Sr. Staff Materials Engineer, Semiconductor & Thin Films, Terafab

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Sr. Staff Materials Engineer, Semiconductor & Thin Films, Terafab

| Job Category | Terafab | | Location | AUSTIN, Texas | | Req. ID | 273573 | | Job Type | Full-time |

What to Expect

Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI are partnering to launch the most epic chip-building effort ever – combining logic, memory, and advanced packaging under one roof. Terafab will close the gap between today's chip production and the future's demand – a future among the stars.

The team is seeking a highly experienced Materials Engineer to serve as the senior technical authority on semiconductor and thin-film materials development. In this role, you will lead materials innovation from concept through high-volume manufacturing, defining strategy for materials selection, characterization, and qualification across thin-film deposition platforms. You will work cross-functionally with process engineering, device design, and reliability teams, translating fundamental materials understanding into product-level solutions.

This is a high-impact technical leadership role requiring deep expertise in semiconductor materials science and a track record of driving complex programs from research to production. This position requires up to 50% domestic travel.

What You’ll Do

• Define and execute the materials engineering roadmap for semiconductor thin-film development, ensuring alignment with product and technology milestones
• Lead root-cause analysis and failure investigations involving thin-film deposition, interface chemistry, and device-level degradation mechanisms
• Serve as the primary technical resource for materials selection, process-structure-property relationships, and qualification of new material systems
• Mentor and develop a team of materials engineers and characterization specialists; establish best practices for materials characterization workflows
• Drive cross-functional collaboration with process engineering, device integration, and reliability teams to accelerate development cycles
• Evaluate and introduce emerging materials platforms (complex oxides, nitrides, novel dielectrics) to address technology scaling challenges

What You’ll Bring

• Degree in Materials Science & Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or a closely related field, or equivalent experience
• 12+ years of experience in semiconductor materials engineering, thin-film technology, or advanced materials R&D
• Demonstrated expertise in multiple characterization techniques (TEM, XRD, XPS, SIMS, AFM, ellipsometry)
• Deep knowledge of thin-film deposition processes (PVD, CVD, PECVD, ALD, sputtering) and their impact on microstructure and performance
• Proven ability to lead technical teams and drive complex, multi-stakeholder projects from research to production
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to distill complex materials science into actionable engineering guidance
• Experience with Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) frameworks or computational materials screening is preferred
• Familiarity with semiconductor fab environments and high-volume manufacturing constraints is preferred
• Ability to travel up to 50%

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 employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any factor, including veteran status and disability status, 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.

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