Battery Design Validation Test Engineer

Figure is an AI robotics company based in San Jose, CA, developing a general-purpose humanoid robot to address labor shortages and perform undesirable or unsafe tasks. We require 5 days/week in-office collaboration. Join our team as a Battery Design Validation Test Engineer develop and test advanced battery packs for humanoid robots, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure performance, safety, and reliability.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop test plans and validation assessments for humanoid battery systems and components.
• Validate battery performance, lifespan, safety, and reliability under various conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, vibration, shock).
• Create test documentation, including protocols, DUT specifications, equipment specs, and instrumentation details.
• Conduct mechanical, thermal, and electrical tests on battery cells and packs, both in-house and with external labs.
• Design and modify test fixtures and instrumentation for battery testing.
• Analyze test data and provide detailed reports and insights.
• Identify and communicate battery failure modes to designers, validation, and manufacturing engineers.
• Collaborate with vendors to source, install, and commission test equipment.
• Instrument battery packs with sensors (e.g., thermocouples, pressure sensors, strain gauges, accelerometers).
• Manage data acquisition, logging, and post-processing.
• Work with technicians to facilitate instrumentation, build and test execution.
• Write scripts for manual and automated testing using cyclers and chambers.
• Develop and enforce strict safety protocols during testing.
• Maintain lab equipment, perform calibrations, and troubleshooting issues.

Requirements

• Minimum 2 years of experience in battery or related industrial fields.
• Expertise in high-voltage battery testing, including cycling and electrical/thermal performance, particularly with Li-ion chemistry.
• Proficiency in instrumenting battery packs and managing data acquisition systems.
• Strong skills in writing/validating test scripts, analyzing data, and presenting results.
• Experience with programming/scripting languages (e.g., MATLAB, Simulink, Python, SQL, LabVIEW).
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Materials Science, or a related field.
• Willingness to travel up to ~35% domestically and/or internationally.

Bonus Qualifications

• Knowledge of battery management systems.
• Familiarity with CAN bus communication systems.
• Understanding of battery safety and compliance standards (e.g., UL, IEC, SAE).
• Expertise in measuring cell properties and electrochemical performance.
• Experience developing and executing battery safety and abuse testing including multi-cell thermal runaway, short-circuit, puncture and drop.
• Experience with cell teardown, CT scans, and other lithium-ion battery analysis tools.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (e.g., CATIA V6) for designing test fixtures.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $120,000 - $160,000 annually.

The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.