Equipment Engineer, Cell Assembly - Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg

About the Role

Tesla is in search of a driven Equipment Engineer to actively contribute to designing and developing innovative automation equipment lines dedicated to the assembly process of advanced battery cell manufacturing. The battery cell represents one of Tesla's most intricate and technologically advanced components. This position offers the unique chance to be part of building a world-class manufacturing plant located in Grünheide, Germany. The work environment is fast-moving and challenging, focusing on critical subsystems crucial to groundbreaking Tesla products.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical engineering support to production and maintenance teams as required.
• Perform validation and characterization of new and existing equipment and fixtures prior to their deployment on the production floor.
• Drive safety and ergonomic enhancements of production machinery to meet or exceed current regulations and industry best practices.
• Partner with external suppliers to design and enhance equipment functionality.
• Collaborate with controls engineers for troubleshooting process issues via PLCs, HMIs, or tool management software, implementing necessary adjustments and improvements.
• Develop comprehensive manufacturing instructions to establish new process protocols and operational guidelines for equipment, and conduct training sessions for technicians and operators.
• Design preventive maintenance schedules and assemble detailed spare parts lists to optimize equipment Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
• Debug, analyze, and fine-tune automated processes to improve cycle times; specify manual assembly hand tools.
• Apply structured problem-solving tools and root cause analysis frameworks, including Design of Experiments (DoE), Five Whys (5W), Eight Disciplines (8D), and Ishikawa diagrams.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on equipment upgrades informed by PFMEA and DFMEA risk assessments.
• Integrate machine-level interactions with a plant-wide Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Over three years of practical experience as a mechanical or manufacturing engineer engaged with automation systems and electromechanical/software integration.
• Proven track record in escalating equipment from development to manufacturing stages including experience with automation equipment, web handling, laser welding, electromechanical system design, PLC programming (experience with TwinCAT preferred), motion control, and data acquisition.
• Skilled in mechanical equipment, fixtures, and tooling design using CAD software such as SolidWorks or AutoCAD; Catia proficiency is advantageous.
• Capable of interpreting layouts, tooling blueprints, and pneumatic and electrical schematics accurately.
• Experience with vision inspection systems like Cognex, Keyence, or Mantis is preferred.
• Basic laser welding knowledge is mandatory; hands-on experience with laser welding equipment is considered a plus.
• Willingness to occasionally work weekends to support production demands.