Quality Lab Manager

Solid Power; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Solid Power seeks a Laboratory Manager to lead a team supporting analytical testing of materials for solid-state electrolyte and battery cell pilot lines. You will oversee quality assurance, ensure regulatory compliance (ISO, ASTM), and drive workflow improvements, automation, and method development while staffing, purchasing, and safety programs.

You will supervise technicians, chemists and scientists, train personnel, manage QMS documentation, calibrations, and supplier partnerships, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, materials science, chemical engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 7 years of laboratory experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of 4 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Experience with inorganic materials, ceramics or battery materials strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in quality assurance or quality management systems including ISO9001, ISO 17025.
• Strong project management, communication, and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Proven ability to build and maintain constructive working relationships with cross-functional teams, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Familiar with analytical equipment including BET, EIS, TGA, DSC, XRD, FTIR, Karl Fisher, ICP-OES, GC and particle size analysis.
• Effective data trending, document control, and technical bench skills.
• Structured problem solving and analytical skills including strong technical skills in statistical tools such as Design of Experiments (DOE) or sampling size calculation.
• Mechanical aptitude and proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, Power BI, Power Automate, and Power Apps is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and lead a team of technicians, chemists and scientists.
• Train laboratory personnel on lab procedures and best practices.
• Improve productivity and efficiency using employee management solutions.
• Increase uptime and efficiency through scheduling and automation.
• Schedule staff and maintain health and safety protocols.
• Manage the laboratory’s quality management system and documentation control.
• Ensure calibration and maintenance of equipment and software affecting results.
• Coordinate with other departments to resolve quality-related issues and implement corrective actions.
• Support new product development and validation efforts.
• Provide statistical information for quality improvement and data-driven recommendations.

Skills

Leadership

Laboratory management

Quality assurance

ISO 9001/ISO 17025

Project management

Communication

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or related field

Tools

BET

EIS

TGA

DSC

XRD

FTIR

ICP-OES

GC

Power BI

Power Automate

Power Apps

Job description

Solid Power is seeking aLaboratory Manager to lead a team that supports analytical testing of materials for our solid-state electrolyte and battery cell pilot and pre-pilot lines. The preferred candidate will have skills to oversee all aspects of quality assurance and control within the laboratory, ensure adherence to regulatory standards, maintain high-quality testing protocols for raw materials, in-process, and final product materials while driving improvements in workflow, automation and method development. This will include scheduling staff, ordering supplies, maintaining health and safety protocols, and training lab assistants. To be successful as a laboratory manager, you must be able to multitask and plan. This role requires strong leadership and organizational skills, an understanding of quality management systems, and the ability to manage a team effectively.

Job Duties:

• Supervise and lead a team of technicians, chemists and scientists.
• Train laboratory personnel on lab procedures / work instructions and best practices.
• Utilize proven employee management solutions to improve productivity and efficiency.
• Increase laboratory uptime and efficiency through proper scheduling and automation efforts.
• Schedule staff, order supplies, maintain health and safety protocols.
• Manage and maintain the laboratory's quality management system (QMS), including documentation control and record keeping.
• Ensure proper calibration, performance verifications, and maintenance of laboratory equipment, instrumentation, and specialized software that affect quality results.
• Manage the disposal of samples/materials.
• Review and approve validation protocols, reports, and test methods.
• Implement and maintain quality assurance procedures and processes to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements (e.g., ASTM, ISO) and addressing issues and risks.
• Monitor and evaluate quality metrics and performance indicators to lead improvement initiatives.
• Conduct audits and inspections to assess practices, procedures, and documentation to assure quality operations.
• Coordinate with other departments to resolve quality-related issues and implement corrective actions. Facilitate and promote the use of appropriate problem-solving techniques for effective root cause analysis and successful corrective action.
• Collaborate with other teams to support new product development and validation.
• Provide statistical information for quality improvement by identifying testing methods and sampling techniques.
• Provide engineering support to operations ensuring consistent application of measuring techniques.
• Prepare reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing data, making recommendations and improvements.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum of 7 years of laboratory experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of 4 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Experience with inorganic materials, ceramics or battery materials strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in quality assurance or quality management systems including ISO9001, ISO 17025
• Strong project management, communication, and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively
• Proven ability to build and maintain constructive working relationships with cross-functional teams, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Familiar with analytical equipment including BET, EIS, TGA, DSC, XRD, FTIR, Karl Fisher, ICP-OES, GC and particle size analysis.
• Effective data trending, document control, and technical bench skills.
• Structured problem solving and analytical skills including strong technical skills in statistical tools such as Design of Experiments (DOE) or sampling size calculation.
• Mechanical aptitude (i.e., intuitive understanding of mechanical processes).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, Power BI, Power Automate, and Power Apps is desirable.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to spend prolonged periods standing or walking in a manufacturing or laboratory environment.
• Comfortable working in dry room environments for extended periods.
• Ability to perform light lifting and material handling as needed.
• Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as required, including but not limited to eye protection, hair net, gloves, lab coats, coveralls, face mask, full-face respirator or PAPR .

Salary Range: $110,00-$145,000/year

Benefits: Solid Power offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical/dental/vision insurance, employer paid Life/AD&D/STD/LTD insurance, 401k with company match, 8 paid holidays + the week between Christmas and New Years off, Unlimited PTO, up to six (6) weeks paid FMLA leave, cell phone reimbursement and eligibility to participate in our bonus and equity plans.

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

This position will be posted for a minimum of 7 days and will remain open until filled or adjusted based on the volume of applicants.

All offers of employment at Solid Power are contingent upon clear results of a thorough background check.

The employer will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

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Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Solid Power’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

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An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.