Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Terafab Jobs in Austin, TX at Tesla
Title: Sr. Mechanical Engineer, Terafab
Company: Tesla
Location: Austin, TX
What To Expect
We are building Terafab, a vertically integrated semiconductor factory at an unprecedented scale. The facility houses logic, memory, packaging, test, and lithography mask production under one roof, optimized for rapid iteration and maximum compute density per square foot.
Join Terafab's core engineering team to design the fab as a high-volume manufacturing line. You'll own mechanical design across custom machinery, tooling, fixtures, and process equipment — solving problems where no vendor solution exists. You'll be the interdisciplinary owner for complex systems where mechanical, thermal, and process constraints collide. Design it, build it, commission it, and solve the hard problems that emerge when hardware meets reality at scale.
What You'll Do
Own mechanical design across the fab – custom tooling, material handling systems, equipment supports, process machinery, and manufacturing systems
Work from first principles – evaluate trade-offs (why 5-point vs 3-point support?), select materials against thermal, mechanical, and cost constraints, and defend the design with physics rather than heuristics
Act as the interdisciplinary system owner – integrate mechanical, thermal, electrical, and process requirements, and balance competing constraints across domains
Lead hardware end-to-end – from concept through production ramp, including qualification, documentation, and handoff to operations
Simplify through design – eliminate parts, reduce assembly steps, and design for the build sequence and for serviceability
Work hands-on on the fab floor – commission systems, measure reality against CAD, and debug the multi-variable failures that only surface at scale (tolerance stack-ups, thermal growth, dynamic loads)
What You'll Bring
Degree in Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent experience
5+ years of mechanical design experience in high-volume manufacturing – full lifecycle from concept through production and continuous improvement
Exceptional first-principles ability – derive solutions from statics, dynamics, heat transfer, and materials science
Cross-disciplinary fluency – work across mechanical, thermal, electrical, and process domains to drive system-level decisions
Expert CAD (CATIA, SolidWorks, or similar) with fluency in GD&T, tolerance analysis, DFM/DFA, and FEA/CFD for design validation
Deep knowledge of machines and manufacturing – motors, bearings, actuators, sensors, robotics, and how parts are made at scale (machining, sheet metal, casting, welding)
Proven commissioning and troubleshooting experience – hands-on assembly, debug, and ramp of physical systems; bridges the gap between "works in CAD" and "works in production"
Benefits
Compensation and Benefits
Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:
Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution
Company Paid (Health Savings Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSA
Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
Company paid Basic Life, AD&D
Short-term and long-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
Employee Assistance Program
Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly positions), and Paid Holidays
Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
Weight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs
Tesla Babies program
Commuter benefits
Employee discounts and perks program
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