John Kopf

About John Kopf

Engineering and operations leader with 15+ years of experience focused on cultivating high-performance engineering teams with expertise in complex capital projects and technical program management.• Proven track record in designing & optimizing industrial and manufacturing facilities for lithium-ion cell production, electric vehicles, power electronics, and energy storage products.• Passionate about growing manufacturing ventures from R&D to commercial scale while balancing efficiency and sustainable growth strategies.• Practical designs rooted in hands-on design, execution, and operations experience, addressing immediate needs while ensuring long-term operational resilience and expansion potential.• Innovative problem solver courtesy of multidisciplinary background; tackle complex challenges with creative solutions.• Committed to continual improvement and new challenges to expand skill-set.

Experience

1. Engineering Manager, Factory Design

   Tesla

   Jun 2023 — Present · Reno, NV, US

   Currently leading capital project planning, engineering, and delivery for multiple manufacturing programs, factory utility projects, and site development and expansion. Built and scaled a self-perform engineering team, eliminated external design dependency, and improved execution efficiency. Manage a 30-person cross-functional team responsible for producing site factory designs for all Tesla Nevada operations encompassing 3,200-acre Gigafactory Nevada site, 6-million sf on-site factory, and 3-million+ sf across multiple leased properties.Key project highlights: Model 3/Y vehicle battery pack/module manufacturing expansions increasing production capacity by 200%; Powerwall 3 manufacturing increasing production capacity by 200%; vehicle drive unit manufacturing expansion to latest-gen motors.

Education

• Carleton University

  Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.), Aerospace Engineering

• Carleton University

  Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.), Mechanical Engineering

• Stantec Consulting Internal Training

  Project Management Bootcamp Program

  2014

Skills

• Management
• Hvac Design
• Engineering
• Energy Audits
• C++
• Mechanical Engineering
• Constructability
• Manufacturing
• Solar Thermal
• Design for Manufacturing
• Cfd
• Building Envelope
• Building Energy Analysis
• Energy
• Cogeneration
• Icem Cfd
• Sustainable Design
• Pro/Mechanica
• Construction
• Matlab
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed)
• Building Energy Modeling
• Leadership
• Latex
• Ansys
• Fortran
• Sustainability
• Heat Transfer
• Fluid Mechanics
• Hvac Engineering
• Simulations
• Fluid Dynamics
• Sustainable Energy
• Construction Administration Services
• Aerodynamics
• Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (Mep)
• Autocad
• Project Management
• Manufacturing Processes
• Hvac Controls