Senior Engineering Technician, Concept Development

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're a self-directed, hands-on engineering technician with a passion for solving time-critical problems. You're energized by digging deep into complex technical issues, finding root causes, and making fixes that last. Your teammates trust your work because they know you don't miss details and you always lead with objectivity and practicality. You're excited to learn about new technical disciplines and new ways of working alongside engineers, scientists, and operations staff. You're good at communicating complicated observations clearly to a wide range of audiences. You've built your intuition and technical judgment working on multidisciplinary systems (e.g. chemistry, equipment, applications, and metrology) and you're excited to apply that intuition to a new set of problems. You're flexible and can quickly find the right balance between speed and refinement; you know that the right solution always depends on the big picture. You have some broad hands-on laboratory experience, including wet chemistry and analytical tools.

Responsibilities and Duties

- Run process recipes to synthesize batches of material via benchtop wet-chemistry methods in lab and pilot-scale reactors

- Execute formulation recipes with novel materials and use coating processes to generate product prototypes for characterization and benchmarking

- Perform measurements with analytical tools such as microscopes, mechanical testers, precision balances and other analytical methods

- Record work accurately and keep data updated in an online database

- Work collaboratively with other technicians, engineers, and scientists

- Effectively communicate results to troubleshoot, correct, and prevent issues

- Work safely: keep a clean and safe work environment. Correct unsafe behaviors and report incidents. Understand and respect hazardous materials and processes

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

- At least 3 years of hands-on work experience as an Engineering Technician. An AS degree or BA/BS degree in a science, engineering, or engineering-technology subject area is preferred

- Ability to evaluate and troubleshoot processes and equipment

- Conscientious, curious, and deliberate approach to problem solving

- Consistent and reliable project completion from executing routine procedures to troubleshooting equipment to continuously improving new applications and methods

- Great communication skills (written and verbal), both with Sila employees and external contractors. Demonstrated ability to surface problems constructively

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

- Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection on a periodic basis

- Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes

- Move items up to 50 lbs with the assistance of lift equipment and carts

- Move long distances (such as from building to building)

The starting base pay for this role is between $37/hr to $47/hr 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, and bonuses. 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.