Sr Staff Product manager

Sila; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 172,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

Sila, a leading battery materials company, seeks a Sr Product Manager to shape the roadmap for next‑generation materials. You will align market demand with our R&D and engineering capabilities, translating insights into clear development plans and strong customer value propositions.

You will drive strategic decisions with data, manage critical OEM and cell‑maker relationships, and translate requirements into actionable tests and success metrics, helping accelerate market-ready innovations.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years in product management or a closely related technical role within a hard-tech company (battery materials or cell manufacturing preferred).
• Experience defining, launching, and managing products in advanced materials or energy storage sectors.
• Technical understanding of battery chemistry, cell design, and materials performance requirements.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration abilities.

Responsibilities

• Define and articulate a compelling product strategy and roadmap for next‑generation battery materials.
• Cultivate strategic relationships with key customers (OEMs and cell manufacturers).
• Conduct competitive analyses to identify differentiators and opportunities.
• Document the full customer evaluation process for new battery materials and testing criteria.
• Translate OEM requirements into internal test protocols and success metrics.
• Define internal capabilities and scale‑up processes to accelerate development.
• Develop technical marketing materials and sales enablement assets.

Skills

Product management

Strategic thinking

Data-driven

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's in Materials Science

Advanced degree preferred (MS/PhD)

Job description

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

As a Sr Product Manager, you won't just manage products; you'll shape the future of Sila's groundbreaking battery materials. You'll operate at the critical intersection of market demand, customer needs, and our advanced R&D and engineering capabilities. Your primary objective will be to translate a visionary understanding of the battery landscape into tangible product roadmaps, driving the most impactful development decisions for our next-generation materials.

You're a highly analytical, data-driven, and structured problem solver who thrives in complex, evolving environments. You excel at providing strategic clarity and direction, adeptly synthesizing diverse data points into actionable insights. An exceptional communicator and active listener, you possess a profound passion for Sila’s technology and its potential to revolutionize the energy storage sector.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Define and Champion Product Strategy: Develop and articulate a compelling product vision and comprehensive roadmap for Sila's next-generation battery materials, including new and emerging product lines beyond our existing Titan Silicon anode material. This includes aligning product initiatives with overarching market trends, technological advancements, and strategic business objectives.
• Cultivate deep, strategic relationships with key customers (OEMs and cell manufacturers) to intimately understand their evolving technical requirements, performance gaps, and future material needs.
• Conduct rigorous competitive analysis, evaluating industry-leading battery materials across critical performance metrics to identify Sila's unique value proposition and areas for strategic differentiation.
• Thoroughly document the full customer evaluation process for new battery materials, including specific requirements, testing protocols, and decision-making criteria across diverse customer segments.
• Translate Requirements into Actionable Development:
• Translate complex OEM/cell maker requirements (in their final form factors) into precise internal test protocols and success metrics that can be rigorously evaluated within Sila’s labs and with development partners.
• Define the necessary internal capabilities Sila must develop—including specific form factors, advanced test methodologies, and scale-up processes—to accelerate product development and meet future market demands.
• Prioritize and Lead Product Initiatives:
• Strategically prioritize internal development initiatives, balancing company priorities, critical customer needs, and current Sila technology gaps.
• Develop and present comprehensive business cases for new product initiatives in conjunction with the Strategy team, including market opportunity analysis, financial projections, technical feasibility, and competitive landscape, for executive evaluation and decision-making.
• Lead focused investigations into key material metrics, synthesizing customer feedback, defining clear and actionable targets for development teams, and tracking progress against strategic objectives.
• Develop Technical Marketing & Commercialization Assets: Create compelling technical marketing materials and sales enablement tools. Provide a data-rich narrative that effectively communicates Sila's unique value proposition, performance advantages, and technological differentiation to a diverse range of customers and strategic partners.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Minimum of 5-8 years of experience in Product Management or a closely related technical role within a hard-tech company, ideally a leading battery cell manufacturer or a battery materials company supplying top-tier battery manufacturers.
• Demonstrated success in defining, launching, and managing products, preferably within the advanced materials or energy storage sectors.
• Technical understanding of battery chemistry, cell design, manufacturing processes, and the critical performance requirements for advanced battery materials (e.g., silicon anodes, cathode materials, electrolytes).
• In-depth knowledge of the product development lifecycle for novel materials, including the unique challenges and opportunities associated with scaling from lab to commercial production.
• Proactive, adaptable, and results-oriented, with a strong bias for action in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively with diverse internal teams
• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical field. An advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) is highly preferred.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc. in a fixed location
• Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time

The starting base pay for this role is between $172,000 and $215,000 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, and equity. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

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.