Technical Program Manager - Cathode Manufacturing

Job Description

Tesla’s Cathode Manufacturing engineering group is looking for a highly motivated individual to work as a Technical Program Manager on the Cathode Programs team supporting commercial scale operations in Austin, TX. This is a cross-functional role which requires coordination between many different groups within the Cathode Manufacturing team as well as other internal Tesla stakeholders. You will drive critical operational initiatives including production ramp and development for new product introduction (NPI).  

You will interface with organizations across Tesla – Engineering/Process Development, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, Production Planning, Operations, and the Executive team – to drive the development and deployment of new manufacturing equipment and processes, as well as the planning and execution of new battery materials manufacturing facilities.  

You will lead program strategy from concept through validation and execution. You will communicate and present program status, highlight schedule risk, and develop recovery plans in the event of any delays.   

Job Responsibilities

• Owns the successful completion of complex programs or multiple programs at the same time, and may function in a project leadership role, defining scope for their programs together with leaders and peers

• Initiates and leads first principles thinking problem solving for the broader team. Identify risks and lead the team through mitigations

• Develop and relay essential information to both executive leadership and broader organizational stakeholders 

• Spearhead the development and execution of key strategic objectives related to financial activities across the organization 

• Manage program roadmaps to align with the framework of the overall program. Create, maintain, communicate, and present program schedules to the engineering leadership team  

• Define and drive tasks to be performed by the cross-functional team. Prioritize team project work based on schedule, risk, resources, and payback. Track deliverables, project status, and action items against the schedule  

• Identify creative ways to overcome obstacles and meet the schedule despite setbacks  

• Drive continuous improvement projects to execution, such as modifications needed to equipment by working with internal teams and equipment vendors  

• Continuously develop and adapt processes and methodologies to the team’s needs  

• Other duties as assigned  

Job Requirements

• Degree in an Engineering discipline, and/or evidence of equivalent exceptional experience 

• 3+ years of experience working in a manufacturing environment, in a mix of engineering and project management roles in the semiconductor, specialty chemicals, or oil and gas industry  

• Demonstrated experience in the management of engineering programs for mass-produced products and experience ramping up/scaling production  

• Experience developing processes and methodologies to suit specific engineering workflows desired  

• Demonstrated experience creating, maintaining, and communicating project schedules  

• Experience working with vendors and EPCs teams (Engineering, Procurement, Construction)   

• Positive, enthusiastic, and passionate about innovations in manufacturing technology  

• Experience with JIRA, Microsoft Project, Confluence, Gantt charts and other project management tools is desirable   

• Knowledge and understanding of Battery Cell technology a plus  

• Strong communication skills and collaboration across disciplines