Tesla's Battery Minerals & Metals group is looking for a highly motivated Thermal Process Engineer to work on a critical challenge facing the world's energy transition - Battery Cathode materials.

As a process engineer in our Battery Minerals & Metals group, you will lead the development and deployment of new-to-the world chemical production processes and equipment. Responsibilities will include designing new processing facilities to produce key intermediates in the battery materials value chain. A successful team member will lead projects starting from the concept through to design, install, integration, ramp, and handover to operations teams.

• Work with battery materials R&D team for the introduction of novel materials and new process methods at lab-to-pilot scale.
• Develop operating procedures, safety protocols, and maintenance plans for batch-to-pilot scale chemical process equipment.
• Conduct pilot trials, data analysis and present work to larger teams
• Support operations teams with commissioning and material quality targets on pilot and commercial scale systems.
• Develop schematics and detailed designs for world-scale, chemical processing facilities used to convert mining intermediates and raw materials into state-of-the-art battery precursors.

• 1-5 years in a smelter or chemical process design or chemical production environment. Examples may include - Worked with R&D Team to develop new methods of characterization and determine process efficiency for materials processed at high temperature; Transitioning novel process chemistries into process flow diagrams and process & instrumentation diagrams, and mass-energy balances for lab/pilot/commercial facilities; Developing technical specifications and equipment datasheets for equipment RFQs.
• Experience with the following industries and/or production environments - Large-scale mining or pyrometallurgy; large-scale chemical production processes; Engineering procurement and construction
• Evidence of exceptional ability, including a strong understanding of engineering fundamentals and demonstrated ability to leverage this understanding to solve challenging problems.
• Experience with thermal or high temperature processing. Examples may include - Calciners, roasters, smelters, dryers, boilers, furnaces
• Understanding of heat transfer fundamentals and design and optimization of heat recovery systems.
• Understanding of phase transformation, sintering, high temperature reactions
• Understanding of characterization method such as XRD, FTIR, Raman Spectroscopy, Pycnometry, Porosimetry, Surface Area Measurements, Colorimetry is a plus