Lead Battery Disassembly Technician

Redwood Materials Inc.; Reno (NV); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Redwood Materials is seeking a Lead Battery Disassembly Technician to perform safe, efficient disassembly of EV battery packs in a high-volume manufacturing setting. You will mentor technicians, ensure high-voltage safety, and enforce floor conduct standards while guiding the team through complex disassembly tasks on the shop floor.

The role requires adherence to safety protocols, detailed work instructions, and the ability to escalate non-routine issues to supervision or engineering as needed,

Responsibilities

• Serve as the floor-level SME on disassembly procedures, high-voltage safety, LOTO, and rigging/lifting operations.
• Train, mentor, and onboard technicians on standardized work instructions, safety protocols, and proper use of tools and material handling equipment.
• Verify the quality, safety, and completeness of teammates' disassembly and rigging work, and coach corrective action where gaps are identified.
• Monitors adherence to floor conduct standards (breaks, lunch scheduling, device use) and escalates violations to supervision.
• Acts as the floor-level contact for routine operational questions, escalating decisions outside standard procedure.

Job description

About Redwood Materials

Redwood Materials was founded in 2017 by JB Straubel, co-founder and former CTO of Tesla, on a simple but radical idea: the critical minerals powering the energy transition already exist. They just need to come back. Today Redwood is the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America - recovering, refining, and redeploying critical minerals from end-of-life batteries back into the supply chain. On the energy side, Redwood has deployed the largest second-life battery project in the world, delivering power to AI data centers in months rather than years using proprietary energy architecture engineered entirely in-house. The company is profitable, the market it operates in is projected to grow 20 to 50 times over the next decade, and Redwood is the only company with the supply chain, the technology, and the operational scale to lead it.

Supervisor Responsibility

This role provides technical guidance, training, and mentorship to Battery Disassembly Technicians on the floor. It does not have hiring, firing, or performance review authority; it is an individual contributor position, not a people-management role.

Position Summary

Redwood Materials is seeking a Lead Battery Disassembly Technician to perform the full scope of safe, efficient, and high-quality disassembly of EV battery packs and modules within a high-volume manufacturing environment, while serving as the floor-level subject matter expert and trainer for the team. The position requires strict adherence to high-voltage safety protocols, standardized work instructions, and continuous process improvement, and is responsible for training and mentoring technicians, verifying the quality and safety of completed work, and escalating non-routine issues to Supervision and Engineering. The Lead also monitors day-to-day compliance with floor conduct standards - including break/lunch adherence and personal device use - and serves as the floor-level point of contact for operational questions when Supervision or Management is offsite, escalating any issue outside established procedure. This is an individual contributor role that does not carry formal hiring, firing, or performance management authority.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership, Training & Mentorship

• Serve as the floor-level subject matter expert on disassembly procedures, high-voltage safety, LOTO, and rigging/lifting operations.
• Train, mentor, and onboard new and existing technicians on standardized work instructions, safety protocols, and proper use of tools and material handling equipment.
• Verify the quality, safety, and completeness of teammates' disassembly and rigging work, and coach corrective action where gaps are identified.
• Monitors adherence to floor conduct standards (behavioral etiquette, break/lunch scheduling, personal device use) and escalates repeated or serious violations to Supervision.
• Acts as the floor-level point of contact for routine operational questions when Supervision or Management is offsite, escalating decisions outside standard procedure.

EV Battery Pack & Module Disassembly

• Perform controlled disassembly of EV and stationary storage battery packs, modules, and subcomponents in accordance with established work instructions and safety procedures.
• Safely isolate, and when deemed necessary, de-energize and verify absence of voltage prior to handling high-voltage systems.
• Disassemble battery systems down to module and component level, including removal of BMS components, wiring harnesses, busbars, cooling systems, and structural elements.
• Identify, sort, and route components for reuse, recycling, or disposal in alignment with production and environmental standards.
• Handle lithium-ion battery materials, including damaged or degraded units, using approved containment and safety methods.
• Serve as the escalation point for non-routine or first-time disassembly scenarios, providing hands‑on guidance to less experienced technicians.

High Voltage Safety & Material Handling

• Strictly follow all high-voltage safety protocols, lockout/tagout (LOTO), and PPE requirements when working with energized or potentially energized systems.
• Utilize appropriate insulated tools and electrical testing equipment (e.g., multimeters) to verify system status.
• Safely transport and store battery packs, modules, and hazardous materials using approved material handling equipment.
• Respond to thermal, electrical, or chemical hazards in accordance with emergency procedures and EHS guidelines.
• Must meet all requirements for use of a full-face respirator, including medical clearance and fit testing, in accordance with OSHA and company standards.
• Audit teammates' adherence to high-voltage safety protocols, LOTO, and PPE requirements, and coach corrective action on any gaps.

Production Operations & Process Flow

Execute standardized work in a high-throughput production environment, meeting or exceeding daily and hourly disassembly targets. M