Tesla

Makes electric cars, robotaxis and grid batteries

Hardware Development Engineer - Magnetics

Manufacturing EngineeringUpdated on Nov 10

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

About the Job

Requirements

A degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials, Physics, Magnetic Materials, Manufacturing, or related Engineering, or equivalent experience.
At least 3 years of experience industrializing, manufacturing, or qualifying ferrites, permanent magnets, powder cores, or wound magnetic components such as transformers, inductors, chokes, and wireless-charging coils.
Hands-on fluency with ferrite or magnet manufacturing processes, including pressing, sintering or annealing, grinding, gapping, and magnetizing, and/or winding processes including bobbin, toroid, foil, litz, impregnation, and termination.
Working knowledge of magnetic materials and circuit behavior, including B-H loops, permeability versus bias and temperature, core loss, skin and proximity effects, leakage, saturation, magnetostriction, and insulation systems.
Ability to specify and interpret magnetic tests, including LCR, B-H analyzer, core-loss measurement, impedance or network analysis, hipot or partial discharge, and thermal derating.
Proven ownership of APQP or PPAP (or equivalent), PFMEA, control plans, MSA, SPC, and Cpk on magnetic and dimensional characteristics.
Experience with incoming material control for powders, oxides, rare-earth magnets, magnet wire, and insulation, including lot traceability and aging or humidity sensitivity of ferrites and magnets.
Use structured problem-solving methods such as 8D, FTA, and DOE, and work comfortably with data.

Responsibilities

Own industrialization of ferrite and magnetic components from powder and melt through winding, assembly, testing, and stable mass production, including MnZn and NiZn ferrites, powder and nanocrystalline cores, sintered and bonded magnets, transformers, inductors, common-mode chokes, wireless-charging coils, and current-sense magnetics.
Develop and qualify supplier processes across the magnetic value chain: powder preparation, pressing or injection, sintering or annealing, grinding and gapping, coating, magnetization, winding with magnet wire or foil, impregnation or varnish, termination, and final electrical testing.
Lead design for manufacturability with Tesla Power Electronics, Motor, and Charging design teams, resolving core geometry, gap, winding window, leakage, parasitics, thermal, and insulation issues before tooling and ferrite-tool steel are cut.
Define material and process special characteristics, including AL or inductance, permeability, core loss (Pcv) versus B and f, saturation (Bs), Br/Hc for magnets, DCR, leakage inductance, turns ratio, hipot or partial discharge, and thermal aging.
Qualify production lines and materials, including furnace profiles, atmosphere control, density and shrinkage, grinding capability, gap consistency, winding tension and layering, varnish fill, magnetization fixtures, and 100% or sample electrical testing (LCR, B-H, core loss, and hipot).
Drive APQP and PPAP (or Tesla equivalent), including material certifications, incoming powder or magnet lot control, and process capability for magnetic and dimensional characteristics.
Audit ferrite, magnet, and wound-component factories against IATF 16949, VDA 6.3, and Tesla requirements, extending control to sub-tier powder, oxide, rare-earth, copper, and insulation suppliers.
Lead on-site debugging of magnetic drift, high core loss, saturation, noise or magnetostriction, insulation failures, and winding defects using first-principles magnetics and process data.
Translate Tesla application conditions, including high frequency, high ripple, DC bias, thermal cycling, vibration, and humidity, into material selection, process windows, and qualification against AEC-Q200, IEC 60404, IEC 61558 or 62368, and applicable automotive environmental requirements.
Partner with Purchasing and Design on cost, dual-sourcing, and localization of ferrites, magnets, and wound magnetics without sacrificing B-H performance or reliability.
Build capacity and yield models to match Tesla ramp; challenge sintering OEE, grind yield, copper fill, and scrap.

Desired Qualifications

Experience with power electronics, EV drivetrain, or high-frequency magnetics is preferred.
Experience with EV onboard charger, DC-DC, drive inverter, motor, or wireless-charging magnetics is preferred.
IATF or VDA audit experience is preferred.
Six Sigma or CQE is preferred.
Experience with JMP, Minitab, or Python is a plus.
Experience with FEA magnetics using Maxwell or FEMM is a plus.

