Back to jobs
New

Battery Buyer

Troy, MI

 

Purchasing Battery (Cell, Module, Pack) Buyer

ABOUT Slate

At Slate, we’ve got one job: building a vehicle you’ll fall in love with, right here in the USA. We believe that car buyers—not car companies—should call the shots. We like looking at a road, not a screen. We don’t like paying for stuff we don’t need.
We like picking out the stuff we do need. We think dings are badges, not blemishes. But we know not everyone likes what we like. So, we built you a Slate: you make it yours.

 Who we are looking for:

SLATE is looking for an energetic, organized, experienced Buyer to join our growing team that brings a “roll up the sleeves” approach to getting things done, as responsibilities will be wide ranging.  We have embraced a startup company mindset of being fast, frugal, scrappy, and fun.  Important skills include action orientation, accountability, strategic thinking, relationship building, business case analysis, program management, and negotiation. 

 

What you get to do:

As the Battery Buyer at SLATE, you will serve as the commercial lead for all things battery-related. Your focus will be on identifying, building, and managing relationships with current and future battery cell and module suppliers.

In this role, you will:

  • Lead commercial strategy for SLATE’s battery supply base.
  • Monitor trends in technology, raw materials, tariffs, regulations, and supply chain issues.
  • Work closely with our battery pack assembly partner and internal plant team to build a strategic and cost-effective supplier base.
  • Lead commercial negotiations and manage RFIs, RFQs, pricing agreements, and contracts with suppliers.
  • Ensure supplier readiness for production and adherence to Master Supply Agreements, including pricing updates and raw material tracking.
  • Support cost, quality, and delivery goals for battery pack assemblies.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams—including product development, quality, and procurement—to meet cost targets, drive quality, and ensure on-time delivery.
  • Enforce supplier compliance with SLATE’s Global Terms and Conditions.

The ideal candidate has strong analytical skills, confidence working across teams and cultures, and the ability to engage assertively with international suppliers. We value transparency, direct communication, and a bias for action.

What you bring to the team:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Li Ion Battery Cell, Module, Pack, and raw materials experience.
  • 5 years of experience in Procurement/Supply Chain Management or Engineering.
  • Excellent analytical, communication and relationship building skills.
  • Knowledge and experience with ERP systems – i.e. SAP, Plex
  • High level of integrity
  • Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced start-up environment.

 

Why Join Team Slate? 

At Slate, we’re fueled by grit, determination, and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, and mutual respect, and is motivated by shared principles. 

  • Safety First
  • Delight Customers
  • One Team
  • Relentless Improvement
  • Fast, Frugal and Scrappy
  • Respectful Collaboration
  • Positive Legacy
  •  

We want to work with people that reflect the communities in which we operate:

  • Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason.
  • Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at recar-talent_acquisition@slate.auto.

 

 #LI-EH1

 

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Slate’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.