Director, R&D Engineering

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 You’re a technical and strategic leader with a strong foundation of hands-on experience as an engineer. You’ve worked in open-ended R&D environments, built hardware (and the software that runs it) from the ground up, and learned firsthand what it means to own projects from concept through operational support. You know how to deliver reliable, deterministic tools that inspire confidence in their end-users. You have a diverse background and understanding of equipment and can articulate the ‘why’ of hardware from a foundational understanding of the process it is designed for as well as the ‘how’ through an understanding of mechanics, dynamics, controls and automation, I/O sensors, and cause & effect matrices and responses. You thrive on enabling science through your team: matching the right people with the right technical problems and training/hiring to fill skill gaps. You are a leader that builds trust through giving trust and challenging and growing the skills of the team and are a seasoned listener and communicator, which helps you collaborate seamlessly with a wide range of technical and operational experts: from engineers to technicians to contractors to other managers. You are capable of delivering multiple projects in parallel, experienced in all phases of design from early concept through validation and handoff. You develop a strong and highly-engaged team, soliciting input and debate from all levels in the organization, setting clear standards for work quality, and being a transparent decision-maker. You’re passionate and knowledgeable about: clean energy, advanced materials, particulates, batteries, or related fields, sciences, and technologies. Responsibilities and Duties Provide inspirational leadership for a team of mechanical design, equipment and controls engineers and R&D fabricators & technicians designing and building first-of-a-kind materials processing and battery testing equipment. Help solve science problems by channeling your team’s (and your own) technical creativity into robust, new-to-the-world hardware, software, and instrumentation. Artfully balance competing resources and cross-functional objectives in a fast-paced and matrixed environment. Attract, hire, onboard, and retain world-class engineers. Expand the team’s bandwidth, capabilities, and diversity. Coach and grow talent through consistent feedback, navigation of challenges, and celebration of wins. Create opportunities for staff career growth, identify top performers and develop their careers. Contribute technically to system designs, from concept through operational support. Sila employs a wide range of technical disciplines, including CVD, bulk materials handling, gas delivery, wet chemical reactors, vacuum systems, and a variety of mechanical assembly and test equipment for cell fabrication and test. As the company takes on new problems, you’ll help incorporate other new technical fields of practice into Sila’s repertoire. Review and approve key design process work: mechanical design reviews, P&ID, HAZID/HAZOPS, design verification, factory/site acceptance test plans, and other test plans. Work collaboratively with your team to support existing tools; support your team in deep trou