Category	Supply Chain
Location	PALO ALTO, California
Requisition ID	287846
Type	Full-time

Job Description

Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Power electronics, motors, charging, and energy products only work if the magnetics do — cores that do not saturate, windings that do not fail hipot, magnets that hold flux after heat and time. The Hardware Development Engineer for Ferrite and Magnetic components owns the manufacturing process for this commodity. You connect Tesla Design and Reliability to ferrite plants, magnet makers, and winding houses. You are expected to understand both the physics of the magnetic circuit and the furnace, press, grind, and winding process that produce it. You will take ferrites, powder cores, permanent magnets, transformers, inductors, chokes, and wireless-charging coils from material development through PPAP and ramp. You will be in sintering kilns, grind rooms, and winding cells, and you will not leave a yield or magnetic-drift problem as “material variation.”

Job Responsibilities

Own industrialization of ferrite and magnetic components from powder and melt through winding, assembly, test, and stable mass production — including MnZn / NiZn ferrites, powder and nanocrystalline cores, sintered and bonded magnets, transformers, inductors, common-mode chokes, wireless-charging coils, and current-sense magnetics
Develop and qualify supplier processes across the magnetic value chain: powder preparation, pressing / injection, sintering or annealing, grinding and gapping, coating, magnetization, winding (magnet wire, foil), impregnation / varnish, termination, and final electrical test
Lead DFM with Tesla Power Electronics, Motor, and Charging design teams. Close core geometry, gap, winding window, leakage, parasitics, thermal, and insulation issues before tooling and ferrite-tool steel are cut
Define material and process special characteristics: AL / inductance, permeability, core loss (Pcv) vs. B and f, saturation (Bs), Br/Hc for magnets, DCR, leakage inductance, turns ratio, hipot / partial discharge, and thermal aging
Qualify lines and materials: furnace profiles, atmosphere control, density / shrinkage, grinding capability, gap consistency, winding tension and layering, varnish fill, magnetization fixtures, and 100% or sample electrical test (LCR, B-H, core loss, hipot)
Drive APQP and PPAP (or Tesla equivalent), including material certifications, incoming powder / magnet lot control, and process capability on magnetic and dimensional characteristics
Audit ferrite, magnet, and wound-component factories against IATF 16949, VDA 6.3, and Tesla requirements. Extend control into sub-tier powder, oxide, rare-earth, copper, and insulation suppliers
Lead on-site debug of magnetic drift, high core loss, saturation, noise / magnetostriction, insulation failures, and winding defects. Use first-principles magnetics and process data
Translate Tesla application conditions (high frequency, high ripple, DC bias, thermal cycling, vibration, humidity) into material selection, process windows, and qualification (AEC-Q200, IEC 60404, IEC 61558 / 62368, automotive environmental where applicable)
Partner with Purchasing and Design on cost, dual-source, and localization of ferrites, magnets, and wound magnetics without sacrificing B-H performance or reliability. Build capacity and yield models that match Tesla ramp; challenge sintering OEE, grind yield, copper fill, and scrap

Job Requirements

Degree in Electrical, Materials, Physics, Magnetic Materials, Manufacturing, or related Engineering, or equivalent experience

3+ years industrializing, manufacturing, or qualifying ferrites, permanent magnets, powder cores, or wound magnetic components (transformers, inductors, chokes, wireless-charging coils). Power electronics, EV drivetrain, or high-frequency magnetics preferred

Hands-on fluency with ferrite / magnet manufacturing (press, sinter / anneal, grind, gap, magnetize) and / or winding processes (bobbin, toroid, foil, litz, impregnation, termination)

Working knowledge of magnetic materials and circuit behavior: B-H loops, permeability vs. bias and temperature, core loss, skin / proximity effect, leakage, saturation, magnetostriction, and insulation systems

Ability to specify and interpret magnetic tests: LCR, B-H analyzer, core-loss measurement, impedance / network analysis, hipot / partial discharge, and thermal derating

Proven ownership of APQP / PPAP (or equivalent), PFMEA, control plans, MSA, SPC, and Cpk on magnetic and dimensional characteristics

Experience with incoming material control for powders, oxides, rare-earth magnets, magnet wire, and insulation — including lot traceability and aging / humidity sensitivity of ferrites and magnets

Structured problem solving (8D, FTA, DOE) and comfort with data. JMP, Minitab, or Python a plus; FEA magnetics (Maxwell, FEMM) a plus

Preferred: EV onboard charger, DC-DC, drive inverter, motor, or wireless-charging magnetics; IATF / VDA audit experience; Six Sigma / CQE

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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