Sr. Materials Engineer, Coatings Tesla Motors, Inc. 109600 - 234000 USD paid holidays, flex time, 401(k) United States, California, Fremont Sep 03, 2026

What to Expect The team is seeking a Sr. Materials Engineer, Coatings to own the fundamental, first principles materials science relationships between organic coating materials and processes across vehicle, energy, and robotics products. This position will lead the development of polymer coating systems from chemistry, and formulation through application and in-service performance, partnering with product design, industrial design, manufacturing, supply chain and external suppliers. This position will require onsite presence in both Fremont, CA and Palo Alto, CA locations. What You'll Do

Own the materials science of organic coatings end-to-end: polymer chemistry, formulation, macromolecular architecture, structure-property relationships, application/cure behavior and performance on metal, plastic and multi-material stack substrates

Act as subject matter expert of organic chemistry of coatings including binders, crosslinkers, resins, solvents/waterborne carriers, additives, pigments/fillers and how chemistry drives adhesion, durability, appearance, haptics and chemical/environmental resistance

Lead the development of qualification plans for coating stacks; pretreatment interfaces, primers, base/topcoats, functional coatings) including film formation, rheology, wetting, cure kinetics, crosslink characteristics and defects root cause analysis

Provide technical support to the quality and manufacturing teams with respect to materials root cause analysis and downstream processing issues

Lead our efforts with suppliers and Tesla manufacturing teams to develop new paint and coating processing technologies that reduce energy consumption, capital equipment expenses, and floor space requirements What You'll Bring

Strong foundation in organic chemistry, polymer chemistry and materials science as applied to coating systems

Degree in Chemistry, Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering or a closely related field, or equivalent experience

Hands-on experience with organic coatings including acrylic, epoxy, urethane, silicone, and waterborne coating chemistries

Experience with pretreatment substrate interfaces, multi-layer coating stacks or functional coatings (soft-touch, optical, low friction and wear, hydrophobic/oleophobic)

Supplier or cross-functional technical leadership to bring new coating materials into production

Preferred experience with high-throughput experimentation, DOE or structured materials exploration through experimental and computational methods 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

Expected Compensation

$109,600 - $234,000/annual salary + cash and stock awards + benefits Pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment.