Staff Mechanical Design Engineer – Cabin Engineering

Role overview

The Cabin Engineering group owns the concept work, development, and launch of nearly every customer-visible interior area in Tesla vehicles, spanning Seats across all rows, including structures, support systems, comfort and mechatronics, as well as Interiors such as the cockpit, door trims, console, overhead trims, hard trims, and soft trims. The team works across the full vehicle lifecycle, from early concept through end of life, with a strong focus on delivering premium interior systems while balancing cost, weight, manufacturability, and other key product attributes.

This position plays an important liaison role between the engineering teams in the US and Berlin, helping solve complex challenges collaboratively. As part of a global organization, the role also partners with Cabin teams in the US and China, plus multiple cross-functional groups, to keep innovating and launching new products for Europe and other expanding markets.

Key responsibilities

• Own a commodity area within the team, such as Seats, Cabin, or Cockpit, and lead several related subsystems through the complete engineering development and launch cycle while keeping technical deliverables and timing aligned with the program plan.
• Strengthen the technical capability of the team by participating in design reviews, delivering engineering training, and mentoring less experienced engineers.
• Drive component design, validation, and manufacturing launch while balancing styling, ergonomics, serviceability, packaging, cost, mass, craftsmanship, NVH, automation, and other product constraints. This includes working closely with Studio, Purchasing, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and engineering partners through CAD work, CAE iterations, RFQ activity, sourcing, production, launch, and root-cause analysis during builds.
• Apply or develop DFSS, DFMEA, and DVP&R methods to build durable component designs, supported by hands-on prototyping and trials. Use both analytical and physical evaluation methods, including tolerance stack-ups, GD&T drawings, and checking fixtures, and collaborate closely with Validation, Test, and Reliability teams.
• Work effectively with external suppliers to support vehicle milestones, prototype and production builds, and start of production. Partner with suppliers on part design where needed, troubleshooting, manufacturing trials, and part- and system-level validation to help shape design solutions.
• Review field reliability data from current programs and feed findings into interior reliability improvements through design, process, or manufacturing updates.
• Publish and track design revisions in Tesla’s 3DExperience environment, including part changes, MBOM updates, and PO releases for downstream teams and suppliers.
• Contribute to team expansion by supporting hiring across engineering levels for the Cabin Engineering organization.

Required background

The ideal candidate has a Mechanical Engineering education and 6 to 8 years of experience in automotive seats and/or interior component and subsystem engineering. Strong English communication skills are required.

You should bring a first-principles, physics-based mindset, along with sharp problem-solving ability, flexibility in handling work of different scope and complexity, and the ability to operate under tight timelines. Strong technical judgment, creativity, and clear communication are important for success in this role.

A solid understanding of modern automotive and manufacturing technologies is needed, along with knowledge of how design feasibility relates to processes such as stamping, welding, injection molding, thermoforming, and lamination in order to meet high craftsmanship and performance standards.

Proficiency in CATIA V5 or V6 for 3D modeling within an automotive product development setting is essential. Experience with change control and part release in the 3DExperience platform is considered an advantage.

You should also have a strong working knowledge of DFM and DFA, including familiarity with GD&T and dimensional control methods.

Additional information

This is a full-time, on-site position in Berlin, Germany. The role is for Tesla.