Senior Cell Test & Validation Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Peak Energy

Job Title: Senior Cell Test & Validation Engineer

Location: Broomfield, CO or Burlingame, CA

Department: Cell Engineering

Reports To: Cell Applications Engineering Manager

Position Type: Full-Time

About Peak Energy

Peak Energy is the first American venture to advance globally proven Sodium-Ion battery systems as the storage standard for the new era of renewable energy on a resilient grid. 

Sodium-Ion is cheap, readily available and safe, making it the leading contender in a rapidly evolving market.  

Our leadership team is powered by decades of expertise in scaling gigawatt-level innovation at world-class companies such as Tesla, Northvolt, Apple, Powin, Enovix, Zipline, Solid Power, and Fluence. We are backed by strategic investment and product partners such as TDK Ventures and Eclipse Ventures.  

We are a team of engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, and partners driven by a shared ambition to set the new performance standard for renewable energy and grid resilience. 

If you want to define how a new chemistry is tested, validated, and trusted at commercial scale — and to build the lab, fixtures, and methods that make that possible — we encourage you to apply and help us power a more sustainable future.

About the Role - Senior Cell Test & Validation Engineer

Peak Energy is seeking a Senior Cell Test & Validation Engineer to play a key role in the cell-level test and validation program for commercial product cells. This role moves the cell from verification to validation — defining critical-to-quality (CTQ) metrics, designing the test campaigns that prove them out, and building the in-house infrastructure, fixtures, and data systems needed to execute them with rigor. You will lead electrochemical, life, and thermal characterization of cells, own external relationships for third-party safety and abuse testing, and apply a strong statistical foundation to demonstrate that cells meet performance, reliability, and safety expectations at scale.

The successful candidate combines hands-on lab expertise with the engineering discipline to make data-driven, defensible decisions about cells intended for commercial deployment.

What You'll Do (Responsibilities)

• Define and execute electrochemical characterization of commercial product cells, including capacity, DCIR/HPPC, rate capability, OCV/SOC mapping, coulombic and energy efficiency, and incremental capacity / differential voltage (IC/DV) analysis.

• Own cycle life and calendar life test programs across temperature, SOC, and duty-cycle conditions; design accelerated aging protocols and analyze degradation modes to inform life models and product warranty positions.

• Design and execute self-discharge characterization (open-circuit, micro-shorts, parasitic loss) at the cell level, including long-duration low-current measurements and storage condition matrices.

• Own third-party test engagements for thermal runaway, heat generation, and abuse testing (e.g., nail penetration, overcharge, external short, propagation, ARC, thermal characterization). Manage scopes of work, witness testing, review data, and translate results into product and system design feedback.

• Build and qualify in-house test and data-acquisition fixtures — including thermal chambers, calorimetry setups, current/voltage harnesses, temperature sensing, and custom DAQ — to expand internal test capability and reduce reliance on external labs.

• Operate, maintain, and calibrate battery cycler hardware across the lab fleet; establish equipment qualification, channel verification, calibration cadence, and measurement uncertainty budgets.

• Define cell critical-to-quality (CTQ) metrics in partnership with Cell Engineering, Quality, and Systems teams; translate product requirements into measurable test criteria with clear pass/fail thresholds.

• Lead the transition from verification to validation: design statistically rigorous test campaigns (sample size justification, DOE, GR&R, capability analysis, tolerance intervals, reliability statistics) that establish confidence in production-intent cells.

• Author and maintain test plans, SOPs, test reports, and validation packages that withstand internal and external technical review; ensure traceability from requirement → test method → result → decision.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Cell R&D, Cell Quality, Cell Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Supplier Industrialization to align test strategy, share data, and close out failure investigations.

• Mentor junior engineers and technicians on lab discipline, data hygiene, statistical thinking, and safe handling of energized cells.

What You'll Bring (Qualifications)

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in an engineering or science discipline — Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related.

• 5+ years of relevant experience in cell, battery, or electrochemical device test and validation, with demonstrated ownership of multi-quarter test programs on commercial product-level cells.

• Prior experience working inside a formal engineering organization with stage-gated product development, change control, and validation gates.

• Deep hands-on expertise in electrochemical characterization methods (capacity, DCIR/HPPC, cycle life, calendar life, self-discharge, IC/DV) and the instrumentation behind them.

• Direct experience operating, calibrating, and troubleshooting battery cyclers (e.g., Arbin, Maccor, BioLogic, Neware, Digatron) and environmental chambers.

• Demonstrated experience owning third-party test engagements for thermal runaway, abuse, heat generation, and thermal characterization, including authoring test protocols and reviewing third-party data.

• Track record of designing and building in-house test fixtures and DAQ systems — sensor selection, harnessing, signal conditioning, and software integration (LabVIEW, Python, or equivalent).

• Strong statistical background applied to verification and validation: sample size justification, DOE, ANOVA, regression, GR&R, capability indices, tolerance intervals, and reliability/life-data analysis.

• Proven ability to define CTQ metrics and translate product and system requirements into measurable, defensible cell-level test criteria.

• Clear technical writing and presentation skills; comfortable defending methods and conclusions to engineering, quality, and executive audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with sodium-ion, lithium-ion, or other advanced battery chemistries at commercial cell formats (prismatic, pouch, or cylindrical).

• Working knowledge of battery safety and qualification standards (e.g., UN 38.3, UL 1973, UL 9540A, IEC 62619, SAE J2464) and the test sequences they prescribe.

• Familiarity with calorimetry techniques (ARC, IBC, isothermal) and heat-generation modeling at the cell level.

• Proficiency in Python, R, JMP, or Minitab for test data analysis and statistical inference; experience with structured time-series cycler data at scale.

• Experience deploying Jira, Smartsheet, or similar tools to manage test requests, deviations, and validation deliverables.

• Exposure to model-test correlation work with cell modeling, electrochemical simulation, or life-prediction teams.

• Six Sigma, ASQ CRE/CQE, or equivalent statistical/reliability certification.

Peak Energy is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage women, people of color, and individuals from underrepresented groups to apply. We value skills, potential, and perspective over specific credentials. If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't look perfect on paper, we still want to hear from you.

Our Core Values

• Speed Through Focus - Move fast but understand why. Focus on the goal, don't sacrifice quality.

• Mission Over Self - It's about the greater good; confident humility. Take ownership and accountability.

• Face the Brutal Truth - Transparency, honesty, big picture curiosity. Fearless decision making.

• Be a Good Person - Kindness, collaboration and teamwork.

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this role is $150,000 - $170,000 , with actual pay varying based on work location, experience, and skills. Our competitive benefits package includes:

• Flexible time off

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

• Strong 401(k) plan

• Equity opportunities

• Many great work perks

Join us to thrive in a supportive environment while making a meaningful impact in the energy sector!

At Peak Energy Technologies Inc., we believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace makes us a more capable, innovative, and competitive company. We welcome people who represent diversity in their backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and experiences. Peak Energy Technologies Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, aiming to reach our company's full potential by cultivating an inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.