Electrical and Controls Engineer

Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc.; Moses Lake (WA); On-site; USD 121,000 - 142,000; Full time

Job summary

Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc. is seeking a Controls and Electrical Engineer in Moses Lake, WA. The ideal candidate will have 5-7 years of experience in electrical engineering, specializing in electrical power distribution and industrial safety.

Your role will involve collaborating with teams to design and improve systems, maintaining machine control code, and contributing to company-wide software solutions. A B.S. in Electrical Engineering or related field is required.

The compensation range for this role is between $121,000 and $142,000, depending on experience and skills.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of direct experience in electrical engineering or related fields.
• Experience deploying code on systems interacting with the physical world.
• Strong understanding of field-deployed electronics, sensors, and motion components.

Responsibilities

• Design and improve electrical power and communication systems for production.
• Maintain and deploy machine control code and electrical subsystems.
• Contribute to software libraries for production-scale units.

Skills

Electrical power distribution

Structured Text programming

Industrial Fieldbus communication protocols

Hazardous-Area knowledge

Document-control processes

Education

B.S. in Electrical Engineering

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 is 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, redefining what’s possible, and we invite you to be part of a team committed to changing the world.

Who You Are

You are a self‑starter, experienced, and capable Controls and Electrical Engineer with an aptitude for learning new things and taking complex projects across the finish line. As the main electrical engineer for our industrial manufacturing facility, you will be responsible for deploying, modifying, and improving industrial electrical power systems and power equipment. You will also be a key member of the Controls team, contributing to machine control software, instrumentation, and programming. Your communication skills must enable you to collaborate harmoniously with scientists, technicians, and outside service providers across complex interfaces.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Work collaboratively with other teams to design and improve electrical power and communication systems for production units across the entire facility.
• Serve as the primary electrical engineering resource for the facility, specializing in electrical power distribution and industrial safety requirements.
• Maintain, improve, and deploy new machine control code, instrumentation, and electrical subsystems for production units.
• Contribute to and improve internally‑developed software libraries used across the company, from research to production‑scale units.
• Gather feedback from end‑users of your work and distill it into actionable modifications—iterate.

Qualifications

• Ideally 5–7 years of direct experience in the field; related experience also acceptable.
• Experience deploying code on systems that interact with the physical world.
• Ability to write Structured Text and familiarity with other IEC 61131‑3 languages.
• Strong fundamental understanding of field‑deployed electronics, sensors, and motion components.
• Experience implementing industrial Fieldbus communication protocols (EtherCAT, Profinet, EthernetIP, Modbus, etc.).
• Familiarity with industrial electrical design, including wiring diagrams, network architecture, control panel design, power distribution, NFPA 70 (NEC), 79, and 70E arc‑flash and process‑automation protocols; experience with challenging industrial electrical safety requirements.
• Hazardous‑Area knowledge, including Class I/II and Division 1 & 2 requirements and intrinsically safe wiring.
• Knowledge of integrating machines with facility and business interfaces (SCADA, MES, ERP, etc.).
• Good understanding of document‑control processes to support accurate “as‑built” documentation throughout the life cycle of tooling and the plant.
• At least a B.S. in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Pass a respirator fit test and wear respiratory protection daily.
• Wear personal protective equipment, including lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel‑toe safety shoes.
• Move items up to 50 lbs with lift equipment and carts.
• Move long distances (e.g., from building to building) and remain stationary for extended periods.
• Reach low shelves or floor items.
• Enter spaces narrower than 3 feet.
• Climb stairs or over containment walls.
• Operate a computer and other office equipment in a fixed location.

Compensation

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 factors such as education, experience, and skills. Base pay is only one part of Sila’s competitive Total Rewards package, which may include benefits, perks, equity, and bonuses. The range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

Working at Sila

We believe building a diverse team amplifies individual talents. We are an equal‑opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where ideas can come from anyone. 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.