- Tesla is struggling to fill positions at its Grünheide Gigafactory, Handelsblatt reported.
- Positions that involve working closely with Elon Musk remain open because they require experience.
- Tesla is also a newcomer to the job market, so it's relatively unknown on the German circuit.
As the construction of Tesla's Gigafactory continues in Grünheide, Germany, the plant is still receiving billions of dollars in funding from the German government, with the production of the Model Y series scheduled to begin there as early as June.
But there are many positions at the factory that remain unfilled, and Tesla is struggling to hire new talent, Handelsblatt reported.
The report said half of Tesla's job advertisements are from last year.
For some positions, years of professional experience are required, and most of the 350 vacancies are in manufacturing and battery-cell production.
Even positions in the "25 Guns" — a select group of engineers directly associated with Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk — have not yet been filled.
Musk said the Gigafactory will be the world's largest battery-cell factory.
But Tesla has not yet obtained the necessary permission from the authorities.
Handelsblatt reported that one of the senior positions in battery-cell production has not yet been filled.
Advertised since November, the role requires 15 years of experience, and experts estimated that it comes with a salary of $357,000, excluding bonus payments.
Many positions in chemical battery production have been advertised, including the management of battery-module production and the maintenance of battery-cell production.
Here, too, the Handelsblatt experts suggested a proposed salary of between $148,000 and $238,000.
In Germany, skilled workers for battery-cell production are particularly scarce.
Until now, the urgently needed battery cells have been manufactured primarily in Asian countries.
"In the field of battery manufacturing for lithium-ion technology, however, they will find virtually no one in Germany," Jörg Speikamp from the QRC consultant association told Handelsblatt.
Volkswagen is planning a battery-cell plant in Salzgitter with partners, Opel is building a factory in Kaiserslautern, and Chinese suppliers are setting up production facilities in Saarland and Erfurt.
To score points here, Tesla has to make the job offer particularly palatable.
Elon Musk's company is also a newcomer to the German job market, so it's relatively unknown on the German circuit. "This leads to fewer people feeling addressed," Ines Thoren, a headhunter, told Handelsblatt.
But a job in the auto industry in Germany also comes with many perks. From employment guarantees to family support, Tesla has to get involved to be successful in the German job market.
The company is also not necessarily known as a long-term employer, as fluctuation in management positions is particularly high.
