Tesla Looking For Process Controls-Cathode Manufacturing at Austin, TX Full Time

As Tesla continues to vertically integrate our operations, Tesla’s Materials Engineering group is looking for a highly motivated Process Controls Engineer to work on a critical challenge facing the world’s energy transition – expanding production of cathode materials and cathode raw material refining systems.

As a process controls engineer, you will work closely with the production and design teams to configure, optimize, and troubleshoot first-of-a-kind chemical production systems and equipment. You will provide technical and engineering expertise for the implementation of process control strategies within the Emerson DeltaV DCS and PLC systems, evaluate and resolve problems with existing process control systems utilizing vendor and/or maintenance support when necessary, develop and configure changes to the existing process control system based on priority and need, and support day to day operations. This ensures that the process control system is effectively implemented to produce high purity battery materials, maximize system throughput and productivity, as well as enable safe and environmentally sound operations.

What You’ll Do

Develop and configure DCS and PLC logic and modify existing logic to optimize product quality, yield, throughput, process stability, and lower OpEx costs.

Develop and configure new operator displays and update existing displays to improve overall usability, intuitive navigation, and operator effectiveness.

Apply advanced regulatory control strategies and DCS-based model predictive control technology to solve complex process control issues.

Work collaboratively with Operations, Process Engineers, and other Process Control Engineers to ensure that control strategies are functioning as designed and are achieving productivity and material quality targets.

Troubleshoot process control issues and work with Operations and Maintenance teams to assist them in troubleshooting efforts.

Own plant wide control loop tuning and equipment/unit optimization.

Drive standardization, common approaches, and employ RAGAGEP across our Integrated Controls System assets. Close collaboration is expected with OT, IT, EH&S, and Reliability Engineering.

Maintain and own spare IO lists, system architecture diagrams, and coordinate updates to loop sheets and P&IDs when necessary.

Optimize and improve plant-wide control system/network health supervisory systems to minimize unplanned downtime and centralize plant performance monitoring.

Assist with the development of control system operator training.

Work closely with the process design teams on the content in process control narratives and process and instrumentation diagrams to ensure that the documentation is complete and comprehensive.

Maintain a strong emphasis on process improvement projects, customer-focused innovations, cost saving improvements, process optimization, etc. that not only enable a reliable and competitive manufacturing processes, but also provides needed data to support predictive maintenance strategies.

What You’ll Bring

Evidence of exceptional ability, including a strong understanding of engineering fundamentals and demonstrated ability to leverage this understanding to solve challenging technical problems.

8+ years as a process controls engineer in a chemical process design or production environment, with demonstrated experience in the execution.

Experience participating in process hazard reviews and HAZOPs.

Demonstrated experience configuring DCS advanced regulatory control using function block programming.

Demonstrated experience programming Emerson DeltaV.

Demonstrated experience developing operator displays and intuitive graphics navigation that conform to ASM consortium guidelines.

Advanced proficiency with process loop tuning using proven methods.

Proficiency with optimization of complete units with complex loop interactions and loop interdependencies.

Ability to interpret P&IDs, Loop Sheets, and C&A’s.

Helpful Skills & Experience:
Working knowledge of Beckhoff, Siemens, Ignition HMI, and/or Honeywell controls systems.

Experience with the following industries and production environments:

High Purity production facilities (specialty chemicals, food, pharmaceuticals)

Bulk solids handling and powder processing systems, including powder blending, powder/spray coatings, crushing/milling, mechanical sorting/sieving/separation

High temperature thermal processing/calcining systems

Washing, leaching, filtration, mechanical/thermal concentration, precipitation, and crystallization processes

Greenfield or brownfield startup commissioning experience.

Developing process control narratives and building I/O lists for greenfield or brownfield capital projects, and working closely with process engineers to design and implement control systems to ensure safe and efficient operation of complex chemical process systems.