Senior Manager, Battery Engineering - Customer Technical Solutions
Sila Nanotechnologies · Alameda, United States · 7h ago
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 are an empowering engineering leader and battery technologist who thrives at the intersection of cutting-edge materials and customer success. You don't just manage people—you build psychological safety, clear roadblocks, advocate clearly for your team with leadership, and champion individual career growth.
In this role, you will lead a high-performing team of engineers responsible for helping battery cell manufacturers and consumer/automotive OEMs successfully integrate and qualify Sila’s breakthrough silicon anode materials. You know how to guide a team through complex customer integrations, and you take pride in empowering your engineers to set ambitious goals, execute with precision, and feel genuinely supported every step of the way.
Responsibilities and Duties
- Lead, Empower & Scale: Build, recruit, and mentor a world-class team of Battery Engineers. Champion their career trajectories, provide regular candid feedback, advocate for resources with leadership, and foster a culture of trust and high psychological safety.
- Guide Customer Integration & Qualification: Lead and support your team as they partner directly with cell manufacturers and OEMs (alongside Sila's Commercial team) to guide technical adoption, troubleshoot integration challenges, and accelerate the journey from sample testing to commercial deployment. Step in as a senior technical advocate when needed.
- Bridge Technical & Commercial Strategy: Act as the connective tissue between external partners and internal Sila teams to align technical roadmaps, customer requirements, and market intelligence.
- Optimize Operations & Workflows: Establish clear prioritization frameworks, streamline decision-making processes, and protect team bandwidth so engineers can focus on high-impact technical work.
Knowledge and Skill Requirements
- Leadership & Mentorship: 3+ years in a direct management or team lead role with a proven track record of growing engineers, establishing clear team vision, and advocating for team needs.
- Technical & Customer Adoption Experience: B.S. or higher in Engineering, Materials Science, or related physical sciences, with 6+ years of industry experience (or advanced degree equivalent) supporting customer technical adoption, qualification, or integration of advanced materials or complex technologies.
- Domain Knowledge: Understanding of lithium-ion batteries, cell components, and materials is strongly preferred, or a demonstrated ability to rapidly master complex electrochemical systems.
- Cross-Functional Influence: Exceptional ability to communicate technical trade-offs to executive stakeholders, cross-functional partners, and external customers alongside sales/commercial leads.
Physical Demands and Working Conditions
- Anticipated travel up to 25% required, both domestic and international
- Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes
- Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location
The starting base pay for this role is between $185,000 and $234,000 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, and bonuses. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
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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.