Battery Cell Manufacturing Engineer - Process & Trials

Location: Liberty, NC
Job Type: Contract
Schedule: Monday-Friday | 40 hours per week
Overtime: Approximately 20-25% as needed
Travel: Approximately 10-15%, including potential international travel to Japan
Education: Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related technical field



Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Battery Cell Manufacturing Engineer to support battery cell manufacturing, pre-production trials, process development, and problem-solving activities within an advanced automotive battery manufacturing environment.

This position will lead cross-functional activities focused on identifying and resolving material, product, equipment, and process issues. The engineer will plan and execute manufacturing trials, analyze results, identify root causes, implement countermeasures, and drive continuous improvement of battery cell manufacturing processes.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience with battery cell manufacturing, winding, cell assembly, electrolyte filling, manufacturing trials, and process/equipment development.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead planning and execution of battery cell pre-production trials.
• Develop trial plans and confirmation activities for materials, products, processes, and equipment.
• Analyze trial results and manufacturing data to identify issues and determine root causes.
• Develop and implement countermeasures to prevent issue recurrence.
• Evaluate battery cell performance using analytical tools, quality methods, and manufacturing KPIs.
• Lead cross-functional problem-solving activities involving equipment, materials, products, and manufacturing processes.
• Support battery cell winding, cell assembly, and electrolyte filling processes.
• Provide technical input for process and equipment plans, specifications, and improvements.
• Support new material introduction, validation, and change-point management.
• Interpret and apply product and process specifications, drawings, manufacturing data, and technical requirements.
• Coordinate activities across Production Engineering, Manufacturing, R&D, Quality, suppliers, and other technical teams.
• Create detailed technical reports and executive-level summaries.
• Support equipment planning, specification, procurement, installation, testing, and production trials.
• Drive standardization, Kaizen, and continuous improvement activities.
• Mentor and support team members in battery manufacturing knowledge, trial execution, data analysis, and structured problem-solving.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or higher in Engineering or a related technical field.
• 3+ years of engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with manufacturing production preparation and project execution.
• Experience managing project schedules, deliverables, equipment/process planning, specifications, installation, and trials.
• Battery cell manufacturing experience involving one or more of the following:
  • Cell winding
  • Cell assembly
  • Electrolyte filling
  • Battery cell processes and equipment
  • Battery manufacturing trials
• Knowledge of battery materials and/or battery chemistry.
• Strong root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving skills.
• Experience analyzing manufacturing data and confirming process or product KPIs.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional engineering, manufacturing, R&D, and Quality organizations.
• Ability to interpret technical specifications, drawings, process data, and manufacturing requirements.
• Ability to work overtime, weekends, and plant shutdown periods when required.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally.

Toyota specifically asks for 2+ years of winding, cell assembly and electrolyte-fill experience on automotive cells, with 5+ years preferred, making that one of the most important screening criteria.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of battery cell manufacturing experience.
• Automotive lithium-ion battery manufacturing experience.
• Experience with Toyota Production System (TPS) or equivalent Lean manufacturing systems.
• Experience with Ryohin Joken / Conditions for Good Process and Product.
• Toyota Business Practice (TBP) or similar structured problem-solving methodology.
• Experience with simultaneous product/process/equipment engineering for new-model launches.
• Manufacturing plant production experience.
• Strong data analytics skills.
• Experience with digital engineering tools and model data.
• Battery materials, chemical engineering, materials engineering, semiconductor, or related advanced manufacturing experience.
• Japanese language skills are a plus.

Ideal Candidate

The strongest candidate will be an engineer who has worked directly in battery cell manufacturing, rather than solely in battery pack or module assembly.

They should understand how cell manufacturing processes and materials affect final cell performance and be comfortable leading manufacturing trials from planning through execution, data analysis, root-cause investigation, countermeasure development, and final confirmation.

Candidates from battery, automotive, chemical/materials, semiconductor, and advanced manufacturing environments may be considered when their experience includes relevant process development, materials validation, quality, and manufacturing problem-solving.

Location: Liberty, North Carolina
Travel: Domestic and international travel, including potential travel to Japan for equipment testing.