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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 a Sr Staff 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, and detailed technical contributor with an aptitude for learning new things and developing big, complex, electrical infrastructure for manufacturing units. 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 and experience collaborating 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  

  • Be the technical expert for the electrical distribution system to support the design and implementation of the planned facility scale-up 
  • Manage and serve as the primary technical liaison for all design work performed by third-party electrical engineering contractors
  • Review and maintain single line schematics, electrical schematics, panel layouts, and cable schedules 
  • Conduct and/or review arc flash analyses 
  • Develop detailed RFP and equipment specifications for hardware procurement
  • Analyze vendor proposals to ensure adherence to project and code requirements
  • Create electrical engineering and construction work packages for cost estimation and site installation
  • Provide technical support during the equipment fabrication, installation/construction, unit startup and commissioning phases
  • Maintain plant wide load list and work with the balance of plant team  
  • Aid in the development and maintenance of electrical company standards, specifications, and design guidelines

Knowledge and Skill Requirements 

  • B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering
  • 8+ years of industry experience
  • Proficiency in designing industrial electrical power systems for hazardous areas with strong familiarity with governing NFPA codes and applicable standards.
  • Electronics and wiring knowledge (analog signals, AC and DC power fundamentals, control wiring, and diagnostic tools)
  • Experience generating electrical schematics using AutoCAD Electrical 
  • Experience with electric power system design, studies, and protective relay applications using ETAP
  • Experience with cable sizing and specifying cable tray and conduit routing layouts
  • Experience designing, analyzing and implementing grounding and shielding schemes
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate technical concepts to both highly technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Professional Engineer license is preferred

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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