Staff Engineer, Process Controls

Sila; Alameda (CA); Presencial; USD 151 000 - 191 000; Tempo integral

Vantagens oferecidas por esta oferta de emprego

Equity

Total Rewards package

Resumo da oferta

Sila, a battery materials company in Alameda, CA, seeks a Senior Process Controls Engineer to design and implement production-scale control systems, ensuring safe and reliable operation. You will collaborate across teams, develop robust design documentation, and engage with vendors to optimize instrumentation and control subsystems.

Responsibilities include applying PID and cascade control, integrating Profinet/Modbus protocols, and shaping P&IDs and SRS.

Qualificações

• Proficiency in control system design principles (PID, cascade).
• Strong knowledge of instrumentation and industrial protocols (Profinet, Modbus).
• Experience with full design lifecycle of process control systems (SRS, FMEA, alarms).
• Hands-on PLCs and IEC 61131-3 languages; HMI programming.

Responsabilidades

• Execute process controls and instrumentation designs for production-scale equipment.
• Incorporate control strategies into P&IDs per standards.
• Create and maintain design documentation (I/O lists, alarm lists, CGEs) and participate in HAZOPs.
• Collaborate with external vendors for control subsystem designs.
• Perform safety reviews and own closing control recommendations.
• Assist in bringing online hardware and code; gather feedback from end-users.

Conhecimentos

PID control

Cascade control

Instrumentation principles

Profinet / Modbus

PLC programming

HMI design

Regulatory compliance

IEC 61131-3 languages

Formação académica

B.S. in Electrical Engineering

Ferramentas

PLCs

HMI software

Descrição da oferta de emprego

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 a high-level performer who works independently within established guidelines to develop complex materials processing equipment. In your work at Sila, you will execute industrial process controls and instrumentation designs through influence and technical mastery, ensuring systems are safe, reliable, and well-documented. You possess excellent communication skills to harmoniously collaborate across teams and contribute to the growth and development of your teammates.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Execute process controls and instrumentation designs for production-scale synthesis equipment by working collaboratively with other teams to design robust, modular, and well-documented controls.
• Implement control system strategies to execute processes, ensuring designs are incorporated in Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) according to established standards.
• Create and maintain design documentation—including instrument indexes, I/O lists, alarm lists, cause and effect matrices, and SIL/IPL verification forms—participate in HAZOP reviews, source and select instrumentation, and contribute to project templates.
• Engage successfully with a range of different outside vendors for process controls designs and electrical / instrumentation subsystems.
• Participate in safety reviews following established safety guidelines to ensure safe design of the process, and own closing controls recommendations.
• Assist in bringing online hardware and code.
• Gather feedback from end-users of your work and collaborate to implement actionable modifications, sharing best practices with the team.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Proficiency in control system design principles, including PID control, cascade control, and advanced control techniques.
• Strong knowledge of instrumentation principles and devices (e.g., flow meters, level transmitters, temperature sensors) and industrial communication protocols (e.g., Profinet, Modbus).
• Experience with the full design lifecycle of process control systems, including creating Cause & Effect diagrams, Safety Requirements Specification (SRS), and Alarm Rationalization
• Hands-on experience with PLCs and writing Structured Text and familiarity with other IEC 61131-3 languages.
• Experience designing and programming intuitive and user-friendly human-machine interfaces (HMIs) to enable real-time monitoring and control.
• Experience with ensuring regulatory compliance related to process controls standards, such as, NFPA, UL508A, and IEC 61151.
• 5+ years of industry experience is required. B.S. in Electrical, Mechanical, or Chemical Engineering preferred.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes
• Move items up to 50 lbs with the assistance of lift equipment and carts
• Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time
• Reach low shelves or items on the floor
• Climb stairs or over containment walls
• Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location
• Travel up to 20%

The starting base pay for this role is between $151,000 and $191,000 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. 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.

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.