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Staff Battery Engineer

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 Battery Engineer on the Battery Engineering team, you’ll be an integral part of the team working to usher in the next generation batteries leveraging your cylindrical cell experience. You are curious, enjoy fast-paced learning with multiple projects, are hands-on in the laboratory, and are data-driven. You’ve worked on cylindrical cell design and are experienced on integrating the different components (anode, cathode, separator, electrolyte, foils) of the lithium-ion battery chemistries through your experience in the industry, and are looking to bring your expertise to help launch commercial products. You can effectively prioritize your work to meet program objectives working across technical teams and business partners to design experiments, analyze data, and create robust plans to meet our goals and support our internal customer programs. You’re an experienced, hands-on, team-oriented engineer with a desire to help deploy the next generation of lithium-ion batteries in industrial and military devices.

Responsibilities and Duties  

  • Leveraging our prototype electrode and cell lines, develop and execute comprehensive experiments in multilayer pouch full cells, covering a broad range of technical areas including slurry & coating, electrolyte optimization, cell design and integration, and electrochemical test methods 
  • Translate the electrode and cell design learnings from multilayer pouch cells into cylindrical cell design through modeling and other practical considerations
  • Primary technical architect for cylindrical cell design, working with our contract manufacturing partners to transfer the in-house pilot line technology into mass production of cylindrical cells
  • Facilitate technical collaboration between groups at Sila and external partners and customers
  • Perform thorough failure analysis in small pouch full, prototype and mass production cells to identify root causes. 
  • Apply advanced data analysis, statistical methods, and modeling techniques to interpret test results, predict performance, and inform design iterations 
  • Effectively communicate ideas, plans, and results to internal stakeholders and support customer-facing data package preparation
  • Accelerate learning cycles by developing new techniques or test methods to detect downstream challenges early in the development
  • Facilitate technical collaboration between groups at Sila and external partners and customers
  • Invest in our company values and vision and champion them as we grow

Knowledge and Skill Requirements 

  • Experience in cylindrical cell design and familiarity with failure mechanisms
  • Strong technical background, experience with lithium-ion batteries including different process steps (slurry, coating, cell design and cell tear down) is required
  • Exceptional communication abilities with both internal groups and external customers; Mandarin / Korean language fluency is a plus 
  • Proficiency in using databases, and data analysis tools such as JMP, Python, etc.
  • Ability to carefully plan and implement multiple projects simultaneously
  • Well-organized and data-driven approach to problem solving and experimental design, driven by curiosity and attention to detail
  • Understanding of lab safety best practices
  • At least a B.S. in engineering or science and 7+ years of experience in batteries or related field (fewer for candidates with an advanced degree)

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

  • Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes
  • Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location
  • Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time
  • Up to 25% domestic and international travel
  • Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection

The starting base pay for this role is between $151,000 and $191,000 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-PL1 #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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