Materials Development Engineer

Materials Development Engineer

Alameda, CA

About Us

We are Sila, a next-generation battery materials company. Our mission is to power the world's transition to clean energy. To create this future, our team is building a better lithium-ion battery from the inside out today. We engineer and manufacture ground-breaking battery materials that significantly increase the energy density of batteries, while reducing their size and weight. The result? Smaller more powerful batteries that can unlock innovation in consumer devices and accelerate the mass adoption of electric cars to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels. We're tackling one of the biggest challenges of our time every day, and together we're redefining what's possible. Are you ready to be a part of a team committed to changing the world?

Who You Are

You are a deeply technical, diligent, and resourceful hands-on team player. You thrive in the lab and excel at turning first-principles science into physical, high-performing battery materials. You have a meticulous eye for detail and a passion for data analysis, constantly looking for ways to optimize material synthesis and performance. This is a high-impact role designed for a builder. You aren't just looking for a breakthrough in a vial; you are looking for a breakthrough that survives a factory floor. You will be a key driver in bringing our core technology from R&D milestones to market-ready products.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Design & Execute Synthesis: Lead the design and optimization of synthesis processes for advanced anode materials, bridging the gap between lab-scale discovery and production reality.
• Deep Data Analysis: Rigorously analyze complex battery cycling data to correlate cell-level performance metrics to specific material properties.
• Hands-on Characterization: Conduct thorough analysis and characterization of structure-property relationships in Li-ion battery materials.
• Scale-Up Integration: Partner with the manufacturing team to industrialize lab results, ensuring that novel materials are compatible with existing workflows and high-volume scale-up.
• Distill & Communicate: Translate complex R&D findings into clear, actionable takeaways for technical peers, management, and operations to shape products and production.
• Implement Analytics: Utilize and refine analytical methods to ensure accurate and repeatable evaluation of materials.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Ph.D. or MS in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or Physics with 5+ years of hands-on industry experience.
• Experience in materials-centric industries (e.g., semiconductors, battery tech, specialty chemicals, or advanced composites) is highly preferred.
• A proven track record of scaling synthesis, process developments on battery or advanced composite materials. You should be as comfortable with a pipette as you are with a pilot reactor.
• Demonstrated experience in technology transfer—moving material chemistry from a research environment into a production-ready state.
• Fluent knowledge of Designed Experiments (DoE), research statistics, and computational methods for deep data analysis. Experience with JMP and Python is a significant plus.
• Intimate, practical knowledge of analytical methods for materials and battery characterization.
• History of safety-centric development and operational accomplishments in lab and manufacturing environments.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection on a daily basis
• Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes
• Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location

The starting base pay for this role is between $151,000 and $177,500 at the time of posting. The actual base pay depends on many factors, such as education, experience, and skills. Base pay is only one part of Sila's competitive Total Rewards package that can include benefits, perks, equity. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

Working at Sila

We believe that building a diverse team at Sila helps us amplify our individual talents. We are an equal opportunity employer and committed to creating an inclusive environment where good ideas are free to come from anyone. We are proud to celebrate diversity and all qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, national origin, or any other status protected by law.