Process Design Engineer - Materials Handling

ABOUT US

We design and produce engineered materials that dramatically increase the energy density of rechargeable Li-ion batteries. We enable smaller, lighter, longer lasting electronic devices and unlock mass adoption of affordable, long-range electric vehicles. Our products work today, are a drop-in solution for existing battery manufacturing processes, and can be manufactured economically at scale.

Sila was founded in 2011 and is based in Alameda, CA. Our founders are two early Tesla Motors battery engineers and a Professor of Materials Science at Georgia Tech. We’re backed by top tier venture capital firms, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, Matrix Partners, Sutter Hill Ventures, and In-Q-Tel.

Our company culture is built on personal growth, mutual trust, inclusiveness, and safety. We are building a world-class materials company, where our team is close, debates are driven by data, and our nerdiest office puppies are named Angstrom, Lumen, and Gadget.

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.

WHO YOU ARE

You have experience as a process engineer within a large scale industrial manufacturing environment with particulate and powder handling, and powder flow from rheology to pneumatic transport, fluidization, filtration, and transport.

You will design and develop physical processes to manufacture powder and particulate materials used to manufacture the next generation of Li-ion batteries.

We start with first principles, develop new materials, design & qualify processes for pilot scale development & commercial production, and continually support and improve our manufacturing capability.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES 

• Understand specific design methodologies surrounding material handling of powders and particulates. This includes specific knowledge surrounding particle flow and rheology, fluidization processes, filtration, pumping/pneumatic transport equipment and safe handling of combustible particulates.
• Design, develop, and validate chemical and physical processes for powder and particulate matter.
• Originate clear and detailed Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) documents such as mass and energy balances, specification sheets, piping and instrumentation diagrams with supporting process calculations
• Research, recommend, specify and qualify equipment necessary for safe and efficient operation
• Plan & execute designed experiments (DOEs) at various process scales and perform process modeling to elucidate the underlying mechanism, kinetics, and transport of production processes
• Investigate material characteristics and process/device performance relationships to recommend continual improvement and control strategies
• Understand specific design methodologies surrounding safe handling of combustible powders and particulates.
• Specific knowledge and experience surrounding particle flow,  rheology, fluidization processes, filtration, sieving, milling, pumping/pneumatic transport equipment.
• Expand mechanistic understanding of core recipes for current and future production scales. Propose new process hardware and reactor configurations and iterate through development to deliver an in-specification process.
• Originate clear and detailed Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) documents such as mass and energy balances, specification sheets, piping and instrumentation diagrams with supporting process calculations
• Research, recommend, specify and qualify equipment necessary for safe and efficient operation
• Plan & execute designed experiments (DOEs) at various process scales
• Investigate material characteristics and process/device performance relationships to recommend continual improvement and control strategies
• Experience in HAZID/HAZOP/THA/PHA
• Collaborate in building technology transfer packages to Manufacturing.
• Particle characterization knowledge of several techniques such as SEM, FTIR, NMR, Particle size, etc. 
• Engineer layers of protections that comply with HAZOP requirements for equipment handling silicon anode materials
• Optimize existing synthesis processes to maximize efficiency, reliability, and performance of current production material. Deliver effective and timely outcomes on inbound Manufacturing requests, root cause investigations (CAPA), change management projects (MOC), and process deviations (PD).

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS

• B.S. Chemical Engineering or comparable with 2+ years of industrial processing experience with Powder or Particles.
• Materials science and process engineering R&D
• Proficiency with process simulation or statistical process control

Expectations

• Well-versed in relevant regulations, standards for Process Safety (API, NFPA, ASME, CGA, ISA, CCPS)
• Demonstrated ability to apply layer of protection strategies and identify risk reduction options while considering business priorities
• Set the standard for, and ensure the sufficiency of process safety for large scale capital project design
• Proven track record including examples of coaching teammates toward process safety goals
• Comfortable working in a fast paced environment with ever evolving information and data uncertainty

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position to operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a laptop, copier/printer machine, etc.
• Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection
• Repetitive use of hands - light to forceful handling of material
• Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes