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Salary: USD 156,000 - 197,000 / annual
Sila Nanotechnologies is a next-generation battery materials company focused on powering the world's transition to clean energy. They engineer and manufacture advanced lithium-ion battery materials that increase energy density while reducing size and weight, enabling smaller, more powerful batteries for consumer devices and electric vehicles.
In this highly visible Staff-level role, you will serve as the critical bridge between internal cell engineering and product teams and the factory floor, establishing quality systems that scale from development through high-volume production. You will manage incoming quality control (IQC), in-process quality control (IPQC), outgoing quality control (OQC), and operational readiness testing (ORT) across battery cell production lines.
Key responsibilities include:
- Drive quality readiness at contract manufacturers for development builds (EVT/DVT/PVT) and mass production ramp, establishing inspection and hold/release protocols
- Lead root cause and corrective action (RCCA) investigations for quality escapes and present findings to internal and CM leadership
- Collaborate with cell engineering teams to define and implement quality control, inspection, and metrology stations across the full cell production process (electrode coating, calendering, winding, stacking, electrolyte filling, formation, aging, and final test)
- Define and monitor electrochemical quality metrics, identify process signals, and drive statistical process control (SPC) implementation
- Conduct periodic factory quality reviews covering yield, scrap, defect analysis, and process capability trends
- Prepare OK-to-Ship documentation and lot dispositioning for new product launches and ongoing mass production
- Develop and maintain failure mode and effects analyses (PFMEA) for battery manufacturing processes; implement control and reaction plans
- Support design-for-manufacturability (DFM) reviews with cell design and product teams; conduct tolerance analysis for electrode stack, cell can/pouch dimensions, and assembly fit
- Develop and execute module and cell reliability test plans (cycle life, calendar aging, thermal abuse, mechanical) during new product introduction and mass production
- Ensure manufacturing process controls maintain compliance with applicable safety and certification standards (IEC 62133, UN 38.3, UL 1642, GB/T equivalents)
- Conduct 30–40% international travel to contract manufacturer sites in Asia
You will need minimum 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree (or 8 years with a Master's, or 5 years with a PhD). Required expertise includes hands-on lithium-ion cell manufacturing and product qualification, battery-specific metrology (coating weight, electrode thickness/density, porosity, tab alignment, electrolyte fill weight), and mastery of quality tools (DOE, RCCA/8D, SPC, GR&R/MSA, PFMEA, control plans, capability analysis). You should have knowledge of battery reliability methods (Weibull analysis, HALT/HASS, accelerated life testing, electrochemical failure characterization), GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and experience managing contract manufacturer relationships in Asia. Familiarity with battery safety standards and certification pathways (IEC, UL, GB/T, KC, PSE) is essential. Strong cross-functional communication and ability to present technical findings to engineering and executive audiences are required.
