Sr. Materials Engineer, Coatings

The team is seeking a Sr. Materials Engineer, Coatings to own the fundamental, first principles materials science relationships between organic coating materials and processes across vehicle, energy, and robotics products. This position will lead the development of polymer coating systems from chemistry, and formulation through application and in-service performance, partnering with product design, industrial design, manufacturing, supply chain and external suppliers. This position will require onsite presence in both Fremont, CA and Palo Alto, CA locations.

• Own the materials science of organic coatings end-to-end: polymer chemistry, formulation, macromolecular architecture, structure-property relationships, application/cure behavior and performance on metal, plastic and multi-material stack substrates
• Act as subject matter expert of organic chemistry of coatings including binders, crosslinkers, resins, solvents/waterborne carriers, additives, pigments/fillers and how chemistry drives adhesion, durability, appearance, haptics and chemical/environmental resistance
• Lead the development of qualification plans for coating stacks; pretreatment interfaces, primers, base/topcoats, functional coatings) including film formation, rheology, wetting, cure kinetics, crosslink characteristics and defects root cause analysis
• Provide technical support to the quality and manufacturing teams with respect to materials root cause analysis and downstream processing issues
• Lead our efforts with suppliers and Tesla manufacturing teams to develop new paint and coating processing technologies that reduce energy consumption, capital equipment expenses, and floor space requirements
  

• Strong foundation in organic chemistry, polymer chemistry and materials science as applied to coating systems
• Degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or a closely related field, or equivalent experience
• Hands-on experience with organic coatings including acrylic, epoxy, urethane, silicone, and waterborne coating chemistries
• Experience with pretreatment substrate interfaces, multi-layer coating stacks or functional coatings (soft-touch, optical, low friction and wear, hydrophobic/oleophobic)
• Supplier or cross-functional technical leadership to bring new coating materials into production
• Preferred experience with high-throughput experimentation, DOE or structured materials exploration through experimental and computational methods
  

Along with competitive pay, as a full-time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:

• Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
• Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
• Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans, both have options with a $0 paycheck contribution
• Company Paid (Health Savings Accounts) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High-Deductible medical plan with HSA
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k) with employer match, Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
• Company paid Basic Life, AD&D
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions, Accrued hours for Hourly positions), and Paid Holidays
• Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
• Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
• Weight Loss and Tobacco Cessation Programs
• Tesla Babies program
• Commuter benefits
• Employee discounts and perks program

Pay 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.