Battery Pack Engineering Lead

Hadrian Automation; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401k

Equity

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Hadrian is expanding its Battery Pack Engineering Lead team to drive end-to-end development of high‑reliability battery packs for aerospace and defense applications. You will lead a small group of engineers, set technical direction, and own union of pack architecture, assembly processes, and safety outcomes.

This hands-on leadership role requires deep expertise in cell-to-pack design, thermal management, and safety standards, with responsibility for tooling, line setup, and cross‑functional

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field (Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, or Materials).
• 7+ years in battery pack engineering with hands-on assembly experience.
• Experience standing up or significantly improving a battery assembly line or pilot line.
• Strong knowledge of cell-to-pack design and thermal management.
• U.S. Person with ability to obtain security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own the pilot battery pack assembly line end-to-end from design to production readiness.
• Define the assembly process for cell intake, module/build sequence, joining, thermal management, and enclosure.
• Develop fixturing, stations, tooling, and work instructions for pilot line and future automation.
• Own battery safety including thermal runaway mitigation and compliance with standards.
• Establish pack-level testing, formation, and characterization processes; define acceptance criteria.
• Build cell-level traceability and collaborate on inspections and qualification of packs.
• Lead a small team of engineers, setting technical direction and making final calls.
• Collaborate with design, manufacturing, automation, supply chain, quality, and programs as needed.
• Drive line progression from concept to production with focus on yield, throughput, cost, and rate targets.

Skills

Battery pack design

Technical leadership

Cell joining processes

Thermal management

Safety standards

Cross-functional collaboration

Manufacturing optimization

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

CAD software

Simulation tools

Job description

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We’re accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square-foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, our fast-growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

The Role

Hadrian is looking to expand our battery pack assembly team, specifically a Battery Pack Engineering Lead. This is a hands‑on technical leadership role. You'll take the line from a concept to a working, repeatable, and safe production line, leading things such as pack and module architecture, the assembly process, cell joining, thermal management, test, and safety. This role will anchor a small team of specialists and engineers, as well as interfacing cross‑functionally with the rest of the company. You'll set technical direction, make the hard calls, and lead a few engineers alongside you.

What You’ll Do

• Own the pilot battery pack assembly line end‑to‑end, from pack and module architecture through assembly process design, build, test, and production readiness.
• Define the assembly process: cell intake and sorting/matching, module and pack build sequence, cell joining (laser / ultrasonic / resistance welding), busbar and interconnect assembly, thermal management, enclosure, and potting/sealing.
• Develop the fixturing, stations, tooling, and work instructions for the pilot line, designed for eventual automation and rate production on Hadrian's robotics and software platform.
• Own battery safety including thermal runaway mitigation, abuse tolerance, and compliance with applicable standards and testing (e.g., UN 38.3 transport).
• Establish electrical test, formation, and characterization processes; define pack‑level acceptance criteria and validation.
• Build cell‑level traceability and lot control, partnering with Quality and Qualification on inspection plans and qualification of the packs.
• Lead and grow a small, deep‑expertise team, setting technical direction and owning final calls.
• Partner across design (mechanical/electrical/thermal), manufacturing engineering, automation/controls, supply chain (cell sourcing), quality/qualification, and program teams.
• Drive the line from concept to production readiness against yield, throughput, cost, and rate targets.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, or Materials Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 7+ years in battery pack / energy‑storage engineering, including hands‑on pack or module assembly and manufacturing.
• Deep knowledge of cell‑to‑pack / cell‑to‑module design and assembly, cell joining (welding) processes, and thermal management.
• Experience standing up or significantly improving a battery assembly line or pilot line.
• Strong grasp of battery safety and applicable standards/testing (UN 38.3, UL/IEC, abuse testing).
• Demonstrated technical leadership, able to lead a small team and operate autonomously in an ambiguous, build‑it‑now environment.
• Must be a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident) per ITAR; ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

What Will Set You Apart

• Battery pack experience in aerospace, defense, UAS, eVTOL, EV, or other demanding/safety‑critical applications.
• Experience automating battery assembly or designing battery lines for high‑rate production.
• Hands‑on cell‑joining process development (laser / ultrasonic / resistance welding) for tabs and busbars.
• Electronics and test‑and‑validation depth.
• Familiarity with defense qualification or airworthiness requirements for energy storage.
• Experience in high‑growth or startup manufacturing environments.

Benefits for Full‑time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees.
• 401k.
• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.
• Flexible vacation policy.
• Equity.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.