Join our culture of energy.
Director, Concept Development
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 experienced leader and technologist who will help build Sila’s pipeline of new products to categories beyond Titan SiliconTM. In this role, you will be responsible for product development of new materials technologies, as well as building and leading teams to advance technologies from concept stage to new product introduction. Strong technical and business understanding, relationship building, and people leadership skills are essential for success in this role.
Responsibilities and Duties
- Lead a team of cross-disciplinary scientists and engineers to make, test, and iterate new materials and advance from concept stage through new product introduction
- Develop industry partnerships to validate the product-market fit, business opportunity, and microeconomics of new materials technologies in battery applications
- Win external government agency funding to derisk new materials technologies and accelerate new product development
- Cultivate strong relationships with academic collaborators to maintain a pulse on the most promising new materials technologies, quickly build deep expertise for Sila, and recruit top talent to establish strategic in-house capabilities
- Provide inspirational leadership for fellow Silazens by leading with vision, optimism, humility, listening, empathy, and modeling company values
Knowledge and Skill Requirements
- PhD or equivalent research experience with a focus in materials science, chemistry, physics, or related field and 10+ years of industry experience
- 7+ years managing deeply technical cross-disciplinary teams with demonstrated success moving ideas from concept stage to product scale-up
- 7+ years evaluating technical and business feasibility of new technologies
- Track record of quickly getting up to speed and building key relationships across varied industries, technologies, fields of study, etc.
- Approaches work with a beginner’s mind, frequently seeking data and feedback to iterate and find the best path forward
Physical Demands and Working Conditions
- Move long distances (e.g. building to building) and be stationary for periods of time
- Operate office equipment (laptop, copier/printer, etc) in a fixed location
- Need to be physically present in our Alameda offices
Regular Shift: Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 6:00pm
The starting base pay for this role is between $185,000 and $262,000 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.
Equal Employment Opportunity
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.