Director Process Engineering
Corporate Background
Gridtential Energy is an energy storage startup in the process of commercializing its proprietary Silicon Joule Technology. Silicon Joule incorporates patented silicon wafers & associated processing techniques into a novel bipolar battery architecture. This innovative approach to battery design combines the traditional benefits of lead acid batteries - low cost, recyclability, and safety - with the recharge performance and life cycle benefits usually associated with lithium-ion batteries. The result is a high-performance and low-cost energy storage platform attracting attention in major applications including the automotive, energy storage, and industrial markets.
Gridtential's business model is built upon a capital-light design, supply, and license approach that partners, rather than competes, with the world's leading battery manufacturers. We start with our OEM partners to optimize our technology around their applications. Next, we leverage our expertise in silicon processing techniques through the high-volume solar supply chain. Meanwhile, battery assembly expertise is jointly developed with our highly experienced licensed partners who handle OEM fulfillment. Commercialization efforts are currently underway worldwide with several global manufacturers and joint pilot production has already been initiated with one of Gridtential's licensed partners.
Gridtential is staffed with a team of serial entrepreneurs, experienced managers, creative engineers, and master technicians. We treasure an open, direct, and politic-free culture that focuses on high productivity and collaborative achievement of ambitious goals in an enjoyable working environment. Come help us change the landscape of energy storage and create a cleaner, more efficient energy future for all.
Role Background
Gridtential is growing quickly to achieve commercial release of its first battery. In addition, the Gridtential team is always working in parallel on new platforms and new innovations to push Silicon Joule technology into ever more demanding markets. In general, Silicon Joule batteries are divided into High Power and High Energy platforms. Within those groupings, there are multiple battery voltages and sizes to address myriad market needs. The Director Process Engineering will take ownership of development and release of the production process and related equipment at various scales. This role will work internally with the Gridtential battery engineering team, and externally with Gridtential's partners, to define the scaled process and deliver it effectively to Gridtential's licensees. The role will require a deep understanding of battery design, equipment design, and scaling equipment design, including how to rapidly iterate the design through multiple evolutions until success is achieved. The ideal candidate will have deep prior experience in developing equipment for industrial scale manufacture of batteries and/or cells (of any chemistry) and be comfortable leading a structured, stage gate process. The Director Process Engineering will have exciting opportunities to specify the direction of Silicon Joule technology development and will be a key technical decision maker. This role will require excellent organizational and interpersonal skills but also provides unique abilities to grow in many different directions.
Responsibilities
- Own battery manufacturing process and equipment design to achieve target battery performance and economics for multiple platforms (starting with one)
- Lead identification, verification, and improvements of equipment to scale production and deliver battery performance across a range of expected operating conditions
- Collaborate with the Battery Design Team to specify and validate optimal process parameters for battery production
- Proactively work with equipment vendors to identify and modify equipment for a robust manufacturing process
- Own predictive performance models to predict equipment and related battery assembly
- Drive DOE's to optimize the production equipment to internal cell design parameters and the related critical process parameters
- Lead regular design reviews with the broader engineering team
- Work in close collaboration with Gridtential's License Partners to implement new battery platforms at their facilities
- Act as a technical lead for new programs - help define timelines and scopes of work and work with engineering teams to generate high performing production equipment to deliver high performing cells/batteries
- Travel to locations may be required to troubleshoot and resolve issues
- Define pass/fail criteria for equipment designs for different scales of production of in spec batteries at target economics
- Create and maintain data relevant data to support equipment and processes for internal development and support of Gridtential's licensees
- Manage pilot level production process
- Work with external companies' labs and partner facilities to conduct identify and test production equipment battery testing and analysis
Skills and Knowledge
- Extensive experience in design and implementation of industrial scale process equipment
- Demonstrated experience scaling process equipment for batteries
- Ability to design custom equipment
- Ability to creatively identify new equipment, partners, or approaches to develop industrial production processes
- Strong troubleshooting and failure analysis skills
- Extensive experience with battery/cell design and common failure modes (including teardown analysis)
- Familiarity with lead-acid battery development and/or testing a plus
- Strong collaboration skills with battery design team
- Experience designing and testing fully instrumented battery cells a plus
- Exemplary verbal and written communication skills
- Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
- Excellent laboratory safety practices
Qualification and Experience
- 7+ years of experience in battery process development / battery equipment design development
- B.S. in chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar