{"schemaVersion":"jobsearcher.job.v1","id":"6b8b6d2933ebdb1f1ebca065","url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/6b8b6d2933ebdb1f1ebca065","canonicalUrl":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/6b8b6d2933ebdb1f1ebca065","title":"Mechanical Design Engineer, Cell Prototype Engineering","description":"What to Expect\n\nTesla’s Cell Prototype Engineering team in San Diego is seeking top engineers to design paradigm-shifting battery cells— the heart of every Tesla product— and the biggest lever on affordable, abundant, and performant EVs for all.\n\nOur vertically-integrated program is industry one-of-a-kind: the opportunity to drive architectures from the ground up, influence roadmap & full product portfolio, and master technical challenges in manufacturing at orders-of-magnitude greater volume than is typical for automotive systems.\n\nThe role requires strong 1st principles, a passion for advancing state-of-the-art, and the tenacity to ensure the success of your ideas. Our team habitually defies convention and designs to the limits of physics. You’ll align inputs from multiple disciplines (supply chain, electrochemistry design, manufacturing, and quality) to develop new cell products, set & validate to requirements, and launch into mass production. Tesla moves fast: self-motivation, discipline, collaboration, and strong communication are critical for success— as is embracing ambiguity as an opportunity for defining novel directions. Your environment will include battle-proven industry experts, high-aptitude recent graduates, and open access to a wealth of domain leaders across every Tesla department.\n\nWhat You'll Do\nHolistic design ownership of mechanical parts and assemblies for in-house cylindrical 4680 cell and beyond (initial concept through development, factory launch, and ramp)\nGenerate design innovations that expand the limits of lithium-ion cell performance, cost, and safety\nEmploy 1st principles analysis and empirical testing to rapidly evaluate concepts and determine which to accelerate and which to retire\nOwn prototyping, basic testing, and analysis (support advanced testing and analysis)\nLead multi-disciplinary collaborations across electrochemistry design, CAE, supply chain, quality, manufacturing, qualification, and new product introduction\nLead root cause investigations and implement corrective actions\nAuthor clear technical documentation and deliver live presentations\nParticipate in component sourcing and supplier engineering relationships\nOccasional travel to Tesla factories, satellite team sites, and suppliers (domestic / international as needed)\n\nWhat You'll Bring\nBachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Engineering Physics, or equivalent experience\nProficiency in 3D CAD modeling (CATIA V5/V6 experience is a plus)\nFoundational knowledge in GD&T and tolerance analysis (proficiency is a plus)\nThe ability to apply fundamentals of solid mechanics, heat transfer, and materials science to define and solve complex problems\nFamiliarity with properties and applications of common engineering metals and polymers\nExperience designing for relevant processes such as stamping, deep drawing, plastic injection molding, machining, and metal welding\nHands-on prototyping experience: sourcing, building, and testing your ideas\nProficiency with experimental design and setup, data acquisition, analysis\nThe ability to clearly communicate complex technical information to a broad audience\nHigh agency mindset: seek out high impact problems, engage stakeholders, and champion solutions\n\nCompensation and Benefits\nBenefits\n\nAlong with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:\n\nMedical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction\nFamily-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits\nDental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution\nCompany Paid (Health Savings Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSA\nHealthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)\n401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits\nCompany paid Basic Life, AD&D\nShort-term and long-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)\nEmployee Assistance Program\nSick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly positions), and Paid Holidays\nBack-up childcare and parenting support resources\nVoluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance\nWeight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs\nTesla Babies program\nCommuter benefits\nEmployee discounts and perks program\nExpected Compensation\n$87,020 - $185,820/annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefits\n\nPay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.\n\nTesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.