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Salary: USD 151,000 - 191,000 / annual
Sila Nanotechnologies is a next-generation battery materials company focused on powering the world's transition to clean energy. The company engineers and manufactures advanced battery materials that significantly increase energy density while reducing size and weight, enabling smaller, more powerful batteries for consumer devices and electric vehicles.
As a Staff Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer within the Capital Projects team, you will drive the design, specification, procurement, installation, and commissioning of field instrumentation for next-generation manufacturing facilities. This is a hands-on technical leadership role where you will work closely with internal teams and external partners to ensure complex process systems are precisely monitored, safely operated, and built to scale.
Key responsibilities include:
- Selecting, sizing, and specifying field instruments (flow, pressure, temperature, level, analytical instruments, and control/shutoff valves) for high-temperature processes, solid material handling, and hazardous gas delivery systems
- Leading I&C design reviews through Front-End-Loading and detailed engineering phases in collaboration with external partners, equipment vendors, and internal process and control teams
- Authoring and maintaining instrument indexes, I/O lists, data sheets, P&IDs, loop diagrams, connection details, control panel drawings, alarm & trip lists, and cause-and-effect matrices
- Specifying SIL-rated instrumentation for Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS)
- Providing hands-on technical leadership during build phases, including instrument receiving, installation oversight, loop checks, calibration, FAT/SAT, and initial plant startup
- Working directly with automation and process engineers to integrate field instrumentation into PLC architectures, SCADA networks, and safety interlocks
- Guiding and mentoring engineers across multidisciplinary teams
The role involves up to 25% travel to vendor facilities and the manufacturing facility in Moses Lake, WA during construction, testing, and commissioning phases. Physical demands include wearing respiratory protection daily, PPE (hard hat, lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, steel-toe shoes), moving long distances, reaching low items, entering narrow spaces, climbing stairs, and operating computer equipment.
REQUIREMENTS:
- B.S. in Electrical, Instrumentation, Chemical, Mechanical (with Mechatronics concentration), or related Engineering degree
- 5+ years of experience executing capital projects in related process industries
- Technical knowledge of measurement principles, signal protocols, loop design, and valve sizing software
- Direct experience specifying, procuring, and installing instrumentation for combustible dust, toxic/flammable gas, and/or high-temperature environments
- Proven experience moving industrial greenfield capital projects from concept design through construction and site checkout
- Proven track record of driving cross-functional technical decisions, aligning diverse stakeholders, and thriving in fast-paced, ambiguous settings
- Willingness to travel up to 25% to vendor facilities and manufacturing sites
PREFERRED:
- Hands-on expertise with bulk solids, powders, and granular materials instrumentation (loss-in-weight feeders, load cells, acoustic/radar/radiometric level measurement, pneumatic conveying monitoring)
- Comprehensive understanding of industrial instrumentation standards (IEC, UL, NFPA)
- Familiarity with Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA), Safety Integrity Level (SIL) verification, and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) design
- Proven track record establishing instrumentation installation standards, design guidelines, and technical engineering best practices
- Demonstrated ability to guide, mentor, and provide strong technical direction to multidisciplinary engineering teams
