Manufacturing Engineering, Plastic Tooling Engineer

Description:
Tesla’s Plastics Manufacturing Engineering team is a diverse, high performing group of engineers that define and execute Tesla’s manufacturing processes for plastic components. As a part of this team, you will be tasked with assessing the current manufacturing capabilities of Tesla plastics processes, developing a manufacturing and capacity strategy for plastic components for current and future product programs, determining the most effective methods to manufacture plastic components, and implementing equipment capacity and capability upgrades.

Responsibilities:
Lead the development of new plastic injection tooling projects to meet a wide range of product performance and cosmetic requirements
Bringing the voice of manufacturing into the design
Performing advanced DFMs, evaluate part feasibility and proactively provide solutions to meet both Engineering and Manufacturing requirements
Designing and modelling all aspects of injection molds: Mold layout, parting lines, actions, and mechanisms
Knowledge of plastic resins and their molding characteristics. Applied knowledge of tool steels and alloy materials used in the manufacturing of injection molds and developing CAPEX plan and RFQ’s for prototype/production tooling
Providing technical solutions and leading engineering sub-contractors in process design, layout, and construction of new plastics tooling
Develop innovative solutions to enable unique product development in each program
Commissioning tooling and launch in factory while collaborating with design and vehicle quality to establish and develop part appearance standards
Using a data-based approach to optimize molding processes to reach quality and production requirements
Supporting all engineering builds and verifying scalability of molding processes

Requirements:
Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, or equivalent experience
5–7+ years of hands-on experience with Class A large/medium automotive injection plastic molds design and processing
Proficient in tool design with 3D modeling skills in CATIA V5, Cimatron, NX, or equivalent platforms
Strong knowledge of plastics molding processes, post-molding operations, and mold flow simulations (filling and cooling analyses)
Solid understanding of Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly (DFA), and GD&T principles
Skilled in CAD/engineering software (CATIA, SolidWorks, AutoCAD) and mold flow simulation tools
Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams in fast-paced, dynamic environments with minimal guidance
Effective communication and interpersonal skills for collaboration with internal teams and external vendors
Willingness to travel domestically and internationally up to 40% annually
Prior experience in Automotive Tier 1 supplier or Tool Shop environment preferred