Senior Staff Global Supply Manager, Battery Cells

Sila•Alameda, CA

4h•$156,000 - $211,000•Onsite

About The Position

Sila is a next-generation battery materials company working to advance lithium-ion batteries and support the transition to clean energy. The Senior Staff Global Supply Manager – Battery Cells serves as the commercial lead for global sourcing and supply strategy, helping scale new battery architectures and chemistries from development through mass production and enabling a new business vertical. The role partners across Battery Engineering, Product Management, and Supply Chain to bring products from concept to scale, align technology roadmaps with supplier capabilities, and qualify supplier factory readiness. It establishes multi-year sourcing strategies, secures dedicated capacity, negotiates complex supply agreements, owns cost models and cost-reduction initiatives, and develops resilient, compliant multi-tier supply chains. The position requires 25–30% global travel. The starting base pay range is $156,000–$211,000; actual pay depends on factors including education, experience, and skills. Total Rewards may include benefits, perks, equity, and bonuses.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related technical discipline.
8–12 years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, commodity management, or supply chain.
Familiarity with lithium-ion manufacturing processes, including coating, winding or stacking, and formation.
Understanding of cell contract manufacturing models and Tier 1 cell vendors.
Proven ability to independently negotiate complex international supply agreements and index-linked pricing formulas, and manage high-stakes supplier relationships.
Mastery of advanced cost modeling, including Should-Cost and Total Cost of Ownership, manufacturing economics, and raw material indexing.
Ability to use data to communicate and drive executive decisions.
Entrepreneurial, resourceful, and highly collaborative approach.
Exceptional ability to translate engineering requirements into commercial realities.
Ability to move long distances, such as between buildings, and remain stationary for extended periods.
Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop and copier/printer, in a fixed location.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or MBA.

Responsibilities

Serve as commercial lead for New Product Introduction, working with Battery Engineering, Product Management, and Supply Chain to bring products from concept to scale.
Align the technology roadmap with supplier capabilities.
Evaluate and qualify supplier factory readiness, including commercial alignment on line speed, yield ramp schedules, and manufacturing tooling.
Establish and drive Clear-to-Build management across multi-tier supply chains, including material readiness tracking, risk mitigation, and buffer management to support material availability for NPI builds and mass production.
Establish multi-year commodity strategies and secure dedicated capacity and supply continuity.
Lead complex contractual negotiations, including MSAs, SOWs, and long-term capacity reservation agreements.
Support complex contracting frameworks to build a competitive and resilient supply base.
Build bottom-up cost models accounting for raw material indices, conversion fees, electrode scrap rates, and energy tariffs.
Drive year-over-year cost reductions through cost engineering and Design for Cost initiatives.
Serve as an internal subject matter expert on market dynamics, capacity trends, and pricing models.
Optimize global duties and trade costs using measures such as Free Trade Agreements, bonded warehousing, inward processing relief, and duty drawback programs.
Execute dual-sourcing and multi-region supply strategies to mitigate geopolitical and logistics risks.
Ensure supplier compliance with global sustainability and regulatory requirements, including mapping tier-N supply chains for applicable FEOC, NDAA, and Battery Passport requirements.
Travel globally 25–30% of the time.