Senior Materials Process Engineer at Sila Nanotechnologies in Alameda, CA

WHO YOU ARE

You are a creative, diligent, resourceful, and hands-on technical contributor. You will design and develop processes to synthesize materials needed to set the new standard for Li-ion batteries. You enjoy closely collaborating with core and multidisciplinary teams on complex, sometimes multi-year, projects. As a team, we start with first principles, develop new materials, design & qualify processes for pilot scale development & commercial production, and continually assess, support and improve our manufacturing capabilities.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

• Analysis and characterization of structure and property relationships in Li-ion battery materials with rigorous attention to detail.
• Assist in the transition of new product concepts into a product development pipeline through prototype design, and qualification toward commercialization.
• Working in a matrix organization, the candidate will be able to communicate and interact effectively with a range of people including business, manufacturing, and research managers, process engineers, R&D engineers, technicians, and operators.
• Assist with process integration of novel materials into existing workflows.
• Improve and create workflows for repeatable, high-quality Product decisions.
• Create and systematize Sila’s process modeling capabilities, including best practice development, training, and collaboration with other groups.
• Collaborate with research teams to determine the necessary physical and chemical data needed to develop accurate process designs.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or Physics with 8+ years of relevant work
• Demonstrated track record of supporting manufacturing processes through laboratory support
• Intimate knowledge of analytical methods for materials characterization
• Fluent knowledge of designed experiments, research statistics, and computational methods for data analysis
• History of safety-centric development and operational accomplishments
• Desire to teach, collaborate with a team, and solve problems independently
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and eager to create structure

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position to operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a laptop, copier/printer machine, etc.
• Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection on a daily basis
• Repetitive use of hands - light to forceful handling of material
• Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety
• glasses, and steel toe safety shoes