Sr Engineer, Development

Job Type: Location Type: Not Specified

 

WHO WE ARE:

NOVONIX is a leading battery technology company revolutionizing the global lithium-ion battery industry with innovative, sustainable technologies, high-performance materials, and more efficient production methods. The company manufactures industry-leading battery cell testing equipment, is growing its high-performance synthetic graphite anode material manufacturing operations, and has developed an all-dry, zero-waste cathode synthesis process. Through advanced R&D capabilities, proprietary technology, and strategic partnerships, NOVONIX has gained a prominent position in the electric vehicle and energy storage systems battery industry and is powering a cleaner energy future. To learn more, visit us at www.novonixgroup.com, LinkedIn and X.

WHAT WE OFFER:

• Competitive salary, benefits, and paid time off
• Smart, collaborative team members
• A chance to reduce the carbon footprint and work toward a cleaner energy future

Role Summary:
The Senior Development Engineer will be part of the Anode Materials Development Group and will report to the Development Engineering Manager. This position covers multiple workstreams at the company, including equipment research and budgeting, production support and troubleshooting, process improvement, streamlining and defining development procedures, and carrying out and documenting experiments according to approved procedures. Additionally, this role will assist in project management and resource planning as it relates to the development team.

The person in this role will work closely with operations, development, engineering, and outside contracting groups daily to accomplish these tasks.

This is a full-time position based out of the manufacturing facilities located in Chattanooga, TN. This position will be performed primarily during standard business hours with less than 10% anticipated travel.

Responsibilities include:

Safety (10%)

The Senior Development Engineer will work with the safety department and Process Engineering to ensure safety is maintained during experimentation. The team member will work with the safety department and engineering to assist in safety discussions, audits, and FMEA activities. This position will also perform a safety review of all planned experiments within the department.

Customer Support and Material Preparation (40%)

The primary task of the Senior Development Engineer is to foster relationships with customers, prospective customers, and partners by providing support on materials evaluation, equipment and technology validation, and sample preparation. The Senior Development Engineer will work closely with the laboratory teams to ensure required data is collected and prioritized appropriately for internal and external evaluation.

The person in this role will also serve as a technical expert for external contacts, answering questions relating to battery and relevant materials science, and collaborating on future activities for further development of materials and technology. This will include creating, managing, and achieving presented timelines for new and ongoing external relationships, including Tier 1 battery technical teams.

Process Development and Improvement (25%)

The Senior Development Engineer will design, organize, execute, and document experimentation as it relates to production of lithium-ion anode materials. Process improvements will be suggested based on the summary experimental results to the executive team. These experiments include but are not limited to process optimization, experimental processes, and next generation material process development. Experimental results will be represented statistically utilizing Minitab or other statistical software and organized utilizing SMART goals.

The person in this role will build and refine systems for implementing process improvements through the existing Process Change Management procedures. The Senior Development Engineer will also assist the Engineering and Maintenance teams in process failure troubleshooting and continuous improvement of quality and capital utilization.

Equipment Development and Improvement (25%)

The Senior Development Engineer will research, validate, and recommend new capital equipment in conjunction with engineering and top divisional management. The Senior Development Engineer will provide input and team support on equipment sizing and engineering designs. The person in this role will present options from an appropriate number of sources, utilizing team experience and equipment partners. This includes discussion with external vendors for experimentation and recommendations to achieve these goals.

The Senior Development Engineer will support process improvement efforts by reviewing requested process changes with the Process Engineering Department to determine if the mechanical equipment and infrastructure can support the change. The person in this role will also provide feedback on the impact of those changes from an energy efficiency and equipment reliability standpoint after a change has been implemented.

Requirements:
• PhD or M.S. in Engineering, Chemistry, or related scientific field and 3+ years in industry -OR- BS in Engineering, Chemistry, or related scientific field and 7+ years in industry.
• Experience working directly with customers and external contacts/partners.
• Knowledge of carbon/graphite products and methods.
• Background knowledge of electrochemical systems.
• The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Ability to prioritize and balance multiple competing demands.
• Team player, able to work effectively with colleagues in other areas and at other levels of the organization.
• Strong attention to detail and creative thinking in development procedures and data reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication.
• A willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges as required.
• Outside of the box thinking with the ability to apply tangential experiences to current challenges.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365.
• Willingness to travel for work (up to 10%).

Extra awesome if you also have:
• Additional language skills in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or German
• Knowledge of Statistical Software such as Minitab or R.
• Experience in experimental reporting and data analytics.
• Knowledge of Lean/6 Sigma methodology.
• Knowledge of bulk material processing systems.
• Laboratory skills and an understanding of physical/electrochemical property characterization.

One dream. One team. One NOVONIX.

LEARN MORE:

Check us out at NOVONIX

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

At NOVONIX, we cherish the value that diversity brings and believe that it makes our teams stronger and better able to serve our industry. We’re committing ourselves to inclusivity by building a company that embraces different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.

If you see a job posting you believe you would excel at, but don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, we’d still love to hear from you. Just make sure to include a cover letter and explain why you’d be a great fit for the job. As an equal opportunity employer, we want to make sure everyone gets a fair chance.

NOVONIX prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type regarding race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.