Quality Lab Manager

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

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Unlimited paid time off

Job summary

Solid Power in Thornton, Colorado, seeks a Laboratory Manager to lead a team supporting analytical testing of materials in our solid-state electrolyte and battery cell production. This role involves supervising staff, ensuring adherence to quality standards, and driving workflow improvements.

The successful candidate will have significant laboratory experience, including leadership in a manufacturing environment, and an understanding of quality management systems. Solid Power offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance and generous paid time off.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of laboratory experience.
• 4 years in a supervisory or management role required.
• Experience with battery materials preferred.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and lead a team of laboratory personnel.
• Manage quality assurance and control procedures in the lab.
• Schedule staff and maintain health and safety protocols.

Skills

Leadership

Quality management

Analytical equipment

Project management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Materials Science, or Chemical Engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office suite

Power BI

Power Automate

Power Apps

Statistical tools

Job description

Solid Power is seeking a Laboratory 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 ISO 9001, 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: $110,000–$145,000 per year

Benefits: Solid Power offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical/dental/vision insurance, employer‑paid life, disability, short‑term and long‑term disability insurance, 401(k) with company match, 8 paid holidays and the week between Christmas and New Years off, unlimited paid time off, up to six weeks paid family medical leave, cell phone reimbursement, and eligibility to participate in our bonus and equity plans.

Solid Power provides equal employment opportunities and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under applicable law.