R&D Test Engineer

Sila • Alameda, CA

8h • $128,000 - $162,000

About The Position

We're seeking an experienced, hands-on R&D Test Engineer with an aptitude and desire for learning new things and making experiments happen. This position will put you at the forefront of Sila’s experimental efforts, with a focus on leading, designing, executing, and analyzing experiments on lab and pilot scale equipment as part of a growing, dynamic test engineering team. Your experiments will deliver the critical data necessary to understand how equipment design, process conditions, and material structure interact, enabling data-informed decisions for scale-up.
You will strive to accelerate Sila’s pace of learning and drive the company towards impactful decisions. You work as a team: you will rely on engineers, scientists, and technicians who, in turn, rely on you. You work at the interface of material science, process engineering, equipment engineering, systems engineering, and data science. You turn raw data into critical insights. You run towards problems not away. If someone has an issue they need to debug, they come to you. You use your fundamental understanding, experiential insight, creative thinking, and the rest of the team to solve tough problems quickly and thoroughly. You have excellent communication skills and deftly navigate through technical discussions and debates.

Requirements

• Exceptional laboratory testing aptitude. Intuition for what will work and ability to execute quickly and effectively
• Experience conducting or leading experimental R&D projects
• Demonstrated experience with complex reactive or thermo-mechanical systems like reactors, generators, catalytic systems, flow cells, or similar machines/processes
• Understanding and proven application of mechanical, process, and materials engineering principles: heat, flow, structures, thermodynamics, kinetics, and materials.
• Experience with data analysis and sufficient language knowledge, or polyglotism, to navigate data platforms in Python
• Experience with developing and deploying new instrumentation and measurement systems
• Demonstrated experience in electronics, wiring, and instrumentation (analog signals, AC and DC power fundamentals, control wiring, and diagnostic tools) and experience implementing lab or field-deployed electronics, sensors, and actuators
• At least a B.S. in engineering or physical sciences (e.g. Mechanical Engineering, Physics, etc.), advanced degrees preferred.
• 4+ years of relevant professional experience; an advanced degree (e.g., MS, ME) may substitute for a portion of the required experience.
• Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection on a daily basis
• Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes
• Move items up to 50 lbs with the assistance of lift equipment and carts
• Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time
• Reach low shelves or items on the floor
• Precise and repetitive handling of a range of material quantities
• Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location

Responsibilities

• Conduct complete R&D projects in collaboration with engineering teams, including test planning, experimental design, preparation, execution, analysis, and communication of results
• Craft and execute effective experimental plans
• Find failure-modes, root-causes, and implement robust solutions
• Provide critical insights through hands-on experience, deep process knowledge of the equipment, and thorough analysis of experimental data, system logs, and observations.
• Manage test platforms. Strive to make them world class.
• Formulate, lead, and facilitate complex data analysis projects

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level