Sr. Manufacturing Controls Dev Engineer, Foundry, Optimus

What to Expect

The Controls Engineer in Castings will own the controls systems behind Tesla’s molten metal operations, from aluminum melting and holding furnaces through metal transfer and dosing, into the largest die cast machines in the world (Giga Press). This role blends classic machine controls (PLC, robotics, safety, HMI/SCADA) with thermal process and combustion control in a hot, high-throughput foundry environment. You will develop, implement, commission, troubleshoot and optimize furnace and die casting cell controls, and partner with Process, Maintenance, and Facilities teams to drive uptime, metal quality, and energy efficiency.

What You’ll Do

• Own controls for the melt deck: Melting furnaces, holding and dosing furnaces, launders, degassing and filtration systems, and molten metal transfer equipment
• Specify, program, and commission gas burner management and combustion control systems such as flame safeguard controllers, gas trains, safety shutoff valves, purge and light-off sequences, air/fuel ratio and oxygen trim in compliance with NFPA 86, NFPA 54, and FM Global requirements
• Architect, develop and debug PLC code using Siemens TIA Portal with an emphasis on generating code that is organized, structured, documented, maintainable and reusable
• Develop and tune closed-loop thermal control strategies (PID, cascade, feedforward) for bath temperature within the process window
• Implement (ANSI/RIA15.06/OSHA compliant) control reliable safety systems for robots, gantries, presses, and molten metal handling equipment, including functional safety for combustion and high-temperature hazards (ISO 13849 / IEC 61508)
• Lay out new industrial electrical control panels which are NFPA79/NEC/UL508A compliant, and create electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic and fluid schematics with accounting for the heat, dust, and vibration of a foundry environment
• Support and assist the maintenance team in troubleshooting difficult breakdowns and chronic equipment failures on furnaces, burners, hydraulics, and cell automation
• Identify weak areas of the production systems using root cause analysis and first principles thinking and implement effective countermeasures using all available means
• Optimization and improvement of human machine interfaces, SCADA systems and MES interfaces; generate aesthetically simple HMI screens for complex machinery while providing sufficient feedback for troubleshooting
• Participate in the development and enforcement of Tesla standards, and manage furnace and equipment suppliers through design reviews, FAT, installation, and start of production
  

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a closely related field, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of professional controls engineering experience using Siemens TIA Portal, including direct experience at an aluminum foundry, die casting, or other molten metal / high-temperature production site
• Hands-on experience with aluminum melting and holding equipment such as stack or tower melters, reverb and crucible furnaces, dosing furnaces, launders, and rotary degassers
• Demonstrated experience with gas burner controllers and combustion safety systems (Honeywell, Siemens LMV5x, Fireye, Autoflame or equivalent), gas trains, flame supervision, and burner tuning
• Working knowledge of NFPA 86 and NFPA 54 for fuel-fired furnaces, plus NFPA79, National Electric Code, and UL508A for industrial control panels
• Strong temperature and process control fundamentals: thermocouple/RTD selection and wiring, loop tuning, alarm and interlock design
• In depth knowledge of Safety standards (ANSI/RIA15.06, OSHA, ISO 13849) and experience supporting functional safety assessments
• HMI/SCADA programming experience – Siemens TIA Portal (WinCC) and/or Ignition 8
• Proficient in CAD working with electrical diagrams and prints (EPLAN preferred)
• Proficiency selecting appropriate circuit protectors, wire, cable, sensors, safety hardware, PLC hardware, remote I/O, VFD, robots and servo systems rated for foundry conditions
  

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