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. What You'll Do 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 What You'll Bring 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

Essential Physical Demands:

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 Compensation and Benefits 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 Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.