Staff Process Engineer (Process & Material Handling)

About Us

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?

Who You Are

As a Staff Process Engineer on Sila’s Technology team, you will be responsible for designing, commissioning and start-up of critical steps in Sila’s first and future industrial scale plants. You’ll also start working on the next generation technology after Sila’s first plant is running. 

The ideal team member will have experience working efficiently in high pressure situations, such as plant startups, new grade trials, or turnarounds, to deliver product on-spec. You bring applicable experiences of having seen different manufacturing plant technologies, having worked with bulk solids in manufacturing, or have expert level competency in at least one chemical technology so you know what process engineering excellence looks like.

You bring a collaborative and bias for action energy to the team. You have seamlessly worked closely with or on a chemical company’s R&D and Technology teams as well as with the Manufacturing Engineering, Operations and Maintenance teams. Most importantly, you are comfortable working on new problems everyday, have an extreme-ownership mentality, and have a track record of pushing yourself and your team to be better every single day.

Responsibilities and Duties  

• Commission Sila’s manufacturing plant to produce next-generation battery materials
• Be the Process Eng for a critical unit or set of units in the manufacturing process
• Collaborate with all engineering disciplines, operations and others required for a chemical plant
• Expertly balance day-to-day priorities with long term deliverables
• Work seamlessly with internal teams and 3rd party vendors to drive technical deliverables
• Play a critical role in the long term vision and execution of production line improvements

• Drive design and control scheme modifications for large scale first-of-a-kind plant during startup
• Develop HMBs, P&IDs and other FEED deliverables starting at concept for the next gen plant
• Drive ideas through R&D, Material Dev, and Pilot Test Teams for at-scale implementation
• Influence others across the org and drive technical solutions

Knowledge and Skill Requirements 

• B.S. or M.S. in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering
• Minimum of 5 years of experience directly owning a high volume production line or in a design-to-commissioning role as a Production or Process Design Engineer for a plant or other comparable manufacturing (speciality materials, food, chemicals, etc.)
• Ability to visualize in great detail and have a first-principles understanding of an operating plant
• Exposure to process design that may range from minor retrofits to new plant scope
• Knowledge of basic controls schemes and familiarity with advanced control strategies
• Experience with daily and long-term process optimization and production constraints
• Risk management, management of change and HAZOP experience
• Years of experience creating, reading and edited PFDs, P&IDs, and Operating Procedures
• Ability to determine and solve for key parameters for process scale-up to commercial volumes
• Track record of relentlessly challenging accepted practices and inefficiencies

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.
• Climb stairs and walk on uneven ground
• Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a hard hat, lab coat or coveralls, gloves, safety glasses, and safety shoes
• Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection on a periodic basis
• Move long distances and occasionally kneel or bend
• Up to 75% travel for work at new production site and 3rd party design offices during startup
• Up to 10% travel during non-startup time periods 

The starting base pay for this role is between $151,000 and $191,000 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.  The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

#LI-MY1 #LI-Onsite 

Working at Sila

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.