the ground up. In this role, you will start from blank page designs and build up to the top-level design ownership with a first principles design approach. Your expertise will be applied to everything from the high-level system layout and performance scoping, to the detailed analyses of fluid, heat transfer, and thermodynamic fundamentals of heat pump cycle components and broader thermal system components.

The role is collaborative and cross-functional, requiring extensive interfacing with teams including systems engineering, parallel design teams, electrical/firmware engineering, and systems integration, to name a few. This role requires the ability to apply engineering fundamentals to design thermal systems that are at the core of Tesla’s success.

What You’ll Do

• Lead in-depth modeling of fan/radiator systems, pumped coolant systems, and compression cycles to drive design concepts and detailed design decisions for next generation Tesla Energy thermal systems
• Balance physics-based 1D analytical models with higher fidelity CFD/FEA and empirical approaches to efficiently drive to the fundamentals of thermal systems and thermodynamic cycles and optimize component performance
• Collaborate with design engineers to iterate on design strategies and optimize performance/system metrics at the detailed component level and subsystem level
• Support programs through the entire life cycle including spec development, modeling, prototype builds, test, and production
• Develop and support execution of component/subsystem DFMEA and design validation plans/methods to validate product adherence to requirements, in collaboration with parallel validation and systems engineering teams
• Support creation of component/subsystem specifications and technical design documents
• Establish and maintain team technology, working methods, and process roadmaps, spearheading the continued success of Tesla Energy thermal engineering

What You’ll Bring

• Excellent first principles understanding of heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics with relevant experience
• MATLAB and/or Python experience for building physics-based 1D models
• Strong fundamentals in FEA/CFD with demonstrated experience
• Experience modeling, testing and designing thermal components, such as single and multi-phase heat exchangers, compressors, fans, pumps, etc.
• CAD modeling experience preferred, CATIA V5/6 a plus
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes and practical design limitations
• A detail-oriented personality with solid documentation and reporting skills, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work in a fast-paced and challenging environment
• Demonstrable motivation and ability to solve novel, difficult thermal design problems