Associate Equipment Engineer, Model 3

What to Expect

Tesla's Model 3 General Assembly team is seeking an Associate Equipment Engineer to troubleshoot, develop, and optimize equipment, fixtures, and end-of-arm tooling for production. Based at our Fremont factory, this role ensures the performance, reliability, and continuous improvement of equipment used in Production. The engineer will work with cross-functional teams, manage tooling designs, and drive initiatives to maximize overall equipment effectiveness and manufacturing efficiency.

What You’ll Do

• Provide day-to-day coverage of production equipment, including robots, conveyors, auto fastening systems, and dispense/validation stations
• Respond to alarms, breakdowns, and production requests promptly to minimize downtime and ensure continuity
• Diagnose equipment failures, perform root cause analysis, and document corrective actions
• Own equipment health and uptime metrics — drive TPM, PM completion, and reliability improvements
• Develop and maintain Preventive Maintenance (PM) procedures and schedules, ensuring sustainable equipment performance
• Support major repairs, rebuilds, and retrofits during planned downtime or production breaks
• Collaborate with Controls, Process, and Test Engineering to address equipment issues, implement design changes, and improve OEE
• Participate in spare parts strategy and manage component reliability with vendors and maintenance engineering
• Design and implement equipment reliability improvement projects, focusing on hardware upgrades, improved component design, and operator ergonomics

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Mechanical, Mechatronic, Manufacturing, or Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience
• Experience in mechanical/electrical systems and custom machine-building
• Expertise in Solid Works, automation systems, PLCs, robotics, and electromechanical components
• Familiarity with DFM, OEE, process validation, welding, CNC, and pneumatic systems
• Strong problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities in a dynamic environment
• Passionate about optimizing manufacturing equipment and processes, and be hands-on in manufacturing environment