Materials Development Engineer
About The Position
Sila is a next-generation battery materials company focused on powering the world's transition to clean energy by building better lithium-ion batteries. The company engineers and manufactures ground-breaking battery materials that increase energy density and reduce battery size and weight, aiming to unlock innovation in consumer devices and accelerate the mass adoption of electric cars. The role is for a deeply technical, diligent, and resourceful hands-on team player who thrives in the lab and excels at turning first-principles science into physical, high-performing battery materials. The ideal candidate has a meticulous eye for detail, a passion for data analysis, and constantly seeks to optimize material synthesis and performance. This high-impact role is designed for a builder who aims for breakthroughs that can survive a factory floor, driving core technology from R&D milestones to market-ready products.
Requirements
- Ph.D. or MS in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or Physics with 5+ years of hands-on industry experience.
- Experience in materials-centric industries (e.g., semiconductors, battery tech, specialty chemicals, or advanced composites) is highly preferred.
- A proven track record of scaling synthesis, process developments on battery or advanced composite materials. You should be as comfortable with a pipette as you are with a pilot reactor.
- Demonstrated experience in technology transfer—moving material chemistry from a research environment into a production-ready state.
- Fluent knowledge of Designed Experiments (DoE), research statistics, and computational methods for deep data analysis.
- Intimate, practical knowledge of analytical methods for materials and battery characterization.
- History of safety-centric development and operational accomplishments in lab and manufacturing environments.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with JMP and Python is a significant plus.
Responsibilities
- Design & Execute Synthesis: Lead the design and optimization of synthesis processes for advanced anode materials, bridging the gap between lab-scale discovery and production reality.
- Deep Data Analysis: Rigorously analyze complex battery cycling data to correlate cell-level performance metrics to specific material properties.
- Hands-on Characterization: Conduct thorough analysis and characterization of structure-property relationships in Li-ion battery materials.
- Scale-Up Integration: Partner with the manufacturing team to industrialize lab results, ensuring that novel materials are compatible with existing workflows and high-volume scale-up.
- Distill & Communicate: Translate complex R&D findings into clear, actionable takeaways for technical peers, management, and operations to shape products and production.
- Implement Analytics: Utilize and refine analytical methods to ensure accurate and repeatable evaluation of materials.
Benefits
- Sila’s competitive Total Rewards package that can include benefits, perks, equity.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Number of Employees
101-250 employees
