Process Engineer, Electrode

Tesla - Sparks, NV

Full-time

Sparks, NV

Transportation Equipment Manufacturing

About the position

As a Process Engineer at Tesla, you will play a crucial role in the Energy products manufacturing operations by implementing, developing, and optimizing production methodologies. Your primary responsibility will be to enhance product flow through the factory by optimizing various processes, which may include tool and fixture selection, line layouts, ergonomic studies, and material presentation. You will collaborate closely with design, test, and quality engineering teams to address challenges, improve manufacturability, and drive continuous improvement initiatives. Your efforts will focus on sustaining products while achieving cost reductions and yield improvements. Additionally, you will work with quality teams to compile and analyze data to establish appropriate limits and variables for process or material specifications. In this role, you will develop expertise in manufacturing processes and gain a deep understanding of process capabilities through critical data analysis. You will be responsible for modifying line layouts to enhance material flow, reduce waste, and improve ergonomics, all while adhering to Lean Manufacturing best practices. Your analytical skills will be essential as you optimize production processes to ensure safety and maximize Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) in a cost-effective manner, striving to achieve world-class quality levels. You will champion continuous improvement projects (CIP) aimed at maximizing yield, capacity, and capability. You will also diagnose issues encountered during the manufacturing process and drive corrective actions to identify and eliminate root causes. Utilizing structured problem-solving techniques such as DMAIC, Ishikawa, Five Why (5W), and Eight Disciplines (8D) will be key to your success. Furthermore, you will develop robust data collection, visualization, and analysis tools to enable data-driven operational and financial decisions, integrating factory data systems and utilizing software such as MySQL, Python, R, JMP, Minitab, Tableau, and Ignition. Your responsibilities will extend to supporting engineering and manufacturing activities, including 5S and Lean manufacturing initiatives, material handling improvements, production line configuration, and safety procedures. You will monitor and reduce process variation using techniques like Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), ensuring that product specifications and standards are consistently met. Participation in the development and maintenance of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Control Plans will also be part of your duties, along with analyzing, developing, processing, and implementing Engineering Change Orders. You will create and maintain Manufacturing Instructions, routings, and associated processes, while managing activities for process sustaining technicians to ensure day-to-day production line coverage, including the development and documentation of appropriate rework procedures. Supporting 24/7 production operations will be a critical aspect of your role.

Responsibilities

• Implement, develop, and optimize production methodologies in Energy products manufacturing operations.
• Optimize product flow through the factory by process optimization including tool/fixture selection, line layouts, and ergonomic studies.
• Interface with design, test, and quality engineering to solve problems and improve manufacturability.
• Compile and evaluate data to determine appropriate limits and variables for process or material specifications.
• Develop expertise in manufacturing processes and understand process capabilities through critical data analysis.
• Modify line layouts to enhance material flow, reduce waste, and improve ergonomics using Lean Manufacturing best practices.
• Analyze and optimize production processes to ensure safety and maximize Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
• Champion continuous improvement projects (CIP) to maximize yield, capacity, and capability.
• Diagnose issues found during the part manufacturing process and drive corrective action back to source.
• Utilize structured problem-solving techniques such as DMAIC, Ishikawa, Five Why (5W), and Eight Disciplines (8D).
• Develop robust data collection, visualization, and analysis tools for operational and financial decisions.
• Monitor and reduce process variation using Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA).
• Create and maintain Manufacturing Instructions, routings, and associated processes.
• Manage activities for process sustaining technicians to support day-to-day coverage of production line.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering or other applicable degree, or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of Statistical Process Control and its application, preferred.
• 4+ years in a high volume, highly automated manufacturing facility developing and improving processes, is a plus.
• Experience developing and improving processes with a track record of Overall Equipment Effectiveness improvement activities, preferred.
• Strong problem-solving skills and an aptitude for learning systems quickly.
• Ability to utilize structured problem-solving techniques such as DMAIC, Ishikawa, Five Why (5W), or Eight Disciplines (8D).
• Experience in the use of a broad variety of test, control, and data acquisition equipment and software is preferred.
• Strong ability to work and communicate effectively with team and peers within a manufacturing and engineering organization.

Nice-to-haves

• Excellent communication skills: written and verbal, is a plus.
• Creative capacity for developing new ways to do things better, cheaper, faster.
• Passion for making fantastic new products and using testing to enable outstanding quality, reliability, and excellence.