Senior Manager, Battery Engineering - Customer Technical Solutions

Sila; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 234,000; Full time

Job summary

Sila is seeking a Senior Manager, Battery Engineering - Customer Technical Solutions in Alameda, CA to lead a high-performing team of engineers focused on enabling battery cell manufacturers and automotive OEMs to adopt and qualify Sila’s silicon anode materials. You will bridge technical and commercial strategies, drive customer success, and optimize team workflows for rapid, reliable integration.

The role emphasizes leadership, deep domain knowledge in batteries, and strong cross-functional

Qualifications

• 3+ years in direct management or team lead role with a track record of growing engineers and advocating for team needs.
• 6+ years of industry experience (or advanced degree equivalent) supporting customer adoption, qualification, or integration of advanced materials or complex technologies.
• Understanding of lithium-ion batteries, cell components, and materials is strongly preferred or ability to rapidly master electrochemical systems.
• Exceptional ability to communicate technical trade-offs to executive stakeholders, cross-functional partners, and external customers alongside sales/commercial leads.

Responsibilities

• Lead, Empower & Scale: Build, recruit, and mentor a world-class Battery Engineering team.
• Guide Customer Integration & Qualification: Partner with cell manufacturers and OEMs to guide adoption and troubleshoot integration.
• Bridge Technical & Commercial Strategy: Align roadmaps, customer requirements, and market intelligence across teams.
• Optimize Operations & Workflows: Set prioritization, streamline decisions, and protect team bandwidth for high-impact work.

Skills

Leadership & Mentorship

Technical & Customer Adoption

Domain Knowledge

Cross-Functional Influence

Education

Engineering/Materials Science degree

Job description

Senior Manager, Battery Engineering - Customer Technical Solutions

Alameda, CA

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? 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, and together we're redefining what's possible. Are you ready to be a part of a team committed to changing the world?

Who You Are

You are an empowering engineering leader and battery technologist who thrives at the intersection of cutting-edge materials and customer success. You don't just manage people—you build psychological safety, clear roadblocks, advocate clearly for your team with leadership, and champion individual career growth.

In this role, you will lead a high-performing team of engineers responsible for helping battery cell manufacturers and consumer/automotive OEMs successfully integrate and qualify Sila’s breakthrough silicon anode materials. You know how to guide a team through complex customer integrations, and you take pride in empowering your engineers to set ambitious goals, execute with precision, and feel genuinely supported every step of the way.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Lead, Empower & Scale: Build, recruit, and mentor a world-class team of Battery Engineers. Champion their career trajectories, provide regular candid feedback, advocate for resources with leadership, and foster a culture of trust and high psychological safety.
• Guide Customer Integration & Qualification: Lead and support your team as they partner directly with cell manufacturers and OEMs (alongside Sila's Commercial team) to guide technical adoption, troubleshoot integration challenges, and accelerate the journey from sample testing to commercial deployment. Step in as a senior technical advocate when needed.
• Bridge Technical & Commercial Strategy: Act as the connective tissue between external partners and internal Sila teams to align technical roadmaps, customer requirements, and market intelligence.
• Optimize Operations & Workflows: Establish clear prioritization frameworks, streamline decision-making processes, and protect team bandwidth so engineers can focus on high-impact technical work.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Leadership & Mentorship: 3+ years in a direct management or team lead role with a proven track record of growing engineers, establishing clear team vision, and advocating for team needs.
• Technical & Customer Adoption Experience: B.S. or higher in Engineering, Materials Science, or related physical sciences, with 6+ years of industry experience (or advanced degree equivalent) supporting customer technical adoption, qualification, or integration of advanced materials or complex technologies.
• Domain Knowledge: Understanding of lithium-ion batteries, cell components, and materials is strongly preferred, or a demonstrated ability to rapidly master complex electrochemical systems.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Exceptional ability to communicate technical trade-offs to executive stakeholders, cross-functional partners, and external customers alongside sales/commercial leads.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Anticipated travel up to 25% required, both domestic and international
• Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes
• Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location

The starting base pay for this role is between $185,000 and $234,000 at the time of posting. The actual base pay depends on many factors, such as education, experience, and skills. Base pay is only one part of Sila’s competitive Total Rewards package that can include benefits, perks, equity, and bonuses. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

#LI-PL1 #LI-Onsite

Working at Sila

We believe that building a diverse team at Sila helps us amplify our individual talents. We are an equal opportunity employer and committed to creating an inclusive environment where good ideas are free to come from anyone. We are proud to celebrate diversity and 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.

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 Sila’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.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

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.