Process Technical Program Manager, Battery

We are currently seeking a Process Technical Program Manager with practical experience in EV batteries and passion to advance HV battery process technology. This position requires strong process engineering skills in R&D as well as manufacturing operations & development. Our ideal candidate exhibits a can-do attitude and approaches their work with vigor and determination. Successful candidates should demonstrate an exceptional ability to solve problems in both individual and team settings. Our team is focused on design, prototyping, and validation of HV battery systems by carrying out multiple design and build phases from concept to launch. Your responsibility will be to lead innovative processes to accelerate the development of Lucid technology and collaborate with cross-functional teams to solve problems and de-risk process issues that arise throughout the development of the HV battery programs.

Role:

· Develop and manage the process roadmaps within HV battery space, maintaining POR and managing change management through leadership reviews.

· Manage the engineering development of various processes within high voltage battery products by leading cross functional team members within battery and capex engineering, build and test engineering, quality, production, facilities, and supply chain.

· Drive engineering activities internally to define timelines, requirement definition, supplier selection, design release, prototyping, engineering testing, process development, DV & PV testing, APQP, etc.

· Own and account for multiple HV battery processes and be the subject matter expert throughout the lifecycle of the process from early concept phase to SOP and sustainment.

· Improve process capabilities of existing materials and operational steps through design of experiments, critical data analysis, and in-depth understanding between the input design requirements and output performance metrics.

· Work with Capex Engineering, Facility, Operation, Quality teams to support for commissioning and qualification activities including FAT, SAT, automation checkouts, IQ, OQ, PQ, and asset/preventive maintenance/spare parts creation for new process equipment.

· Lead and participate in equipment breakdown investigations to identify root causes. Effectively communicate with cross-functional teams on the subsequent plans, short term and long-term mitigating actions.

· Actively seek opportunities for continuous improvement to improve efficiency and differentiation through flexible use of new technologies and best industry practices.

· Take ownership and drive resolution of any blockers to successful delivery of the product, including:

o Technical issues during development or series production - work with responsible engineers to define and drive actions to resolve, monitor and report status to management teams.

o Supplier issues - monitor and escalate appropriately with supply chain and engineering teams to resolve.

o Manufacturing issues that require engineering support – respond to requests for support and escalate appropriately with manufacturing teams and engineering teams to resolve.

o Organizational issues - identify gaps in resources, processes or roles/responsibilities and escalate appropriately with management teams.

Qualifications:

· 3-5+ years of process engineering experience within relevant industry and focus on battery systems, battery cells, energy storage systems, or similar products with complex processes.

· Familiarity with data collection, statical process control, process capability analysis, PFMEA and quality management.

· Extensive experience and knowledge of encapsulation compounds, laser welding, wire bonding, adhesives, bonding and dispense processes is preferred.

· Excellent communication and planning skills in both technical and non-technical environments – experience communicating with internal and external parties.

· Experience in equipment commissioning & qualification (FAT/SAT).

· Strong understanding and experience of automotive engineering product development, from concept to series production

· Experience with high voltage battery systems and electric vehicles

· Experience with quality and problem tools (e.g., structured problem-solving methods, 5 WHY, Fishbone diagrams, 8D, DFMEA, etc.)

· Excellent organization and delegation skills with ability to own the product roadmap and schedule with a track record of delivering projects on-time.

· Ability to inspire confidence to the executive members as well as the engineering project teams.

· Ability to quickly comprehend complex problems and effectively facilitate the team to a decision and coordinate the action plan.

· Strong analytical and quantitative skills with ability to drive decisions using data and metrics

· Six-sigma certifications such as green-belt and/or black-belt are preferred.

Education:

· B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Process Engineering, or equivalent. (Master’s degree preferred)