Researcher II

Nissan Motor Corporation • Santa Clara, CA

7d • $108,400 - $230,590 • Hybrid

About The Position

Nissan is driving innovation in next-generation mobility solutions, focusing on Mobility, Operational Excellence, Value to our Customers, and vehicle electrification. The company is seeking a talented researcher to join its Battery R&D team in Silicon Valley to help shape the future of battery technology and electrified mobility. The Battery R&D team is a multidisciplinary group that integrates materials science, electrochemistry, and data analytics to accelerate next-generation battery development. The team focuses on bridging material-level understanding with cell-level performance through a combination of experimental research and data-driven approaches. Working closely with global partners across the United States and Japan, the team translates high-quality experimental insights into actionable engineering solutions and system-level understanding.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 5–10 years of relevant experience; OR Master's degree and 2–5 years of relevant experience; OR Ph.D. and 0–2 years of relevant experience.
• Degree in Materials Science, Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of electrochemistry and battery fundamentals.
• Ability to interpret relationships between material properties and battery performance.
• Hands-on experience with battery cell assembly, testing, and electrochemical analysis.
• Experience using data analysis tools such as Python, MATLAB, or equivalent platforms.
• Demonstrated capability in hypothesis-driven research and problem solving.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with materials synthesis techniques, including solid-state, sol-gel, or co-precipitation methods.
• Experience using materials characterization techniques such as XRD, SEM, XPS, or similar tools.
• Knowledge of battery degradation mechanisms and lifetime analysis.
• Experience collaborating with modeling and simulation teams.
• Familiarity with large-scale or structured experimental datasets.
• Experience with laboratory automation or high-throughput experimentation.
• Demonstrated innovation through patents, publications, or product contributions.

Responsibilities

• Design and evaluate battery materials, including cathodes, anodes, electrolytes, and interfaces.
• Analyze relationships between material structure, composition, and electrochemical properties.
• Develop hypotheses and experimental approaches to improve battery performance.
• Conduct materials characterization and cell-level evaluation activities.
• Design and execute electrochemical testing, including capacity, resistance, and degradation assessments.
• Identify performance variations and failure mechanisms driven by material properties.
• Quantitatively link material properties to battery cell behavior and performance.
• Structure, analyze, and visualize experimental datasets.
• Collaborate with modeling teams to interpret results and extract meaningful parameters.
• Contribute to data-driven understanding of battery performance and degradation.
• Develop and refine experimental plans, procedures, and testing methodologies.
• Document and communicate findings through technical reports and presentations.
• Contribute to patents, publications, and technical knowledge generation.
• Support materials synthesis activities, including solid-state and solution-based methods.
• Contribute to laboratory automation and high-throughput experimentation initiatives.
• Improve experimental workflows and data acquisition efficiency.

Benefits

• Nissan is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where employees can thrive and contribute their best work.
• Nissan is committed to a drug-free workplace.
• It is Nissan’s policy to provide Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, gender, military status, disability, or any other status protected by law.
• Nissan uses E-Verify to validate employment eligibility.
• Nissan Corporate Diversity Initiative aims to improve business results by ensuring that our workplace and core businesses meet the unique needs of our employees and customer base.
• Nissan is committed to creating a culture where everyone belongs and employees, customers, and partners feel respected, valued, and heard.
• Nissan also values inclusion in all areas of our business as we strive to mirror the diversity of our customer base and the communities where we do business.

What This Job Offers

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