Electrolyte Engineer

Job Summary:
We are seeking an experienced chemist with a strong R&D background and the passion to take on challenging tasks developing electrolytes for our revolutionary Li-ion energy storage cells. 

Responsibilities:
Formulate and evaluate electrolytes and additives to improve rate, cycle/calendar life, gassing, and safety. 
Develop advanced characterization techniques to evaluate properties and performance of different electrolyte formulations. 
Improve test methods to rapidly screen materials, understand their interactions with other cell components, and predict full cell performance. 
Work with cross functional teams internally and externally to bring new electrolyte formulations to cell production. 
Investigate relationship of electrolyte properties and SEI formation to electrode/cell performance and safety. 
Define development roadmap for electrolyte and battery cell technology. 
Be an expert in technical discussions and lead collaborations with external research laboratories. 
Analyze in-line process data, metrology data, and electrical test data for rapid feedback to inform the next round of development. 
Summarize results in a clear and concise manner and present results and findings to internal and external customers in meetings and conferences. 

Qualifications:
PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Materials Science with more than 3 years working on lithium-ion batteries in a combination of academia and industry. 
Demonstrated experience in electrolyte formulation and characterization. 
Strong understanding about electrolyte development for different anode/cathode chemistry and for different applications such as high voltage, high and low temperature performance, and rate. 
Depth of knowledge of electrochemical techniques such as LSV, CV, EIS, and HPPC. 
Knowledge and hands on experience material characterization such as Karl Fisher titration, ionic conductivity measurement, FTIR, NMR, GC-MS, ICP, SEM/EDX, and XPS. 
Process development and integration with a track record of successful implementation. 
Experimental design and data analysis experience with tools like JMP, Tableau, R, Python, or equivalent. 

Good judgment: the ability to determine appropriate action and mitigate risks, often with insufficient data. 

Practical nature: being able to differentiate between solutions to problems that can be easily implemented, versus those that teach us something but are not scalable. 

Demonstrated tolerance of ambiguity; flexibility to adapt to new situations. 
Strong oral and written communication skills. 
The ability to work well with other team members, lead projects to completion, and work independently. 
Interest in working in a fast-paced environment.