Battery Anode Material Product Development Engineer

About the role

As a Battery Anode Material Product Development Engineer, you will play a crucial role in the development of advanced synthetic graphite grades for lithium-ion battery cells. Your responsibilities will involve working closely with marketing, sales, and innovation groups, as well as interacting with customers and application developers. You will be responsible for product design, quality assurance, and ensuring that the materials meet the requirements for battery assembly and testing.

Responsibilities

• Identify and implement new battery anode material grade opportunities by incorporating market-backed needs/concepts in combination with developing innovative technical approaches.
• Drive product development workflows at lab and pilot scales for internal and customer testing needs, including prototypes, validation, and scale-up.
• Identify and implement new equipment and analytical capabilities as required.
• Provide technical leadership to define product research needs and participate in quality assurance for research and research applications.
• Lead product interface for synthetic graphite process development teams at lab, pilot unit, and commercial scale.
• Own product specs and processing/performance fit-for-use in battery assembly & testing.
• Continue to identify and implement technical capabilities to maintain competitive advantage.
• Actively contribute content to IP development.

Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications: B.S., preferably M.S. or Ph.D. in Polymer Science, Materials Science, Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering; 5+ years experience in industry focused battery anode material development and production; experience with battery cell manufacture and testing a plus.

Preferred Knowledge and Skills

• Battery anode material product design - impacts of product attributes such as particle size, particle size distribution, surface area, shape, structure, impurities on battery performance.
• Battery anode material fabrication and characterization: hands-on experience with milling/shaping technology to prepare developmental samples as well as experience with conventional carbon powder characterization techniques (density, surface areas, SEM, ICP, XRD, etc) for both precursor cokes and subsequent graphite battery anode material.
• Familiarity with grinding/milling operations at scales ranging from lab to commercial and subsequent heat treatment steps necessary for the production of graphite.
• Managing multiple interfaces in development, ability to connect key factors across the value chain from coke to final lithium-ion battery application performance and incorporate feedback into product design.
• Awareness of Li-ion battery components, chemistry, & testing.
• Effective at collaboration and networking: ability to influence without authority and leverage resources from multiple organizations.
• Results orientation with bias for action.

Benefits

• Pension Plan: Enrollment is automatic and at no cost to you. The basic benefit is a monthly annuity to be paid to you in retirement for the rest of your life.
• Savings Plan: You can contribute between 6% and 20% of your pay and are encouraged to enroll right away. If you contribute at least 6% to your savings plan, the Company will contribute a 7% match.
• Workplace Flexibility: We have several programs such as “Flex your Day”, providing ad-hoc flexibility around when and where you work, as well as longer-term programs such as leaves of absence and part-time work.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Culture of Health: Programs and resources to support your wellbeing.
• Employee Health Advisory Program: Provides confidential professional counseling for you and your family, including tools and resources promoting mental health and resiliency at no additional cost to you.
• Disability Plan: Income replacement for when you cannot work due to illness or injury occurring on or off the job. Enrollment is automatic and at no cost to you.