Staff Mechanical Design Engineer

What To Expect

As a Mechanical Designer or Design Engineer on Tesla Toronto’s Automation team, you will be responsible for the design of cutting edge, world-class machinery used across the entirety of Tesla, including Optimus, cell manufacturing, energy, and vehicle, to optimize the factory of the future by bringing conceptual designs to life. We are hardcore and the work is fast-paced and challenging – Tesla’s mission and vision must excite you.

This role requires strong engineering/physics fundamentals and the tenacity to apply that to hands-on problem solving to enable new processes. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, organized, and thrives in a fast-paced, high-responsibility environment. They take pride in hands-on problem solving, have strong analytical skills, and are eager to learn and share knowledge. This role requires flexibility and a willingness to travel both domestically and internationally to support equipment development, deployment, and collaboration with global teams.

You will work with cross-functional teams – Design, Process, Manufacturing, Quality, Production, Controls, etc. – throughout the entire product’s lifecycle. A team player mentality along with strong written, verbal, presentation and organizational skills is highly valued, as you are the design representative on the ground collaborating with our factory-based colleagues.

Tesla moves quickly, so being self-motivated, disciplined and a quick learner is key to being successful in this role.

What You'll Do

• Lead conceptual equipment development and carefully balance product specifications, process requirements, layout complexity, cost, and lead-time limits
• Contribute to equipment development to realize new/innovative/improved manufacturing processes from proof of concept through to full scale production
• Contribute and drive improvement of equipment effectiveness, manufacturing tolerance, stability, automation, and intelligence
• Create 3D CAD models, detailed drawings with GD&T for manufacturing and assembly, mechanical BOMs, safety, and maintenance documentation
• Prepare motion studies for complex designs and create FEA studies on intricate designs – strong understanding of dynamics, force and stress analysis, and solid mechanics
• Selection and integration of commercial components, sensors, servos, pneumatic actuators, etc.
• Review, identify, and provide feedback on performance, design simplicity, robustness, assembly, and installation
• Provide mechanical engineering support to fabrication, assembly, project management and production teams to troubleshoot and resolve design issues and implement enhancements to optimize machine performance

What You'll Bring

• 5+ years of experience as a hands-on mechanical/manufacturing/design engineer/designer working on mechanical and/or electromechanical systems
• Versed in SolidWorks, PDM, AutoCAD, and/or similar CAD/CAE software
• Strong understanding of drafting standards and the application of GD&T (e.g., ASME Y14.5)
• Proficiency in designing mechanical equipment, fixtures, layouts, and tooling in 2D and 3D CAD (SolidWorks & AutoCAD preferred)
• Proficiency in creating detailed drawings from solid models for various fabrication techniques (CNC/manual machining, welding, sheet metal forming, 3D printing) and mechanical assembly methods (press fits, fastener selection)
• Knowledge of automated equipment systems and tools - robotic, vision, material handling, Conveyors, PLC, etc.
• Knowledgeable in solid mechanics, pneumatics, hydraulics, dynamics, material selection, prototyping and DoE, testing methods, common machining, and fabrication processes
• Exposure to a wide variety of test systems, production machinery, industrial sensors, actuators, and equipment (pogo-pins, pressure transducers, temperature controllers, current meters, etc.)
• Experience writing production documentation, checklists, process flow diagrams, SOPs, etc.
• Experience of new equipment installations and new product startups and prior experience in high volume manufacturing or relevant engineering field is valued

, Tesla