Senior Cell Test & Validation Engineer

Peak Energy•Broomfield, CO

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Peak Energy is seeking a Senior Cell Test & Validation Engineer to play a key role in the cell-level test and validation program for commercial product cells. This role moves the cell from verification to validation — defining critical-to-quality (CTQ) metrics, designing the test campaigns that prove them out, and building the in-house infrastructure, fixtures, and data systems needed to execute them with rigor. You will lead electrochemical, life, and thermal characterization of cells, own external relationships for third-party safety and abuse testing, and apply a strong statistical foundation to demonstrate that cells meet performance, reliability, and safety expectations at scale. The successful candidate combines hands-on lab expertise with the engineering discipline to make data-driven, defensible decisions about cells intended for commercial deployment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an engineering or science discipline — Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related.
5+ years of relevant experience in cell, battery, or electrochemical device test and validation, with demonstrated ownership of multi-quarter test programs on commercial product-level cells.
Prior experience working inside a formal engineering organization with stage-gated product development, change control, and validation gates.
Deep hands-on expertise in electrochemical characterization methods (capacity, DCIR/HPPC, cycle life, calendar life, self-discharge, IC/DV) and the instrumentation behind them.
Direct experience operating, calibrating, and troubleshooting battery cyclers (e.g., Arbin, Maccor, BioLogic, Neware, Digatron) and environmental chambers.
Demonstrated experience owning third-party test engagements for thermal runaway, abuse, heat generation, and thermal characterization, including authoring test protocols and reviewing third-party data.
Track record of designing and building in-house test fixtures and DAQ systems — sensor selection, harnessing, signal conditioning, and software integration (LabVIEW, Python, or equivalent).
Strong statistical background applied to verification and validation: sample size justification, DOE, ANOVA, regression, GR&R, capability indices, tolerance intervals, and reliability/life-data analysis.
Proven ability to define CTQ metrics and translate product and system requirements into measurable, defensible cell-level test criteria.
Clear technical writing and presentation skills; comfortable defending methods and conclusions to engineering, quality, and executive audiences.

Nice To Haves

Experience with sodium-ion, lithium-ion, or other advanced battery chemistries at commercial cell formats (prismatic, pouch, or cylindrical).
Working knowledge of battery safety and qualification standards (e.g., UN 38.3, UL 1973, UL 9540A, IEC 62619, SAE J2464) and the test sequences they prescribe.
Familiarity with calorimetry techniques (ARC, IBC, isothermal) and heat-generation modeling at the cell level.
Proficiency in Python, R, JMP, or Minitab for test data analysis and statistical inference; experience with structured time-series cycler data at scale.
Experience deploying Jira, Smartsheet, or similar tools to manage test requests, deviations, and validation deliverables.
Exposure to model-test correlation work with cell modeling, electrochemical simulation, or life-prediction teams.
Six Sigma, ASQ CRE/CQE, or equivalent statistical/reliability certification.

Responsibilities

Define and execute electrochemical characterization of commercial product cells, including capacity, DCIR/HPPC, rate capability, OCV/SOC mapping, coulombic and energy efficiency, and incremental capacity / differential voltage (IC/DV) analysis.
Own cycle life and calendar life test programs across temperature, SOC, and duty-cycle conditions; design accelerated aging protocols and analyze degradation modes to inform life models and product warranty positions.
Design and execute self-discharge characterization (open-circuit, micro-shorts, parasitic loss) at the cell level, including long-duration low-current measurements and storage condition matrices.
Own third-party test engagements for thermal runaway, heat generation, and abuse testing (e.g., nail penetration, overcharge, external short, propagation, ARC, thermal characterization). Manage scopes of work, witness testing, review data, and translate results into product and system design feedback.
Build and qualify in-house test and data-acquisition fixtures — including thermal chambers, calorimetry setups, current/voltage harnesses, temperature sensing, and custom DAQ — to expand internal test capability and reduce reliance on external labs.
Operate, maintain, and calibrate battery cycler hardware across the lab fleet; establish equipment qualification, channel verification, calibration cadence, and measurement uncertainty budgets.
Define cell critical-to-quality (CTQ) metrics in partnership with Cell Engineering, Quality, and Systems teams; translate product requirements into measurable test criteria with clear pass/fail thresholds.
Lead the transition from verification to validation: design statistically rigorous test campaigns (sample size justification, DOE, GR&R, capability analysis, tolerance intervals, reliability statistics) that establish confidence in production-intent cells.
Author and maintain test plans, SOPs, test reports, and validation packages that withstand internal and external technical review; ensure traceability from requirement → test method → result → decision.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Cell R&D, Cell Quality, Cell Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Supplier Industrialization to align test strategy, share data, and close out failure investigations.
Mentor junior engineers and technicians on lab discipline, data hygiene, statistical thinking, and safe handling of energized cells.