Tesla

Makes electric cars, robotaxis and grid batteries

Mechanical Design Engineer - Injection Molding

Thermal & Fluids EngineeringUpdated on Nov 12

Full-timeFremont, CA, USANo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

A degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer/Plastics Engineering, or equivalent experience is required.
At least 3 years of related experience in a technology-based industry using automated assembly techniques is required; high-volume process experience is preferred.
Hands-on trial experience and injection molding simulation expertise across fill, pack, cool, and warp analyses using Moldflow, SIGMASOFT, or an equivalent tool are required.
CFD and heat transfer proficiency using STAR-CCM+, Ansys Fluent, or a similar tool is required, including conjugate heat transfer.
Working knowledge of structural and thermo-mechanical computer-aided engineering for mold tools using ANSYS or a similar tool is required.
Strong fundamentals in materials science and polymer rheology, including non-Newtonian flow and viscoelasticity, are required.
Mechanical design experience and 3D computer-aided design skills are required.
Strong organizational skills, meticulous attention to detail, and mastery of collaboration tools including Microsoft Office, Confluence, and Jira are required.
Ability to travel up to 15% is required.

Responsibilities

Own plastic injection mold and thermal simulation from initial design concept through tool release.
Optimize injection mold process parameters, including fill (time, flow front, weld lines, air traps, and shear) and pack/hold (switchover, gate freeze, pack profile, sink, and shrinkage).
Run the process from gate and runner design through vents, waterlines, hot-spot closure, thermal cycling, mold deflection, and warpage.
Size cooling circuits, model melt behavior, and check tools for deflection, thermal stress, and fatigue under clamp and injection loads.
Own simulations and analysis of adjacent forming processes, including vacuum film thermoforming of viscoelastic polymers and radiant heating (infrared emitter layout, zone control, view factors, radiative exchange, and optical ray tracing).
Partner with Product Design, Tool Designers, and Process Engineering to establish tooling requirements, provide early design-for-manufacturing input and process feedback using simulation data, and develop optimization strategies to improve cycle time, yield, and uptime.
Provide supporting design validation analysis, including detailed finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, and failure mode and effects analysis reports, to drive engineering decisions.
Participate in on-site construction and commissioning, serving as a point of contact for technical inquiries and real-time issue resolution.
Correlate simulation models with real-world production during on-site commissioning, serve as the technical point of contact for tooling suppliers, and resolve complex project issues.
Provide equipment validation documentation and ensure all specifications are met.

Desired Qualifications

Experience with high-volume processes is preferred.
Experience with viscoelastic flow solvers such as Ansys Polyflow or equivalent, and constitutive models for polymer melts such as K-BKZ and Ogden, for thermoforming, blow molding, and related processes is a plus.
CATIA is preferred, with a strong preference for injection mold tool design or related tooling development.
Experience with vacuum film thermoforming, infrared/radiative heat transfer modeling, and Python or macro scripting for simulation automation is preferred.

Category	Manufacturing
Location	Fremont, California
Requisition ID	287704
Type	Full-time

Job Description

Tesla’s Materials Manufacturing Engineering team is at the forefront of developing first-of-a-kind processes which allow us to produce amazing vehicles at best-in-class quality and rate; in a safe and ergonomic environment. The Machining & Coatings team is seeking a Mechanical Design Engineer with a heavy focus on advanced simulation and process optimization to support the scaling of our operations and product range. The primary responsibility is executing complex virtual simulation validation, thermal modeling, and fluid flow simulations rather than standard physical component drafting. This includes executing design and automation projects for integration in any one of Tesla’s global facilities. This position requires up to 15% travel.The ideal candidate is a self-starter and strong independent worker, who can collaborate closely with internal cross-functional teams, external vendors, and technology partners to take a project to full production. The candidate takes pride in their hands-on work, analytical ability, organizational skills and attention to detail.  They appreciate an environment where superior work is encouraged, noticed and rewarded and where individuals carry tremendous responsibility.  They look forward to learning an incredible amount on the job.

Job Responsibilities

Own plastic injection mold and thermal simulation from initial design concept through tool release
Optimize injection mold process parameters; fill (time, flow front, weld lines, air traps, shear) and pack/hold (switchover, gate freeze, pack profile, sink, shrinkage)
Run the loop from gate and runner design through vents, waterlines, hot-spot closure, thermal cycling, mold deflection, and warpage
Size cooling circuits, model melt behavior, and check the tool for deflection, thermal stress, and fatigue under clamp and injection loads
Own simulations/analysis of adjacent forming processes; vacuum film thermoforming of viscoelastic polymers, radiant heating (IR emitter layout, zone control, view factors, radiative exchange, optical ray tracing)
Partner with Product Design, Tool Designers, and Process Engineering to establish tooling requirements, using simulation data to provide early DFM input, process feedback, and optimization strategies that improve cycle time, yield, and uptime
Provide comprehensive supporting design validation analysis, including detailed FEA, CFD, and FMEA reports to drive engineering decisions
Participate in on-site construction and commissioning activities, serving as the point of contact for technical inquiries and real-time issue resolution
Participate in on-site commissioning activities to correlate simulation models with real-world production, serving as the technical point of contact for tooling suppliers and resolving complex project issues
Provide comprehensive equipment validation documentation, ensuring all specifications met

Job Requirements

Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer/Plastics Engineering, or equivalent experience
3+ years related experience in a technology-based industry, where automated assembly techniques are utilized (high-volume process experience preferred)
Hands-on trial experience paired with injection molding simulation mastery (Moldflow, SIGMASOFT, or equivalent) across fill, pack, cool, and warp analyses
CFD and heat transfer proficiency (STAR-CCM+, Ansys Fluent, or similar), including conjugate heat transfer, and working knowledge of structural and thermo-mechanical CAE (ANSYS or similar) for mold tools
Strong fundamentals in materials science and polymer rheology, including non-Newtonian flow and viscoelasticity
Experience with viscoelastic flow solvers (Ansys Polyflow, or equivalent) and constitutive models for polymer melts (K-BKZ, Ogden) for thermoforming, blow molding, and related processes is a plus
Mechanical design experience and 3D CAD skills (CATIA preferred) with a strong preference for injection mold tool design or related tooling development
Excellent organizational skills, meticulous attention to detail, and mastery of collaboration tools including MS Office suite, Confluence, and Jira
Preferred experience with vacuum film thermoforming, IR/radiative heat transfer modelling, and Python or macro scripting for simulation automation
Ability to travel up to 15%

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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