\n\nTesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.","company":"Tesla","rawCompany":"tesla","city":"San Diego","state":"CA","isRemote":false,"isActive":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-25T11:29:44.402Z","occupations":[{"code":"17-2141.00","title":"Mechanical Engineers","slug":"mechanical-engineers"},{"code":"17-2199.00","title":"Engineers, All Other","slug":"engineers-all-other"},{"code":"17-2141.02","title":"Automotive Engineers","slug":"automotive-engineers"}],"industries":[{"code":"541715","title":"Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology)","slug":"research-and-development-in-the-physical-engineering-and-life-sciences-except-nanotechnology-and-biotechnology"},{"code":"335910","title":"Battery Manufacturing","slug":"battery-manufacturing"},{"code":"541330","title":"Engineering Services","slug":"engineering-services"}],"jobPosting":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Mechanical Design Engineer, Cell Prototype Engineering","description":"What to Expect\n\nTesla’s Cell Prototype Engineering team in San Diego is seeking top engineers to design paradigm-shifting battery cells— the heart of every Tesla product— and the biggest lever on affordable, abundant, and performant EVs for all.\n\nOur vertically-integrated program is industry one-of-a-kind: the opportunity to drive architectures from the ground up, influence roadmap & full product portfolio, and master technical challenges in manufacturing at orders-of-magnitude greater volume than is typical for automotive systems.\n\nThe role requires strong 1st principles, a passion for advancing state-of-the-art, and the tenacity to ensure the success of your ideas. Our team habitually defies convention and designs to the limits of physics. You’ll align inputs from multiple disciplines (supply chain, electrochemistry design, manufacturing, and quality) to develop new cell products, set & validate to requirements, and launch into mass production. Tesla moves fast: self-motivation, discipline, collaboration, and strong communication are critical for success— as is embracing ambiguity as an opportunity for defining novel directions. Your environment will include battle-proven industry experts, high-aptitude recent graduates, and open access to a wealth of domain leaders across every Tesla department.\n\nWhat You'll Do\nHolistic design ownership of mechanical parts and assemblies for in-house cylindrical 4680 cell and beyond (initial concept through development, factory launch, and ramp)\nGenerate design innovations that expand the limits of lithium-ion cell performance, cost, and safety\nEmploy 1st principles analysis and empirical testing to rapidly evaluate concepts and determine which to accelerate and which to retire\nOwn prototyping, basic testing, and analysis (support advanced testing and analysis)\nLead multi-disciplinary collaborations across electrochemistry design, CAE, supply chain, quality, manufacturing, qualification, and new product introduction\nLead root cause investigations and implement corrective actions\nAuthor clear technical documentation and deliver live presentations\nParticipate in component sourcing and supplier engineering relationships\nOccasional travel to Tesla factories, satellite team sites, and suppliers (domestic / international as needed)\n\nWhat You'll Bring\nBachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Engineering Physics, or equivalent experience\nProficiency in 3D CAD modeling (CATIA V5/V6 experience is a plus)\nFoundational knowledge in GD&T and tolerance analysis (proficiency is a plus)\nThe ability to apply fundamentals of solid mechanics, heat transfer, and materials science to define and solve complex problems\nFamiliarity with properties and applications of common engineering metals and polymers\nExperience designing for relevant processes such as stamping, deep drawing, plastic injection molding, machining, and metal welding\nHands-on prototyping experience: sourcing, building, and testing your ideas\nProficiency with experimental design and setup, data acquisition, analysis\nThe ability to clearly communicate complex technical information to a broad audience\nHigh agency mindset: seek out high impact problems, engage stakeholders, and champion solutions\n\nCompensation and Benefits\nBenefits\n\nAlong with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:\n\nMedical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction\nFamily-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits\nDental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution\nCompany Paid (Health Savings Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSA\nHealthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)\n401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits\nCompany paid Basic Life, AD&D\nShort-term and long-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)\nEmployee Assistance Program\nSick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly positions), and Paid Holidays\nBack-up childcare and parenting support resources\nVoluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance\nWeight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs\nTesla Babies program\nCommuter benefits\nEmployee discounts and perks program\nExpected Compensation\n$87,020 - $185,820/annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefits\n\nPay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.\n\nTesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.\n\nTesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.","datePosted":"2026-08-25T11:29:44.402Z","dateModified":"2026-08-25T11:29:44.402Z","hiringOrganization":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Tesla","sameAs":"https://jobsearcher.com"},"jobLocation":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"San Diego","addressRegion":"CA","addressCountry":"US"}},"identifier":{"@type":"PropertyValue","name":"JobSearcher","value":"6b8b6d2933ebdb1f1ebca065"},"url":"https://jobsearcher.com/jobs/6b8b6d2933ebdb1f1ebca065"}}