Technical Program Manager, Cell Formation

What To Expect

Tesla is re-thinking how batteries are made from the ground up. We’re designing new factories, new equipment, new processes, and new software to rapidly scale battery manufacturing, globally. The primary bottleneck to Tesla’s future expansion (and the transition to sustainable transport and energy storage) is our ability to produce and procure batteries – that’s why we’re innovating in‑house, with our collection of world‑class engineers, to redefine the industry.

Formation is a highly automated, high‑volume manufacturing process that uses in‑house built equipment, firmware, and software to deliver an optimized and efficient production system. We’re looking for a highly motivated Technical Program Manager who will drive the development of the Mechanical Equipment, firmware and software services that runs the mass production formation process. In this role you will interface with a team of engineers to help understand needs, quantify impact, and prioritize efforts to effectively deliver a world‑class manufacturing system.

You will work with peers across the 4680 Cell organization to make data‑driven decisions on project planning and execution by tracking key formation performance metrics to ensure firmware/software teams are focused on and efficiently delivering meaningful features. Moreover, you will help to coordinate development efforts with other teams (e.g. production, equipment, process development, controls, etc.) to make sure that projects are efficiently executed from initial planning to deployment to mass production lines around the world.

• Lead end-to-end execution of high-impact manufacturing line automation projects—including ASRS (Automated storage and retrieval system), Cell formation charge equipment, conveyors, Cell packout systems, elevators, and automation—from concept and design through commissioning, ramp‑up, and full production
• Serve as the primary technical bridge between external stakeholders (Tesla business leaders, production, operations, and cross‑functional teams) and engineering organizations, translating business requirements into clear, scoped projects and delivering timely updates to senior leadership
• Rapidly process changes to cell build plans, accurately assessing their impact on timelines, resources, and deliverables, and proactively pivot priorities and plans as needed
• Drive vendor selection, sourcing strategy, and supplier relationships by evaluating partners on technical capability, quality, risk, cost, and delivery performance
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, timelines, budgets, and resource allocation to meet aggressive Start of Production (SOP) targets and overall program milestones
• Define technical scope, capacity requirements, system architecture, and performance targets for semi‑automated and fully automated production lines
• Coordinate closely with hardware design, manufacturing, supply chain, facilities, reliability, compliance, cloud/embedded software, and service teams to ensure seamless integration and on‑time delivery
• Identify, communicate, and mitigate strategic risks, including supplier, geopolitical, technical integration, and resource challenges—while continuously optimizing processes for improved throughput, efficiency, yield, and reliability
• Establish and improve structured processes for risk management, change management, prioritization, and cross‑team communication to enhance overall execution velocity and predictability
• Own full financial accountability for capital equipment projects, including budgeting, procurement (PO releases), cost tracking, and variance management

• 2+ years’ experience leading and/or managing teams of software or firmware engineers and their development
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in technical discipline, proof of exceptional skills in related fields, or equivalent
• Can demonstrate ability to meet deadlines and perform under high pressure. A bias for action
• Demonstrated ability to lead others, either directly (experience as a manager) or indirectly (leading a project and influencing external teams to align to your vision)
• Demonstrated understanding of…