Staff Battery Scientist

Summary

Are you an experienced electrochemist? Have you worked in the battery, fuel cell, solar, semiconductor, or other electronic materials industry? Are you hungry for a role where you will have an immediate impact across the company and in the industry? Have you dreamt of being part of the shift to solid-state battery technology? Batteries are the single most critical part of the new energy economy for EVs, grid storage, consumer and IoT.  Blue Current has developed a solid-state battery solution that exceeds the best batteries in the industry. The company is well funded and has a deep IP portfolio with dozens of patents granted and pending. Now we need you to drive the next level of innovation in our cell development.

Description

As a Staff Battery Scientist, you will be focused on developing new solid state electrode materials with a specific focus on Blue Current’s composite cathode technology. A background in materials science, chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, or a related field is preferred. Additional experience in electrochemistry of lithium-ion battery is required. This position will offer hands-on, fast-paced work on a growing team that has a shared passion to change the energy storage landscape.

Responsibilities

• Develop and test composite solid state cathode materials and formulations that improve cell performance and safety.
• Optimize and engineer composite solid-state cathodes based on a strong understanding of how that cathode interacts with the solid electrolyte.
• Identify failure modes of a solid-state cathode.
• Assemble solid state cells and perform electrochemical testing to analyze the impact of cathode active materials and electrode composition on cell performance.
• Characterize cell materials using various analytical (e.g. SEM, XRD, TGA, etc.) and electrochemical (e.g. EIS and CV) techniques.
• Analyze electrochemical testing and analytical characterization results to understand the impact of cathode material properties on cell performance.
• Document and analyze experimental results. Present and share results with team members.
• Develop and submit intellectual property.

Requirements

• PhD/MS in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or similar field with a focus on batteries, capacitors, fuel cells, or other electrochemical devices
• Track record of publishing peer-reviewed journal articles
• Experience testing lithium-ion battery materials, with a strong understanding of lithium based cells, cell components and their interactions inside the cell
• 2+ years of experience working at a battery manufacturer or R&D company is highly preferred
• Experience with electrochemical tests such as EIS, GITT, HPPC, CV, and others
• Familiarity and experience working with analytical tools such as SEM, XRD, TGA, FTIR, DSC, and TGA
• Creative thinker with attention to detail
• Strong communication skills and experience sharing results with team members and leadership
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills and experience working with team members to overcome technical challenges
• Appreciation for and adherence to lab and work safety policies