New Product Development Engineer

Packet Digital, LLC • Fargo, ND

9d • $85,000 - $100,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Packet Digital is seeking a New Product Development Engineer to design and develop next-generation pouch-format lithium-ion cells as the company expands its vertically integrated battery capabilities. The role spans early-stage design, prototyping, and pilot manufacturing, with the goal of ensuring new pouch-cell architectures meet performance, manufacturability, and safety requirements. The engineer will work across cell engineering, mechanical design, prototyping, validation, and collaboration with process engineering teams. This is a full-time position based in Packet Digital’s main office, in a collaborative and inclusive work environment with opportunities for growth and advancement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, electrical engineering, or a related field.
• Working knowledge of pouch-cell lithium-ion design, including electrode structure, pouching processes, electrolyte selection, and tab design.
• Proficiency with CAD and 3D modeling tools such as SolidWorks, Creo, or NX.
• Hands-on experience in cell prototyping, laboratory builds, or early-stage cell development.
• Ability to analyze cycling data, performance metrics, and failure modes to guide design improvements.
• Strong cross-functional communication skills and ability to work in an R&D and pilot-line environment.
• Ability to travel overseas for training and collaboration.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in engineering or a related discipline.
• Industry experience specifically in pouch-cell development or pouch-cell manufacturing.
• Familiarity with pilot manufacturing lines, including coating, calendaring, slitting, stacking, tab welding, filling, and formation.
• Experience with mechanical, thermal, or electrochemical simulation tools.
• Knowledge of DFM, DFMEA, and design validation methodologies.
• Experience with DoD testing and safety standards for lithium-ion systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support pouch lithium-ion cell design, including electrode architecture, stack configuration, mechanical layout, tab design, and pouch dimensions.
• Develop detailed 2D and 3D CAD models for electrodes, cell stacks, tabs, and packaging.
• Participate in pouch-cell prototyping, including material selection, electrode design iteration, stacking or winding setup, electrolyte selection, pouch-forming considerations, and sealing strategies.
• Collaborate with process engineering teams to align cell designs with manufacturing capabilities, including mixing, coating, calendaring, slitting, stacking, welding, filling, and formation.
• Support pilot-line builds and analyze performance, yield, and manufacturability data to drive iterative design improvements.
• Generate engineering documentation, including drawings, specifications, bills of materials, test plans, and validation reports.
• Use testing and cycling data to improve pouch-cell energy density, cycle life, impedance, thermal behavior, and safety.
• Participate in DFM, DFMEA, and engineering reviews to ensure design robustness and manufacturability.
• Ensure pouch-cell designs comply with relevant safety and DoD requirements, including UN38.3, NAVSEA S9310, and MIL-PRF-29595B.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time