Staff Controls Design Engineer

Tesla is looking for a skilled Controls Engineer to lead our in-house controls design team. This team serves as both a design advisor and systems integrator, quickly planning and building facility systems that support advanced manufacturing and help the team building the factory of the future for Optimus.

In this role, you’ll partner closely with engineering, design, construction, and manufacturing teams to deliver controls solutions for a wide range of systems. These include manufacturing equipment, HVAC, compressed air, cooling water, water treatment, utilities (power, water, gas), and other special projects that support Tesla’s goals.

You’ll be hands-on and take full ownership of fast-paced projects from start to finish. This includes planning, detailed design, supporting construction, testing and startup, and writing control system programs (PLC/SCADA).

We’re seeking a technical leader who takes strong ownership of their work. You should have solid engineering fundamentals, leadership ability, and good business sense. You’ll act as the team’s technical expert and mentor, yet still be ready to personally design, buy, build, program, and maintain many types of automation systems. You make decisions using clear logic, strong analysis, organization, and attention to detail.

You’ll thrive in an environment built on trust, where people are given real responsibility and high-quality, innovative work is valued. You should be eager to learn quickly and be a strong communicator across teams. A solid understanding of process, mechanical, electrical, and complex control systems is essential. What You’ll Do

• Provide technical mentorship, professional guidance, and be the bridge for leadership of controls scope on design projects
• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop project requirements for scope controls
• Develop construction plans for permitting and execution
• Specify and procure major elements needed for construction, such as instrumentation and Control Panels. Select and size electrical and electromechanical components such as valves, solenoids, circuit breakers, starters, and VFDs
• Provide expert on-call support for system outages and failover incidents
• Develop PLC code and commission new systems
• SCADA system integration including but not limited to data acquisition, alarming, HMI interfaces, API calls & SQL databases
• Provide commissioning and integration services on control systems, including instrumentation, PLC and SCADA programming

• 8+ years of experience as a hands-on Controls Engineer conceptualizing, designing, commissioning, and programming process automation systems
• Expertise with Ignition and Siemens TIA Portal programming
• Expertise using REVIT to develop construction documents
• Electrical or Control Systems Professional Engineering License (PE) preferred
• Advanced proficiency in programming industrial process and manufacturing equipment:PLCs (Siemens, Allen Bradley, Beckhoff),SCADA/HMI Platforms (Ignition, Siemens Comfort Panel, AB Panelview)
• Proficiency designing control systems, including selection of appropriate motor control, overcurrent protective devices, wire and cable, instrumentation, enclosures, and PLC hardware
• Exposure to a wide variety of processes and application of instrumentation (level, flow, temperature, pressure, current, power meters, etc.)

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

Expected Compensation $120,000 - $210,000/annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefits