(Senior) Thermal Test Engineer (m/f/d)

What To Expect

Tesla’s Thermal Vehicle Components Test team is looking for a skilled and motivated Test Engineer. The team’s mission is to validate thermal systems including battery conditioning, cabin climate control, powertrain cooling, and HVAC components against requirements and standards. The team thus contributes to design and product validations.

You will join the team at its inception. You’ll have autonomy to define test benches, lead test initiatives, improve methodologies, and mentor junior engineers, while influencing design of next-generation thermal systems through data-driven insights.

We’re looking for a highly motivated engineer with strong technical fundamentals, hands‑on experience in vehicle or component-level testing, and a passion for problem‑solving in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment.

What You'll Do

• Perform, own and drive hardware /software and system‑level validation for thermal management components and subsystems such as compressors, A/C lines, heat exchangers, hoses, coolant pumps, HVAC blowers and electronic valves according to SOPs and internal standards.
• Define test plans, articles, methods and equipment; propose design of experiments to better understand observations.
• Process raw data into meaningful conclusions; perform thorough documentation. Share high‑quality reports with internal technical teams, external suppliers, and occasionally to executives.
• Conceptualize, design, assemble and commission test benches and associated software environments. Perform risk assessments, review norms & standards to ensure that equipment designs comply with Health, Safety, CE and Environmental standards.
• Maintain high test throughput/efficiency and data quality. Drive globally aligned improvement as needed. Collaborate with internal or external stakeholders to make improvements.
• Lead junior colleagues during assembly, build, testing, teardown and comparable tasks. Train staff to operate and troubleshoot test equipment; ensure training content was learned.
• Create work plans/daily schedules and define priorities of junior staff. Ensure timely and effective delivery of test results.
• (As needed) Collaborate with external stakeholders and oversee external testing.
• Own organizational tasks & responsibilities like creation & maintenance of procedures, SOPs, standards, equipment, inspections, lab commissioning, facilities, maintenance and staff trainings.
• Expect to acquire knowledge about relevant standards, guidelines and norms as required for the task.
• If required for a task: Ability to work with hazardous materials, high‑voltage and other hazardous energy using mandated PPE and procedures after having received training.
• Other tasks as required.

What You'll Bring

• A background in Thermodynamics and heat transfer with an understanding of refrigeration and coolant systems and working principals of common thermal components.
• Engineering Degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Mechatronics Engineering or equivalent degree with a hands‑on mindset and hands‑on experience.
• Ability to figure out how products and parts could fail and to collaborate with design partners to drive changes.
• Experience with relevant controllers, DAQs, sensors, communication standards like CAN, including hands‑on experience with troubleshooting within automotive or similar embedded systems environments.
• Coding experience with Python, Pytest, Git, and/or C.
• 3D CAD skills (CATIA preferred) and ability to design and build test benches.
• Familiarity with applying electrical engineering principles to troubleshoot and validate both vehicle systems and test infrastructure setups.
• For Senior Roles: >4 Years of relevant work experience.
• Analytical, structured and goal‑oriented working style with high‑attention to detail.

Additional Preferred Skills

• Experience using controlled environmental chambers to perform validation tests and verify system performance under varying conditions.
• Experience configuring and maintaining Jenkins pipelines to streamline development and support continuous integration processes is a plus.
• Experience with drawing PIDs and single wire diagrams.
• Driving license Class B valid in Germany.
• Experience with thermal modeling and CFD simulation is a plus.

Tesla