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Sr Staff Engineer, Electrical

Alameda, CA

About Us

We are Sila, a next-generation battery materials company. Our mission is to power the world’s transition to clean energy. To create this future, our team is building a better lithium-ion battery from the inside out today. We engineer and manufacture ground-breaking battery materials that significantly increase the energy density of batteries, while reducing their size and weight. The result? Smaller more powerful batteries that can unlock innovation in consumer devices and accelerate the mass adoption of electric cars to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels. We're tackling one of the biggest challenges of our time every day, and together we're redefining what's possible. Are you ready to be a part of a team committed to changing the world?

Who You Are

As an Electrical Engineer on the Capital Projects Team, you will contribute to the development, implementation and scaling of a first of its kind commercial-scale battery material manufacturing facility. You are a highly motivated, creative, detailed technical contributor with an aptitude for learning new things and developing big, complex, materials processing equipment. In your work at Sila, you will architect, specify, design, and deploy industrial electrical systems that are safe, reliable, expandable, deterministic, and exceptionally well-documented. You have excellent communication skills to harmoniously collaborate with a wide range of skill sets: from scientists to technicians during the design stage, to out-of-house service providers across big, complicated interfaces during the build stage.

 

Responsibilities and Duties  

 

  • Serve as the technical expert for the facility electrical distribution system to support the design and implementation of the planned facility scale-up 
  • Work collaboratively with other teams to design robust, modular, and well documented machine electrical subsystems for production-scale equipment and components
  • Manage and serve as the primary technical liaison for all electrical engineering design work performed by third-party contractors
  • Review single line schematics and electrical schematics for all equipment and components
  • Develop electrical schematics for custom Sila electrical panels
  • Conduct and/or review arc flash analyses 
  • Develop detailed RFP and equipment specifications, assist with vendor selection, and manage technical aspects of the procurement process for electrical hardware
  • Analyze vendor proposals, specifications, data sheets, drawings, and calculations to ensure strict adherence to project scope, contract requirements, applicable standards, and company engineering practices
  • Create electrical engineering and construction work packages for site installation
  • Maintain plant wide load list and work with the balance of plant team to ensure seamless integration
  • Provide cost estimation support for electrical design and construction
  • Provide technical support during the equipment fabrication, installation/construction, unit startup and commissioning phases
  • Create and maintain comprehensive electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, cable schedules, and bills of materials (BOMs). 
  • Lead the development, implementation, and maintenance of comprehensive company standards, specifications, and design guidelines for all facility electrical infrastructure and systems.

 

Knowledge and Skill Requirements 

  • Proficiency in designing industrial electrical power systems
  • Electronics and wiring knowledge (analog signals, AC and DC power fundamentals, control wiring, and diagnostic tools)
  • Experience generating electrical schematics, including wiring diagrams, network architecture, control panel design, and power distribution, including AutoCAD Electrical and ETAP experience
  • Extensive experience with electric power system design, studies, and protective relay applications
  • Experience with cable sizing and specifying cable tray and conduit routing layouts
  • Experience designing, analyzing and implementing robust ground and shielding schemes
  • Expert in NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code) and 79 (Industrial Machinery Safety), UL508A
  • Support NFPA 86 design review process, especially electrical design for electric heaters
  • Design for high power systems (electrical heaters, compressors, pumps, etc)
  • Design for electrical in hazardous areas
  • Develop FAT/SAT plans for electrical panels
  • Familiarity with standards for emergency and stationary power (UL2200, NFPA 110, NFPA 111)
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate technical concepts to both highly technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering is required.
  • 8+ years of industry experience is required.
  • Professional Engineer license is a nice-to-have

 

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

  • Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection on a daily basis
  • Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes
  • Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time
  • Reach low shelves or items on the floor
  • Enter spaces narrower than 3 feet
  • Climb stairs or over containment walls
  • Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location
  • Up to 25% travel (potential for higher during critical construction and start-up activities) to and from build sites and contractors’ design offices 

 

 

The starting base pay for this role is between $172,000 and $215,000 at the time of posting. The actual base pay depends on many factors, such as education, experience, and skills. Base pay is only one part of Sila’s competitive Total Rewards package that can include benefits, perks, equity, and bonuses.  The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
#LI-MY1 #LI-Onsite 

Working at Sila

We believe that building a diverse team at Sila helps us amplify our individual talents. We are an equal opportunity employer and committed to creating an inclusive environment where good ideas are free to come from anyone. We are proud to celebrate diversity and all qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, national origin, or any other status protected by law.

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