Material Characterization Specialist

Panasonic•Sparks, NV

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Panasonic Energy Corporation of North America (PECNA) is seeking ambitious engineers and scientists to lead the world’s largest lithium-ion battery initiative. With superior battery designs and the fastest manufacturing lines in the world, Panasonic is producing millions of batteries per day at the Gigafactory to support Tesla’s electric vehicle and energy storage businesses. Panasonic invites you to join us in this ongoing full-scale effort to electrify our society. At PECNA, scientists quickly become experts in the fundamentals of lithium-ion cell technology and work to integrate that understanding with high speed, automated manufacturing methods to produce the highest performance and highest quality lithium-ion batteries.

Requirements

B.S. degree in a scientific or engineering discipline or equivalent years of technical experience.
Fundamental understanding of electron microscopy including dual beam FIB, SEM, and EDS
Basic understanding of EBSD, STEM, and lamella preparation
Familiarity with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Experience with metallurgical sample preparation
Ability to and create and present technical presentations
Able to work independently while also possessing the skills to effectively collaborate and communicate

Nice To Haves

B.S. or higher in chemistry, materials science, or engineering.
Background in high-volume manufacturing
Knowledge of lithium-ion battery manufacturing
Experience in cell dissection and failure analysis methods

Responsibilities

Sample preparation including but not limited to metallurgical mounting, grinding and polishing, transverse mounting and polishing, vibratory polishing, carbon and sputter coating, ultrasonic cleaning, and ion milling
Execute measurements on various materials properties using instrumentation including tensile testers, scanning electron microscope (SEM), focused ion beam (FIB), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), hardness testers, and X-ray computed tomography (CT), amongst others
Develop operational and analysis procedures on the equipment in the previous bullet
Design experiments with Materials Engineers and Scientists to evaluate material properties, determine next steps in development projects, and troubleshoot factory/material issues
Collaboration with Materials Engineers and Scientists in their communication with material suppliers related to the development and validation of detailed material specifications for new materials and the resolution of quality issues
Support cell disassembly and failure analysis activities
Assure timely completion and achievement of project goals with supporting documentation.
Provide technical feedback to collaborating teams.
Upkeep of assigned instrumentation including routine maintenance, preventative maintenance, and calibration
Articulate and present technical data and images to groups of people
Other duties may be assigned

Benefits

Health Benefits – Offering medical, dental, vision, prescription plans, plus Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account options.
Voluntary Benefits – Life, accident, critical illness, disability, legal, identity theft, and pet insurance.
Panasonic Retirement Savings & Investment Plan (PRSIP) – 401(k) plan with company matching contributions and immediate vesting.
Paid Time-Off Benefits – Vacation, holidays, personal days, sick leave, volunteer, and parental & caregiver leave.
Educational Assistance – Tuition reimbursement for job-related courses after six months of service.
Health Management and Wellbeing Programs –Lifestyle Spending Account, EAP, virtual health management, chronic condition, neurodiversity, tobacco cessation, substance abuse support, and life stage and fertility resources. Available to eligible employees starting the first day of the month following your start date. Eligibility for each benefit may vary based on employment status, location, and length of service.
Employee Recognition Program - High5 employee recognition and awards platform, quarterly and annual employee recognition
Annual Bonus Program - Opportunity for an annual performance-based bonus.
On-site Food Options: Several on-site cafes, plentiful snack and beverage kitchens, revolving on-site vendor visits and employee events
Free Shuttle: Rides to and from work!