Sr. Materials Test Engineer, Failure Analysis

What to Expect
The purpose of the Tesla Materials Engineering organization is to facilitate the Tesla mission to build a world of sustainable abundance via the identification, development and insertion of advanced materials and processes.

The team is seeking a Materials Test Engineer with an emphasis on materials failure analysis to lead complex, cross-functional materials failure analysis initiatives and deliver actionable feedback to materials, design, and manufacturing engineers to enable Tesla’s product, process, and materials development initiatives.

Moreover, you will lead materials-level testing, prototyping, characterization, and test specification development.
What You’ll Do

• Coordinate materials testing and characterization initiatives, with a focus on failure analysis for both materials and components to resolve engineering product failures or drive rapid materials and process development
• Develop and execute test plans to determine the root cause of unexpected failures, or support materials development and establish process-structure-property-performance relationships
• Lead prototyping initiatives which aim to collect early data from samples representative of in development materials or processes
• Lead projects to establish test-to-field correlations and/or test method developments
• Collaborate with a broad spectrum of functions and teams within Tesla to drive risks/concerns to a root cause and resolution
• Collaborate with engineering technicians to support test setup, execution, and reporting
• Oversee the selection and purchase of new laboratory assets, when applicable

What You’ll Bring

• Materials Engineering degree, or equivalent experience

• Experience with common materials test methods, characterization techniques, and associated equipment, including characterization (OM, SEM-EDS, FTIR, DSC/TGA/DMA), mechanical (hardness/tensile/bend/impact/scratch and mar), environmental (corrosion, temperature and humidity cycling, UV weathering)

• Experience in sample preparation (metallographic, waterjet, band saw, basic hand tools) and equipment prototyping (VIM, furnaces, rolling mills, twin screw extruders, polymer re-grinders)

• Diverse knowledge of metals, polymers, ceramics, their processing, and their failure modes for a variety of stresses

• Track record of using materials engineering fundamentals (process-structure-properties-performance relationships) to solve problems or influence design or manufacturing decisions

• Strong communication skills with the ability to summarize test results and communicate significance to a non-materials engineering audience

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage large data sets, direct efforts of engineering technicians, and manage multiple projects

• Experience working in a laboratory environment and willingness to promote health and safety across the team