Lead Solid-State Battery Cell Assembly Engineer

Blue Current, Inc.; Hayward (CA); On-site; USD 125,100 - 167,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Current, Inc. in Hayward, CA is seeking a Staff Cell Assembly Engineer to scale solid-state battery assembly from R&D to larger formats, collaborating with equipment, process, and cell engineering teams, transforming open-ended concepts into actionable goals.

The role requires a PhD or equivalent with extensive experience in solid-state or Li-ion electrochemistry, metrology, and project leadership, plus strong vendor relations and capability to deliver high-quality, on-time results.

Qualifications

• PhD (with 3+ years of relevant experience), Master's (with 6+ years of relevant experience), Bachelor's (with 8+ years of relevant experience) in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and industry experience
• Experience troubleshooting and diagnosing assembly-related failures using advanced characterization techniques such as X-ray imaging or electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, going beyond visual inspection to identify root causes
• Experience translating process requirements into tooling or fixture specifications, and working iteratively with engineers to validate that the resulting hardware meets process needs
• Deep understanding of solid-state or lithium-ion battery electrochemistry sufficient to design characterization strategies, interpret complex data sets, and connect assembly process decisions to cell performance
• Ability to design experiments, analyze results, and draw data-driven conclusions in the absence of established reference points, and to synthesize findings into process specifications and documentation
• Ability to communicate process strategy, capability gaps, and scale-up readiness clearly to audiences across engineering, quality, and executive teams
• Hands-on experience with the full assembly sequence, including electrode handling, lamination, layer stacking, and pouch sealing, with a demonstrated history of driving improvements

Responsibilities

• Owns cell assembly processes for Blue Current's solid-state battery platform in all facets, from new process development, to scaleup, and through quality system implementation
• Collaborates with Cell Engineering, R&D, and Facilities to design and implement equipment, develop and scale large-format cell assembly processes, and improve process yield
• Leads vendor evaluation, equipment specification, and FAT/SAT activities
• Characterizes and formally documents the relationship between assembly process parameters and cell structural and electrochemical outcomes
• Applies and establishes use of advanced metrology techniques in partnership with the Metrology and Cell Engineering teams
• Owns the assembly-stage quality system in partnership with the Quality team, including defining visual inspection criteria, edge alignment and layer tolerancing standards, acceptance criteria for finished cells, and the process control framework for monitoring ongoing assembly quality
• Collaborates with other engineers, and mentors junior engineers as appropriate by providing technical direction on complex process challenges, reviewing experimental design and data interpretation, and developing team capability in assembly process fundamentals
• Leads PFMEA and root cause analysis activities for assembly processes. As part of this activity, the engineer is expected to develop systems to monitor and respond to defects or process deviations, and to implement/document the problems and corrective actions
• Represents the cell assembly function in executive and cross-functional technical reviews, communicating process status, capability gaps, and scale-up readiness in a form that informs strategic and resourcing decisions
• Contributes to manufacturing execution system (MES) development and implementation from the assembly process perspective, including defining what process data must be captured to support quality traceability and yield improvement
• Collaborates with electrode process and cell engineering teams to ensure assembly process decisions account for upstream material and electrode constraints and downstream cell performance requirements
• Leads projects by developing clear, actionable plans with defined milestones and success metrics, managing timelines and cross-functional dependencies effectively, and ensuring high-quality, on-schedule execution
• Supports a strong safety culture by following and improving laboratory safety practices, demonstrating exemplary experimental techniques, and helping implement best-practice updates
• Other duties as assigned, consistent with the scope and level of this position

Skills

Solid-state battery know-how

Process scale-up

Project management

Vendor management

X-ray imaging

Electrochemical characterization

Education

PhD in Chemical Engineering / Materials Science / Chemistry

Tools

FAT/SAT equipment

Lamination tooling

Job description

Blue Current, Inc. in Hayward, CA is seeking a Staff Cell Assembly Engineer to scale solid-state battery assembly from R&D to larger formats, collaborating with equipment, process, and cell engineering teams, transforming open-ended concepts into actionable goals.

The role requires a PhD or equivalent with extensive experience in solid-state or Li-ion electrochemistry, metrology, and project leadership, plus strong vendor relations and capability to deliver high-quality, on-time results.