Battery Engineer

PowerNaP Energy, Inc.; San Leandro, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 83,000 - 124,000; Part time

Job summary

Powernap Energy in California is seeking a collaborative engineer for a part-time contract role focused on sodium-ion cell development. You will design experiments, test architectures, and scale prototype cells to production-ready systems at our San Leandro office.

The role requires 5+ years of hands-on battery experience, deep knowledge of electrode formulation and cell engineering, and proven ability to work with external partners while maintaining rigorous safety standards.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in relevant battery research or development.
• Deep knowledge of electrode formulation, cell engineering, and production-scale metrics.
• Proven experience scaling from prototypes to production, or managing complex external collaborations.
• Commitment to rigorous safety standards and experience handling hazardous materials.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute experiments and prototype cell builds to meet performance targets across various cell form factors.
• Analyze cell performance data, identify root causes, and propose corrective actions for lab-to-production gaps.
• Define manufacturing requirements and validate production cells for deployment.
• Shape the technical roadmap for next-generation cell development.
• Communicate test results and ideas clearly to internal teams and partners.
• Manage cell builds with partners and customers from lab to production scale.

Skills

Electrode formulation

Cell engineering

Battery manufacturing processes

Safety compliance

Education

BS in Materials Science or related field

Job description

You’re a collaborative and adaptable engineer who operates with a curiosity-first mindset. At Powernap, you’ll lead our cell development, working with both internal and external teams to test cell architectures that capitalize on our novel anode material. You have an organized, detail-oriented approach to problem solving.

About PowerNaP

Powernap Energy is a battery materials company. We’re on a mission to create a sustainable energy future for everyone. To achieve this promise, we engineer advanced materials to increase the energy density of sodium-ion batteries, raising their performance to parity with lithium-ion at a fraction of the cost.

About Sodium-Ion Batteries

Today, transportation and power generation account for 60% of CO 2 emissions. Sodium-ion batteries are made of Earth abundant materials, offering improved supply chain resilience and lower cost over lithium-ion batteries. Cost-effective batteries mean cheaper electricity and broader access to electric transportation, directly reducing those CO 2 emissions.

What you'll do

• Design and execute experiments and prototype cell builds to meet ambitious cell performance targets across various cell form factors.
• Analyze cell performance data, identify root causes, and propose corrective actions for performance gaps between lab scale and prototype cells. Demonstrate proactivity in identifying needs and addressing them.
• Define manufacturing requirements and validate production cells for real-world deployment.
• Shape the technical roadmap for next-generation cell development.
• Effectively communicate new ideas, knowledge, and test results internally.
• Foster and maintain relationships with partners and customers to manage cell builds from lab to production scale.

What We’re Looking For

• BS (MS or PhD preferred) in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or equivalent
• 5+ years of hands-on experience, or equivalent expertise
• Deep knowledge of electrode formulation, cell engineering, battery manufacturing processes, and related metrics from lab to production scale
• Proven experience scaling from prototypes to high-volume production, or managing complex projects with external partners
• Commitment to rigorous safety standards and experience handling hazardous materials
• This is a part-time contract role with potential to convert to full-time.
• This is a hybrid role that requests limited time at our San Leandro, California office.