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Staff Materials Development 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

You are an innovative and results-driven scientist with a passion for pushing the boundaries of clean energy technology. You are a creative, diligent, resourceful, and hands-on technical contributor dedicated to driving critical initiatives for our input materials. You have a strong background in polymer chemistry and/or material science, synthesis, and characterization of advanced materials. Your ability to interpret and utilize analytical data will be key to driving design improvements and optimizing cost-effective precursor materials. You approach challenges methodically, employing strong analytics skills to assess complex problems and develop effective, data driven solutions. You are excited to combine a mix of theoretical and empirical knowledge and reduce to practice concepts developed in the laboratory and take them to commercial scale production.

Responsibilities and Duties  

  • Identify, evaluate, and process feedstocks for generating high-purity porous carbons.
  • Design and execute material studies to optimize the thermal conversion processes of precursors into high-quality porous carbons.
  • Utilize internal and external experimental data, statistical techniques, and design of experiment (DOE) to develop process-properties-performance models and define material specifications.
  • Work with external partners to optimize raw material properties and processes  to meet our performance targets.
  • Collaborate with technical leads and adjacent groups to establish product development standards and set technical specifications.
  • Proactively identify safety hazards and work cooperatively to implement improvements.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements 

  • Degree in Chemistry, Material Science, or equivalent with minimum of 8+ years (Bachelor’s degree), 6+ years (Master’s degree), or 4+ years (Ph.D.) of industry experience. 
  • Extensive hands-on experience transforming precursors into porous carbons and a strong background in polymer and carbon analytical characterization techniques.
  • Experience synthesizing materials, characterizing properties and measuring impact of properties on product / device performance. Familiarity with electrochemical testing is preferred.
  • Track record of bringing new processes and products from concept phase through New Product Introduction (NPI) a plus.
  • Proficiency in statistical analysis, knowledge of Design of Experiments (DOE) is a plus.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

  • Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection on a periodic basis.
  • Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes on a periodic basis.
  • Move items up to 25 lbs with the assistance of lift equipment and carts.
  • Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time.
  • Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location.

 

Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 6:00pm

 

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. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

LI#-RS1 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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