Senior Process Engineer I (Material Handling, Transferring, Dosing)

Solid Power•Thornton, CO

32d•Onsite

About The Position

Solid Power is seeking a Senior Process Engineer to join our talented team of engineers and scientists working to revolutionize the battery industry through the development of next-generation, all solid-state rechargeable batteries. Solid Power is a public company with a dynamic, fast-paced, and highly collaborative environment where innovation thrives. This role will play a key part in owning material handling, transfer, and dosing of powders across our electrolyte process, spanning precursors, in-process materials, and finished solid electrolyte, and building the pneumatic powder conveying expertise this work depends on. The preferred candidate will have hands-on experience moving difficult or challenging powders through pneumatic and vacuum conveying systems, along with the ability to design and optimize transfer and dosing operations for consistent, repeatable performance.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or higher in Chemical, Mechanical, or Materials Science Engineering, or a related field of study.
7+ years of process engineering experience in chemical, pharmaceutical, food, cement, advanced materials, or battery manufacturing.
Demonstrated, hands-on expertise with pneumatic and vacuum powder conveying systems.
Experience troubleshooting powder flow problems such as clogging, bridging, fluidization, and inconsistent transfer.
Experience with powder dosing and feeding, including load cell troubleshooting and accuracy.
Strong process safety background, including PHA and PSM, and experience with inert and pressurized systems.
Proficiency with design of experiments, root cause analysis, PFMEA, and SOP development.
Proficiency in statistical analysis tools such as JMP, Minitab, or Python.
Experience with combustible dust hazards and applicable NFPA standards.
Working knowledge of OSHA standards, fire code, electrical area classification, and requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience with bulk solids discharge and reintroduction, including drums, and IBCs.
Working knowledge of powder characterization and rheology and their application to process optimization.
Understanding of electrostatic charge buildup in powders and potential mitigation strategies.
Experience working in hazardous electrically classified areas C1D2 or C1D1
Experience scaling powder processes from lab or pilot to production.
Familiarity with lean manufacturing and Six Sigma tools.

Responsibilities

Own material handling, transfer, and dosing as unit operations across the electrolyte process, and serve as the technical authority for powder conveyance on the team.
Work with Production to troubleshoot and resolve powder transfer and dosing issues as they arise, such as clogging or inconsistent transfer, and enable reliable transfer on vacuum alone.
Conduct a comprehensive audit of the material handling, transfer, and dosing systems to assess design adequacy, including equipment sizing (such as vacuum and conveying capacity), line and system layout, and component selection, and recommend design changes as needed.
Lead improvement projects based on audit and troubleshooting findings, including testing plans, processing setpoints, and vendor coordination.
Diagnose and improve dosing accuracy at the start of the process, including load cell troubleshooting and calibration, tank-side to hopper-side weight reconciliation, and the effect on product quality.
Develop reliable methods for reintroduction of stored material into the transfer system, including drum and bulk container discharge.
Diagnose and mitigate electrostatic charging during transfer and dosing through grounding and bonding, conductive componentry, and transfer velocity control.
Apply powder characterization and rheology to optimize transfer and dosing as material properties change with new processes and formulations.
Lead and support process safety activities, including PHA, MOC, combustible dust hazard management, and other PSM elements for transfer and dosing operations.
Define critical process parameters using SCADA and batch record data and apply design of experiments and statistical tools such as JMP or Minitab to guide decisions.
Develop SOPs and work instructions for transfer and dosing operations.
Partner with Equipment Engineering, Maintenance, Production, and Quality, specifying process changes and validating results.
Consult on large-scale capital and site scale-up projects for transfer and dosing system design as the company moves toward production capacity.
Assist EH&S in maintaining occupational safety on the manufacturing floor.