Senior Scientist

About the Company

Blue Current is the industry leader in the development of silicon solid state batteries. Free of flammable liquid electrolytes, Blue Current's fully dry, inherently safe batteries significantly reduce risks to human and environmental health while providing a higher-performance alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries. The company's silicon-based platform is highly adaptable, enabling a cost-effective solution for both the mobility and stationary storage markets. Blue Current operates out of its state-of-the-art headquarters and pilot line facility in Hayward, California.

About the Role

The Senior Scientist is a key individual contributor who works within complex team environments, driving mission-critical projects that impact annual company milestones. This role requires deep expertise in one or more areas related to battery function, design, processing, or materials. The Senior Scientist will tackle open-ended problems by developing hypotheses from disparate sources and executing plans that leverage organizational resources.

Responsibilities

• Develop and test polymer materials that provide benefits to cell performance.
• Design and execute high-quality experiments, balancing accuracy, speed, and competing resources.
• Relate polymer chemical and physical properties to component-level characteristics and cell performance results; optimize processes to maximize performance.
• Define projects aligned with company goals, track action items, drive progress to completion, and report results.
• Analyze data from multiple sources, including personal experiments.
• Identify gaps or overlooked problems and present data-driven findings and recommendations to senior management.
• Continuously survey and interpret literature on solid-state battery materials and architectures, integrating insights into technical strategies.
• Drive innovation and IP development by exploring novel materials, cell designs, and processing approaches to advance solid-state cell performance.
• Perform other duties as assigned, consistent with the scope and level of the position.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• PhD in a relevant field, OR MS + 3 years of relevant experience, OR BS + 5 years of relevant experience, OR 10 years of related industry experience.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze electrochemistry and battery processing problems, such as interfacial impedance, ceramic and polymer electrolyte processing challenges, and chemical degradation modes of battery sub-components.

Skills & Knowledge

• Detailed understanding of lithium polymer battery cell architecture and formulation, including the functional role of all materials in cell components.
• Ability to condense complex data into clear analysis, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Experience working in a team environment, mentoring junior employees, and serving as a technical resource for senior team members.
• Proficiency with analytical and electrochemical characterization techniques (e.g., SEM, XRD, TGA, DSC, EIS, CV) and ability to interpret results for design or process decisions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with polymer electrolytes and electrochemical cell testing and analysis, including ion transport measurements, mechanical testing, polymer rheology, cycle life testing, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
• Demonstrated ability to bring new materials from concept to fruition through synthesis, materials processing, cell assembly and testing, and engineering analysis.
• Strong data analysis skills, including statistics, novel analysis techniques, data distillation, scripting, or interpretation of complex electrochemistry data.

Core Values

• Safety & Security First: Commitment to maintaining a safe and secure work environment, including adherence to safety protocols, data privacy, and confidentiality. Ability to identify and escalate potential risks.
• Trust & Respect: Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals of diverse backgrounds and working styles while maintaining professionalism and integrity.
• Ownership & Accountability: Ability to independently prioritize, execute, and follow through on responsibilities with minimal supervision. Proven track record of setting and meeting goals.
• Technical Excellence: Commitment to quality and continuous improvement in delivering work products and solutions. Ability to evaluate options critically and apply sound judgment.
• Learn & Be Curious: Ability to quickly acquire new skills and apply creative or unconventional thinking to solve problems.
• Be Resourceful: Ability to deliver results in resource-constrained environments and adapt to rapidly changing situations.
• Delight Customers: Commitment to understanding and exceeding the needs of internal and external customers, building trust-based relationships.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

• Ability to sit for extended periods at a workstation and use a computer for up to 8 hours per day.
• Ability to work in a glovebox, using machines or hand tools, for up to 8 hours per day.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 lbs. occasionally.
• Domestic or international travel may be required intermittently.
• Work is performed in a combination of office environments, labs (including dry rooms, chemistry labs, cell test labs, machine shops), and gloveboxes.
• Regular business hours required; occasional evening or weekend work may be needed during peak periods.

Pay

Salary range: $111,600—$160,000 USD.