Sr. Manager, Operations, Solar Manufacturing

What to Expect

The Sr. Manager, Operations is a founding leader in our new Solar Manufacturing group, with full accountability for production, engineering, and maintenance across a greenfield facility. This is a high-impact, hands-on role for an experienced manufacturing executive who thrives on building organizations from the ground up — launching operations, scaling teams, and instilling a culture of safety, quality, and relentless improvement. You will set the operational tone for the entire site and be a key driver in making this a world-class manufacturing operation. 

What You’ll Do

• Own the full operations scope. Lead production, engineering, and maintenance as an integrated operation — accountable for safety, quality, first-time yield (FTY), uptime, delivery-to-plan, staffing, and cost
• Launch and scale. Spearhead the start-up, ramp, and optimization of the large scale, key process facility — from equipment commissioning through full-rate production — with urgency and precision
• Build and lead the team. Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing organization of salaried and hourly team members; set clear expectations, coach relentlessly, and hold the bar high 
• Drive operational discipline. Establish and sustain process control systems, 5S standards, documentation practices, and daily/weekly/monthly KPI rhythms that keep the operation running at peak performance
• Champion safety and quality. Create a zero-compromise culture around safety and product quality; ensure best practices are embedded into every process and every layer of the team
• Deliver continuous improvement. Identify, prioritize, and execute CI initiatives across safety, environmental, quality, cost, efficiency, and throughput; benchmark externally and bring best practices in
• Maintain equipment and facilities. Drive implementation of a robust preventative maintenance program; act decisively on corrective actions to keep equipment in optimal condition and minimize downtime
• Lead new product and process introductions. Partner with design and engineering teams to manage NPI and material introductions — owning process plans, budget tracking, schedule adherence, and risk mitigation

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Engineering or equivalent professional experience
• 12+ years in high-volume, high-speed manufacturing — solar or semiconductor strongly preferred; 9+ years in progressive operations leadership roles
• Proven builder. Demonstrated success recruiting, developing, and scaling top-performing manufacturing organizations — from start-up through steady-state at volume
• Start-up and ramp expertise. Hands-on experience leading greenfield process and equipment start-ups, managing ramp curves, and closing gaps quickly
• NPI fluency. Track record managing new product and material introductions in a high-complexity manufacturing environment
• Analytical rigor. Data-driven decision-maker who leverages metrics, root-cause analysis, and structured problem-solving to drive outcomes
• Grace under pressure. Thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments; manages competing priorities, hits deadlines, and follows through without losing composure
• Communication. Clear, direct communicator — equally effective on the shop floor and in front of senior leadership; fluent in multi-cultural, multi-functional team environments
• Drive and ownership. Strong sense of urgency, bias to action, and personal accountability for results

Compensation and Benefits

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