Tesla

Makes electric cars, robotaxis and grid batteries

Global Supply Manager - Mechanical

Procurement & SourcingConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

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

About the Job

Requirements

At least 5 years of experience in strategic sourcing or procurement focused on thermal management systems, electronics cooling, or high-reliability mechanical components in automotive or industrial applications.
A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Thermal Engineering, or an equivalent technical background.
Proven experience managing supply chains for complex, high-precision systems involving liquids, seals, and bonded interfaces.
Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills, including experience with cost modeling, total cost of ownership analysis, and supplier performance tracking.
Experience with Tier 1 suppliers, contract manufacturers, and specialist material providers in regulated or high-reliability environments.
Ability to build and maintain strong supplier relationships while ensuring innovation, quality, and supply resilience.

Responsibilities

Lead strategic sourcing for high-performance thermal dissipation systems used in vehicle-mounted computing platforms, including cold plates and liquid cooling manifolds with microchannel and conformal designs; thermal interface materials such as phase-changing materials, gap fillers, thermal greases, and bonded interfaces; heat spreaders and vapor chambers including wick structures, capillary design, and working fluid selection; integrated thermal packaging such as chip-to-enclosure thermal paths and die attach solutions; and manufacturing tooling and assembly processes such as precision bonding, leak testing, and vacuum filling.
Own the full sourcing lifecycle, including driving requests for quotations, contract negotiations covering nondisclosure agreements, general terms and conditions, and piece pricing, and supplier onboarding.
Develop and manage long-term strategic agreements that deliver cost, quality, reliability, and delivery advantages.
Ensure compliance with Tesla’s industrialization standards, thermal performance targets, and safety requirements, including fire resistance, fluid compatibility, and long-term stability.
Partner with engineering teams to define technical requirements and validate supplier capabilities.
Collaborate on thermal resistance, thermal cycling performance, pressure drop, and durability under vibration.
Evaluate suppliers based on material consistency, process yield, defect rate, and total cost of ownership.
Support new product introduction and ramp-to-scale with robust risk mitigation plans addressing risks such as thermal runaway, fluid leakage, and thermal interface material degradation.
Track advancements in thermal materials such as graphene-based thermal interface materials and high-conductivity composites, cooling architectures, and manufacturing processes.
Identify and act on supply chain risks such as rare material scarcity, limited supplier base, logistics constraints, and geopolitical factors.
Build contingency plans for mission-critical thermal components with zero tolerance for failure.
Communicate sourcing strategies, technical trade-offs, and risk exposure clearly across engineering, manufacturing, quality, finance, and legal teams.
Champion Tesla’s long-term vision for self-contained, scalable, and sustainable thermal solutions in high-performance computing systems.

Category	Supply Chain
Location	PALO ALTO, California
Requisition ID	275670
Type	Full-time

Job Description

Tesla is seeking a world-class Global Supply Manager (GSM) to lead the end-to-end sourcing strategy for advanced thermal dissipation systems that enable the reliable operation of next-generation vehicle computing platforms. These systems are critical for cooling high-power, high-density chips—such as the Full Self-Driving (FSD) computer, SI inference accelerators, and power electronics—under extreme automotive conditions (wide temperature ranges, vibration, humidity, and long-term durability).You will own the full supply chain lifecycle for thermal solutions including liquid cooling loops, cold plates, thermal interface materials (TIMs), heat spreaders, vapor chambers, and integrated thermal packaging—all engineered to deliver consistent performance, longevity, and safety in real-world driving environments.This role demands deep technical insight into thermal physics, materials science, and manufacturing scalability, combined with strategic sourcing excellence. You’ll work at the intersection of mechanical engineering, thermal design, and supply chain innovation to ensure Tesla’s computing systems remain cool, reliable, and future-proof.

Job Responsibilities

Lead strategic sourcing for high-performance thermal dissipation systems used in vehicle-mounted computing platforms, including:

Cold plates and liquid cooling manifolds (with microchannel and conformal designs)
Thermal interface materials (TIMs): phase-changing materials, gap fillers, thermal greases, and bonded interfaces
Heat spreaders and vapor chambers (including wick structures, capillary design, and working fluid selection)
Integrated thermal packaging (e.g., chip-to-enclosure thermal paths, die attach solutions)
Manufacturing tooling and assembly processes (e.g., precision bonding, leak testing, vacuum filling)

Own the full sourcing lifecycle:

Drive RFQs, contract negotiations (NDAs, GTCs, piece pricing), and supplier onboarding
Develop and manage long-term strategic agreements that deliver cost, quality, reliability, and delivery advantages
Ensure compliance with Tesla’s industrialization standards, thermal performance targets, and safety requirements (e.g., fire resistance, fluid compatibility, long-term stability)

Partner closely with engineering teams to define technical requirements and validate supplier capabilities:

Collaborate on thermal resistance, thermal cycling performance, pressure drop, and durability under vibration
Evaluate suppliers based on material consistency, process yield, defect rate, and TCO (Total Cost of Ownership)
Support NPI (New Product Introduction) and ramp-to-scale with robust risk mitigation plans (e.g., thermal runaway, fluid leakage, TIM degradation)

Monitor global market dynamics:

Track advancements in thermal materials (e.g., graphene-based TIMs, high-conductivity composites), cooling architectures, and manufacturing processes
Identify and act on supply chain risks (e.g., rare material scarcity, limited supplier base, logistics constraints, geopolitical factors)
Build contingency plans for mission-critical thermal components with zero tolerance for failure

Influence on company level:

Communicate sourcing strategies, technical trade-offs, and risk exposure clearly across engineering, manufacturing, quality, finance, and legal teams
Champion Tesla's long-term vision for self-contained, scalable, and sustainable thermal solutions in high-performance computing systems

Job Requirements

5+ years of experience in strategic sourcing or procurement, with a focus on thermal management systems, electronics cooling, or high-reliability mechanial components in automotive or industrial applications
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Thermal Engineering, or equivalent technical background
Proven experience managing supply chains for complex, high-precision systems involving liquids, seals, and bonded interfaces
Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills with experience in cost modeling, TCO analysis, and supplier performance tracking
Excellent communication and negotiation skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and external partners
Experience with Tier 1 suppliers, contract manufacturers, and specialist material providers in regulated or high-reliability environments
Ability to build and maintain strong supplier relationships, ensuring innovation, quality, and supply resilience

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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