Manufacturing Engineer, Battery
1X · San Carlos, United States · 1d ago
About 1X
We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it’s not.
To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here. We’ve been at this since 2014 and we’re at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us.
NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it - we’re shipping it. We’re excited to meet you, if this excites you.
If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.
About the Team
The Battery team develops the energy storage systems that power NEO. We design and validate battery systems that must deliver high energy density, power, safety, reliability, and long cycle life while operating within the demanding weight, volume, thermal, and packaging constraints of a humanoid robot.
Our work spans battery cells, pack architecture, mechanical integration, electrical systems, battery management, thermal management, charging, safety, validation, and manufacturing. We partner closely with Electrical, Mechanical, Controls, Embedded Software, Reliability, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to deliver battery systems that perform safely and consistently in real-world environments.
Your Charter
Build the battery systems that keep humanoid robots moving.
You will own critical elements of NEO’s battery system from architecture and component selection through design, prototyping, characterization, validation, and production. You will develop compact, lightweight, safe, and reliable battery solutions capable of supporting the dynamic power requirements of a humanoid robot operating every day around people.
You will work hands-on with cells, modules, packs, test systems, and complete robots, using data from laboratory testing and real-world operation to continuously improve performance, safety, lifetime, and manufacturability.
Key Outcomes
Design and release production-ready battery systems that meet energy, power, weight, volume, thermal, safety, reliability, cost, and manufacturability requirements
Develop battery pack architectures integrating cells, busbars, interconnects, sensing, protection, BMS hardware, thermal management, enclosures, and structural interfaces
Define and validate cell and pack performance requirements across charge, discharge, peak power, temperature, aging, and real-world robot duty cycles
Improve battery energy density, power capability, thermal performance, cycle life, reliability, and serviceability through iterative engineering and testing
Develop characterization and validation methods for cells, modules, packs, charging systems, and battery safety
Identify battery failure modes through testing and data analysis and drive design improvements and corrective actions
Support battery hardware through prototype builds, design validation, NPI, supplier qualification, and production ramp
Partner closely with Electrical, Embedded Software, Mechanical, Controls, Reliability, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to deliver fully integrated energy systems
Key Competencies
Strong engineering fundamentals across battery systems, electrochemistry, electrical systems, thermal management, and hardware development
Ability to design fixtures and test equipments.
Deep understanding of lithium-ion battery behavior, including energy, power, impedance, degradation, thermal performance, and cycle life
Strong understanding of battery pack architecture, including cells, interconnects, busbars, sensing, protection, thermal systems, and mechanical packaging
Strong analytical skills with the ability to use first-principles calculations, battery data, modeling, and physical testing to make engineering decisions
Hands-on engineering mindset with the ability to move between system design, cell characterization, pack builds, test equipment, failure analysis, and complete robots
Strong understanding of battery safety, fault conditions, validation, and risk mitigation
Strong collaboration and communication skills across electrical, mechanical, embedded software, controls, manufacturing, reliability, and supply chain teams
Minimum Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related engineering field
5+ years of engineering experience developing battery systems, energy storage systems, or complex electromechanical products
Experience developing fixtures and test equipment.
Experience developing lithium-ion battery packs, modules, cells, or related energy storage systems
Strong understanding of lithium-ion cell performance, charging and discharging behavior, degradation, thermal behavior, and safety
Experience with battery pack architecture and integration, including cells, interconnects, sensing, protection, thermal management, and mechanical packaging
Experience defining and executing battery characterization and validation testing
Experience analyzing battery performance data and using test results to drive engineering decisions
Experience with battery safety, fault analysis, failure modes, and design mitigation strategies
Experience supporting hardware from prototype development through design validation and production
Experience collaborating with electrical, mechanical, embedded software, manufacturing, quality, reliability, and supply chain organizations
Preferred Skills
Experience developing battery systems for robotics, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, aerospace, drones, or other high-performance mobile products
Experience with cylindrical, pouch, or prismatic lithium-ion cells and cell selection and qualification
Experience with Battery Management Systems (BMS), including cell monitoring, state estimation, protection strategies, and fault handling
Experience with battery thermal management, thermal modeling, cooling strategies, and temperature sensing
Experience with high-current electrical design, busbars, connectors, fusing, contactors, and battery protection hardware
Experience developing battery test fixtures, cycler-based characterization, life-cycle testing, abuse testing, or reliability validation systems
Experience with cell aging, cycle-life modeling, State of Charge (SOC), State of Health (SOH), and performance degradation analysis
Familiarity with battery safety and transportation standards such as UL, IEC, and UN 38.3
Experience working directly with cell manufacturers, battery suppliers, and contract manufacturing partners
Experience operating in fast-paced hardware environments with rapid design iteration and frequent prototype builds
Experience supporting battery systems through NPI, qualification, reliability testing, and high-volume production ramp
What does a successful 1X Team Member look like?
Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.
Successful engineers on the Battery team are deeply connected to the hardware and the data. They understand that delivering a great battery system requires balancing energy, power, weight, volume, thermal performance, safety, lifetime, manufacturability, cost, and serviceability.
They are comfortable moving from battery architecture and first-principles analysis to instrumenting cells, building packs, analyzing cycling data, diagnosing failures, and implementing the next design revision. They work effectively across electrical, mechanical, software, and manufacturing boundaries and take ownership of their systems from initial architecture through a battery powering a robot in the real world.
Compensation Range
$126,000 - $181,000 + Equity
Benefits
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
Onsite snacks and catered lunches
Equal Opportunity Employer
1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.