Controls and Electrical Engineer

Sila; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 121,000 - 142,000; Full time

Job summary

Sila is hiring a Controls and Electrical Engineer to advance machine control software, instrumentation, and electrical subsystems within a chemistry-focused production environment in Washington, DC. The role emphasizes collaboration with scientists and technicians during build and deployment stages.

Ideal candidates bring 5–7 years of field experience, familiarity with IEC 61131-3 languages, and a strong grasp of field-deployed electronics, sensors, and motion components.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of direct or related field experience.
• Experience deploying code on systems that interact with the physical world.
• Ability to write Structured Text and IEC 61131-3 languages; Siemens environment preferred.
• Strong understanding of field-deployed electronics, sensors, and motion components.
• Experience with industrial Fieldbus protocols (EtherCAT, Profinet, EthernetIP, Modbus, etc.).
• Familiarity with industrial electrical design, wiring diagrams, NFPA 70 (NEC), 70E arc flash, and related process automation concepts.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, improve and deploy new machine control code, instrumentation, and electrical subsystems for production units.
• Collaborate with other teams to design and improve electrical power and communication systems for production units across the facility.
• Contribute to and improve internally-developed software libraries used from research to production units.
• Gather user feedback and distill into actionable modifications. Iterate.
• Support 24 hour operation in a running chemical plant.

Skills

Controls engineering

Electrical engineering

IEC 61131-3

Structured Text

Siemens environment

Fieldbus protocols

Industrial safety

Hazardous areas

SCADA/MES/ERP

Documentation

Education

B.S. in Engineering

Tools

Ignition

SCADA systems

ERP integration

EtherCAT

Profinet

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

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 a self-starter, experienced, capable Controls and Electrical Engineer with an aptitude for learning new things and taking complex projects across the finish line. You will be a key member of the Controls team, contributing to machine control software, instrumentation, and programming. You have excellent communication skills to harmoniously collaborate with a wide range of skill sets: from scientists to technicians during the deploy stage, to out-of-house service providers across big, complicated interfaces during the build stage.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Maintain, improve and deploy new machine control code, instrumentation, and electrical subsystems for production units.
• Work collaboratively with other teams to design and improve electrical power and communication systems for the production units across the entire facility.
• Contribute to and improve internally-developed software libraries that are used across the company, from research to production-scale units.
• Gather feedback from end-users of your work and distill into actionable modifications. Iterate.
• Support 24 hour operation in a running chemical plant.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Ideally 5-7 years experience in directly OR related field experience.
• Experience deploying code on systems that interact with the physical world.
• Ability to write Structured Text and familiarity with other IEC 61131-3 languages, Siemens environment preferred.
• Strong fundamental understanding of field-deployed electronics, sensors, and motion components.
• Implementation of industrial Fieldbus communication protocols (EtherCAT, Profinet, EthernetIP, Modbus, etc.).
• Familiarity with industrial electrical design, including: wiring diagrams, industrial network architecture, control panel design, power distribution, NFPA 70 (NEC), 79, and 70E arc flash and protocols for process automation.
• Experience with unique and challenging industrial electrical safety requirements.
• Hazardous Area Knowledge, including good understanding of ClassI/II and Div 1 & 2 requirements and Intrinsically safe wiring.
• Understanding of how to integrate machines with facility/business interfaces (SCADA, MES, ERP, Ignition, etc.).
• Good knowledge and understanding of document control processes to support the efforts of 'as-builts' documentation accurate across the lifecycle of the tooling and the plant.
• At least a B.S. in Engineering or a related technical field

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection on a daily basis
• Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes
• Move items up to 50 lbs with the assistance of lift equipment and carts
• Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time
• Reach low shelves or items on the floor
• Enter spaces narrower than 3 feet
• Climb stairs or over containment walls
• 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 $121,000 and $142,000 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.