Production Specialist, Gulf Coast Lithium Refinery

What to Expect

Tesla's Gulf Coast Lithium Refinery is seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented Production Specialist to support the commissioning, startup, and long-term operation of our first‑of‑its‑kind facility. In this role, you will collaborate closely with Operations and Technical teams to bring the plant online safely and efficiently, then transition into a Unit Specialist position ensuring adherence to our safety and quality expectations for daily production activities and reliable operations.

This is a rare opportunity to play a critical role in scaling a novel chemical manufacturing process that supports Tesla's mission to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy.

• Support commissioning, startups, shutdowns, turnarounds, and daily production execution to achieve safe, reliable, cost‑effective, and schedule‑aligned refinery operations
• Monitor, analyze, and optimize refinery unit performance using production data, trends, and KPIs to ensure operating limits, throughput, quality, and reliability targets are met
• Participate in and support MOCs, PHAs, RCAs, incident investigations, and operating discipline audits to strengthen process safety and compliance
• Use First Principles thinking to lead continuous improvement, reliability enhancement, and cost optimization initiatives by identifying inefficiencies, troubleshooting issues, and implementing corrective actions
• Coordinate daily with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering to minimize downtime, improve unit performance, and support operational decision‑making
• Own, maintain, and govern production operating procedures, ensuring accuracy, regulatory compliance, best‑practice alignment, and audit readiness
• Develop and maintain training materials; support operator training, qualification, and MOC activities to ensure procedures and training remain current with unit configurations and changes

• 3+ years in a refinery or petrochemical production operations preferred. Experience working with slurries, milling, and solids handling is strongly preferred; exposure to hydrometallurgical systems is a plus
• Experience with Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and advanced process controls and with operational data trending tools (e.g., PI Vision, Aspen, Seeq)
• Strong understanding of refinery process units, operating procedures, production workflows, and process safety principles (including MOC and operating discipline)
• Experience developing and maintaining operator training materials and production procedures
• Proven ability to identify issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions
• Strong cross‑functional communication skills, ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment, and adaptability to learn new technologies and work extended hours as needed
• Strong command of the English language, both written and verbal

• Ability to climb stairs, stand for extended periods, and safely lift up to 50 lbs.
• Perform frequent bending and lifting
• Wear required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for extended periods, including a respirator and safety harness
• Pass pulmonary function tests and physical exam for respirator use and be prepared to potentially be in a fit test program

Along with competitive pay, as a full‑time Tesla employee, you are eligible for the following benefits at day 1 of hire:

• Aetna PPO and HSA plans > 2 medical 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 Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Aetna 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
• Employee Assistance Program
• Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary 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