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?
As an engineer on the RD&E modeling team, you will bridge physical chemistry, advanced characterization, and computational modeling to accelerate the development of high-performance lithium-ion battery materials and cells. You are a cross-functional problem solver who thrives at the intersection of wet-lab characterization and high-performance computing, leveraging advanced models to turn raw empirical and theoretical data into actionable material & cell design rules. Working closely with synthesis, formulation, and commercial teams, you will quantify property-performance relationships for active materials and coproducts to drive technological differentiation.
Responsibilities and Duties- Leverage standard and advanced characterization methods (BET, TGA, Raman, SEM, XAS, XPS, EPR) alongside computational chemistry tools (DFT, electronic structure modeling via Orca, Gaussian, or Q-Chem, and numerical solvers) to quantify correlations between material properties and electrochemical performance of Li-ion battery active materials and coproducts.
- Develop and operationalize electrochemical tests at the half and full cell level to extract material-level kinetics and physics for Li-ion active materials.
- Build and maintain automated data processing, simulation, and modeling workflows using Linux command-line tools, bash scripting, and Python for both material and cell-level modeling
- Translate computational insights into physical material design improvements while guiding internal teams and external customers on cell-level design optimization for maximum power and energy efficiency.
- Leverage empirical historical datasets to create model scenarios to inform design opportunities for energy:power differentiation.
- Ph.D. in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related physical science discipline.
- Deep experience integrating quantum chemistry methods (DFT, electronic structure calculations) with experimental materials characterization
- Deep experience in physics based model development and application for lithium ion batteries
- High proficiency in Linux environments, CLI tools, bash scripting, Python, and numerical solvers for physical chemistry workflows.
- Hands-on background in electrochemistry for lithium ion batteries or related field
- Solid grasp of standard (BET, TGA, Raman, SEM) and advanced spectroscopic/synchrotron techniques (XAS, XPS, EPR) applied to silicon or carbon-based active materials.
- Wear required personal protective equipment (lab coat, safety glasses, gloves, steel-toe shoes) when operating in laboratory environments.
- Operate specialized analytical instrumentation, gloveboxes, and computational infrastructure in fixed laboratory and office settings.
- Move across facilities and maintain focus during extended computational runs or analytical testing protocols.
The starting base pay for this role is between $172,000 and $218,000 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.
#LI-PL1 #LI-Onsite
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.
Skills Required
- Ph.D. in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related physical science discipline
- Deep experience integrating quantum chemistry methods, including DFT and electronic structure calculations, with experimental materials characterization
- Deep experience developing and applying physics-based models for lithium-ion batteries
- High proficiency in Linux environments, command-line tools, Bash scripting, Python, and numerical solvers
- Hands-on experience with electrochemistry for lithium-ion batteries or a related field
- Experience applying BET, TGA, Raman, SEM, XAS, XPS, EPR, and related techniques to silicon or carbon-based active materials
What We Do
We are Sila—a next generation battery materials company dedicated to accelerating energy transformation for a more sustainable future. Our next-gen anode material is the first significant chemistry improvement to lithium-ion batteries to reach the market in 30 years. Our silicon anode material is a simple drop-in replacement to graphite and significantly boosts the energy density of lithium-ion batteries without compromising performance. Today, Sila science powers innovative consumer electronics. Tomorrow, it will fuel our EV future and the electrification of everything. We work directly with leading consumer electronics and automotive OEMs to help accelerate product roadmaps, and partners with battery manufacturers commercial cell production. Our partners include BMW, Daimler, and ATL. Sila Nano’s first products significantly increase the energy density of state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. Our materials are manufacturable economically at scale and are drop-in replacements to existing battery manufacturing processes.
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