Tesla

Makes electric cars, robotaxis and grid batteries

Manufacturing Technology Development Engineer - Optimus Hand

Manufacturing EngineeringUpdated on Nov 10

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

About the Job

Requirements

A degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent industry experience and evidence of exceptional ability; an advanced degree or relevant certifications are a plus.
At least 5 years of hands-on manufacturing process development experience, including taking complex precision or flexible assemblies from prototype through production ramp and yield improvement.
Direct experience developing processes in at least two of the following areas, with strong preference for all three: tendon, cable, or flexible routing and termination systems; polymer thermoforming, vacuum or pressure forming, or thin-film forming processes with integrated electronics or sensors; textile, soft goods, glove, or wearable assembly processes.
Strong capability in tooling and fixture design, CAD such as SolidWorks or equivalent, GD&T, and experimental methods including Design of Experiments, data analysis, metrology, and root-cause analysis.
Experience creating production-grade process documentation and validation approaches.
Ability to work in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with ownership and a bias for action.

Responsibilities

Develop and optimize novel manufacturing processes for the Optimus hand's tendon-driven architecture, including synthetic rope construction and termination or anchoring methods.
Lead process development for advanced tactile sensing hardware, focusing on thermoforming, dispensing, and lamination processes.
Create and scale glove, textile, and soft-covering integration processes, including cutting, bonding, lamination, sewing, encapsulation, and assembly of soft elements onto the hand structure for sensor protection, durability, and enhanced manipulation.
Design, build, and iterate custom tooling, fixtures, molds, and process equipment to support rapid research and development builds and transition to repeatable, production-intent processes.
Execute Design of Experiments, process characterization, and capability studies; establish robust process windows and controls for new materials and high-precision assemblies.
Partner with mechanical design, actuator, sensor, and controls teams to provide design-for-manufacturing input early, enabling high dexterity, cost reduction, and high-volume manufacturability.
Own process documentation, including work instructions, standard operating procedures, control plans, and travelers, and support prototype builds, yield improvement, and issue resolution through pilot production.
Collaborate with supply chain and internal teams on in-house versus supplier process strategies for specialty materials.
Conduct raw-material selection and vendor qualification, establishing quality standards that meet cost and performance objectives.
Drive cost, cycle-time, and reliability improvements to make the Optimus hand production-ready at scale.

Desired Qualifications

Advanced degree or relevant certifications.
Experience with all three process areas: tendon, cable, or flexible routing and termination systems; polymer forming with integrated electronics or sensors; and textile, soft-goods, glove, or wearable assembly processes.
Experience with TPU or similar thermoplastics.

Category	Tesla SI
Location	Palo Alto, California
Requisition ID	273400
Type	Full-time

Job Description

<p>Tesla is building Optimus, a general-purpose humanoid robot designed to perform unsafe, repetitive, and boring tasks—ultimately creating abundance through SI and robotics at a massive scale. The hand is one of the most critical and complex subsystems: a high-dexterity, tendon-driven mechanism with advanced tactile sensing. </p><p>We are looking for a hands-on Manufacturing Process Development Engineer to drive R&D and early production process development for novel manufacturing techniques specific to the Optimus hand. This includes precision tendon (cable) routing and termination systems, advanced tactile sensor fabrication, and the integration of gloves, textiles, and soft goods for durability, protection, and human-like interaction. This is a first-principles, high-ownership role. You will develop processes that do not yet exist at scale, own them from concept through prototype and into production ramp, and directly enable the cost, quality, and throughput targets required for Optimus to ship in volume. </p>

Job Responsibilities

Develop and optimize novel manufacturing processes for the tendon-driven architecture of the Optimus hand, including synthetic rope construction and termination/anchoring methods
Lead process development for advanced tactile sensing hardware, with a focus on thermoforming, dispensing, and lamination processes
Create and scale processes for glove, textile, and soft covering integration—including cutting, bonding, lamination, sewing, encapsulation, and assembly of soft elements onto the hand structure for sensor protection, durability, and enhanced manipulation
Design, build, and iterate custom tooling, fixtures, molds, and process equipment to support rapid R&D builds and transition to repeatable, production-intent processes
Execute Design of Experiments (DOE), process characterization, and capability studies. Establish robust process windows and controls for new materials and high-precision assemblies
Partner closely with mechanical design, actuator, sensor, and controls teams to provide DFM input early, driving designs that achieve high dexterity while enabling extreme cost reduction and high-volume manufacturability
Own process documentation (work instructions, SOPs, control plans, travelers) and support prototype builds, yield improvement, and issue resolution through pilot production
Collaborate with supply chain and internal teams on in-house vs. supplier process strategies for specialty materials
Conduct raw material selection and vendor qualification, establishing strict quality standards to meet cost and performance objectives
Drive first-principles cost, cycle time, and reliability improvements to make the Optimus hand production-ready at scale

Job Requirements

Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field (advanced degree or relevant certifications are a plus), or equivalent industry experience and evidence of exceptional ability
5+ years of hands-on manufacturing process development experience, with a track record taking complex precision or flexible assemblies from prototype through production ramp and yield improvement
Direct experience developing processes in at least two of these areas (strong preference for all three): Tendon, cable, or flexible routing/termination systems (especially in high-cycle or high-precision mechanisms); Polymer thermoforming, vacuum/pressure forming, or thin-film forming processes with integrated electronics or sensors (TPU or similar thermoplastics experience highly relevant); Textile, soft goods, glove, or wearable assembly processes (bonding, lamination, sewing, or hybrid rigid-flex integration)
Strong capability in tooling/fixture design, CAD (SolidWorks or equivalent), GD&T, and experimental methods (DOE, data analysis, metrology, root cause)
Experience creating production-grade process documentation and validation approaches
Proven ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with extreme ownership and a bias for action

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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