Tesla

Makes electric cars, robotaxis and grid batteries

Gear Manufacturing Engineer - Drive Systems Gear Lab

Manufacturing EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timePalo Alto, CA, USANo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent experience.
At least 3 years of machine shop or manufacturing engineering experience, including at least 1 year of gear manufacturing experience. Experience with CAD/CAM, mill-turn, and EDM is a bonus.
Demonstrated ability to lead, plan, and execute part manufacturing from raw material to finished, inspected part, including process design, tooling, and workholding, with minimal supervision.
Hands-on proficiency programming, setting up, and operating multiple gear manufacturing processes, including grinding, hobbing, shaping, skiving, broaching, turning and hard turning, and milling.
Ability to read and interpret gear manufacturing drawings, data tables, and inspection reports.
Thorough knowledge of engineering drawings, GD&T (ASME Y14.5), and gear and spline metrology.
Proficiency with basic shop tools and machines, including manual mills, engine lathes, drill presses, bandsaws, belt sanders, and hand tools, and measurement tools, including calipers, micrometers, gauge pins, bore gauges, and optical comparators.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and root-cause skills, attention to detail, and mechanical aptitude.
Verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to develop and present technical information and mentor others in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end planning and execution of prototype gear and geartrain component manufacturing, from forging to finished part, including process planning, process drawings, workholding, tooling, and inspection.
Program, set up, and operate the Gear Lab's core gear grinder for generating and profile grinding. Oversee technicians and machinists operating CNC mill-turn machines, a vacuum heat-treat furnace, metallurgical preparation and inspection equipment, and gear/spline metrology equipment (CMM/GMM).
Develop and prove new in-house manufacturing capabilities and technologies.
Optimize processes to ensure tight tolerances in a wide range of materials under aggressive prototype deadlines.
Partner with design engineers to provide design-for-manufacturability (DFM) feedback on schedule-critical prototypes.
Coordinate with project management to resolve conflicting priorities and ensure efficient use of resources.
Identify, source, and develop tooling, workholding, and peripheral equipment; manage supplier relationships for machines, tooling, and consumables.
Serve as the team's technical lead and mentor by providing daily guidance to machinists and junior engineers, setting technical direction, promoting quality and meticulous planning, and running cross-functional alignment meetings with DSE and partner teams.
Improve gear quality and develop technology across Tesla's supply base by troubleshooting supplier processes and using Gear Lab capabilities to drive consistency and quality.
Maintain shop equipment and an organized workspace, and perform assignments in accordance with EH&S and security policies.

Desired Qualifications

Experience with CAD/CAM, mill-turn, and EDM.

Category	Engineering & Information Technology
Location	Palo Alto, California
Requisition ID	276069
Type	Full-time

Job Description

Tesla’s Drive Systems Engineering group is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Gear Manufacturing Engineer to join the team and contribute to our mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. This is an opportunity to be an integral part of a specialized team within Tesla’s Drive Systems research efforts to produce the world’s best electric propulsion systems.  As the technical lead of the Gear Lab you will plan and oversee execution of the full gear manufacturing process from raw forging to finished product – spanning grinding, hobbing, broaching, skiving, turning and hard turning, 5-axis milling, heat treatment, and metrology. Achieving our ambitious goals requires you to be passionate, collaborative, detail-oriented, and tenacious in the application of manufacturing knowledge to deliver precision components to exacting specifications.  You will develop new in-house capabilities, mentor machinists and junior engineers, and serve as Tesla’s go-to technical expert for gear manufacturing. This is a highly hands-on role at the intersection of manufacturing engineering and precision machining. This position will be stationed within Tesla’s greater Prototype Machine Shop which serves engineering initiatives across the entire organization, including pre-production vehicles, energy systems, artificial intelligence, and other future-shaping products.  Our world-class team is excited to work with you to grow that impact!

Job Responsibilities

Own end-to-end planning and execution of prototype gear and geartrain component manufacturing, from forging to finished part, including process planning, process drawings, work holding, tooling, and inspection
Program, set up, and operate the Gear Lab’s core gear grinder (generating and profile grinding). Oversee technicians and machinists operating CNC mill-turn machines, vacuum heat treat furnace, metallurgical prep and inspection, and gear/spline metrology (CMM/GMM)
Develop and prove new in-house manufacturing capabilities and technologies to stay at the forefront of the industry
Optimize processes to ensure tight tolerances in a wide range of materials under aggressive prototype deadlines
Partner with design engineers to provide design-for-manufacturability (DFM) feedback on schedule-critical prototypes
Coordinate with project management to resolve conflicting priorities and ensure efficient use of resources
Identify, source, and develop tooling, workholding, and peripheral equipment. Manage supplier relationships for machines, tooling, and consumables
Serve as the team’s technical lead and mentor – provide daily guidance to machinists and junior engineers, set technical direction, instill a culture of quality and meticulous planning, and run cross-functional alignment meetings with DSE and partner teams
Improve gear quality and develop technology across Tesla’s supply base – troubleshoot supplier processes and leverage Gear Lab capabilities to drive consistency and quality
Maintain shop equipment, a clean and organized workspace, and perform all assignments in accordance with EH&S and security policies

Job Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent experience
3+ years of machine shop or manufacturing engineering experience, including 1+ years of gear manufacturing experience. Experience with CAD/CAM, mill-turn, and EDM a bonus
Demonstrated ability to lead, plan and execute part manufacturing from raw material to finished, inspected part, including process design, tooling, and work holding with minimal supervision
Hands-on proficiency programming, setting up, and operating multiple gear manufacturing processes (grinding, hobbing, shaping, skiving, broaching, turning/hard turning, milling)
Ability to read and interpret gear manufacturing drawings, data tables, and inspection reports
Thorough knowledge of engineering drawings, GD&T (ASME Y14.5), and gear and spline metrology
Proficient with basic shop tools and machines (manual mill, engine lathe, drill press, bandsaw, belt sanders, hand tools, etc.) and measurement tools (calipers, micrometers, gauge pins, bore gauges, optical comparator)
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and root-cause skills, with excellent attention to detail and mechanical aptitude
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with ability to develop and present technical information and mentor others in a dynamic and fast paced environment

About the Company

Tesla

Makes electric cars, robotaxis and grid batteries

Tesla makes electric cars and batteries that store power for homes and utilities, and it develops self-driving software and humanoid robots. In 2023, its Model Y became the first electric vehicle to rank as the world's best-selling car. Buyers order the Model 3 sedan, Model Y SUV, or Cybertruck pickup directly from Tesla instead of through dealers, and they charge on its Supercharger fast-charging network. It also sells Megapack and Powerwall batteries, runs a robotaxi service, and charges drivers a monthly fee for self-driving software that still needs their supervision. Tesla was founded in 2003, with Elon Musk as its lead early investor and a recognized co-founder, and it is based in Austin, Texas.

Company size: 10,001+
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: Austin, TX
Founded: 2003

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