Niraj Merchant

Niraj Merchant has a diverse work experience in various engineering roles. Niraj is currently working at Zipline as a Mechanical Test Lead for Ground Systems since April 2022. Prior to that, from 2018 to 2022, they worked at Tesla in different roles including Manufacturing Engineering Lead, Sr Manufacturing Engineer, and Manufacturing Equipment Engineer.

Before joining Tesla, Niraj worked at Applied Materials as a Mechanical Engineer Senior from 2012 to 2017. During their time there, they led a team in developing a unique method to calibrate multi-zone heaters, reducing costs by 50% while increasing accuracy by 30%. Niraj also developed a new plasma chamber, leading to more than $10M in new orders.

Niraj started their career as an intern at HATCI in 2011, where they supported calibration testing for Hyundai and Kia cars. Niraj also developed a MATLAB program to reduce processing time and helped organize a customer clinic. In 2010, they worked as an intern at Bosch, where they developed a kinematic model for a diesel engine and presented it at a conference. Niraj also created a model to determine heat flow past a fuel injector.

Niraj Merchant attended the Dhirubhai Ambani International School from 2006 to 2008, where they obtained an IB Diploma. Following their secondary education, they pursued higher studies at the University of California, Berkeley, from 2008 to 2012. During this period, they earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science.