VP, Foundry Operations

About UsWe 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 Sila's Vice President of Foundry Operations will build and lead Sila’s Battery Foundry Operations from the ground up, driving our physical manufacturing presence from pilot capability to full industrialization and GWh scale production. Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), this executive will own the backbone of Sila's cell manufacturing strategy, spanning site selection, plant construction, equipment specification, product offerings, vendor ecosystem development, line commissioning, new product introduction, and production scaling.

This role operates alongside our Battery R&D team and our RD&E team. While R&D teams focus on early stage material testing and chemistry development, the VP of Foundry Operations is responsible for translating proven technology into commercial, high yield, bankable cell manufacturing operations.

The ideal candidate brings a rare combination of a proven ability to scale operations, teams, and operating systems from zero to serial production with equipment and engineering expertise. You are a business first, driven leader with high intellectual curiosity, comfortable moving fluidly between high level executive strategy and hands on operational execution.

Responsibilities and Duties End-to-End Industrialization Strategy:
Define and execute Sila’s Foundry Operations strategy to take battery cell manufacturing from pilot phase through multi GWh scale production. Determine the right path to market, evaluate multiple options on manufacturing models, and down select to the optimum path forward. Site Selection & Facility Delivery:
Lead site evaluation, scoping, clean/dry room design, equipment selection, and capability design. Support and influence infrastructure (utilities, solvent/water recovery, dry rooms, hazardous material handling), and construction for both initial pilot facilities and future GWh scale gigafactories.

Equipment & Process Engineering:
Direct equipment specification, line layouts, RFQ/tendering, vendor down selection, design reviews, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and operational handover across electrode, assembly, formation, aging, and testing blocks.

Team Building & Leadership:
Recruit, structure, and mentor an automotive quality manufacturing engineering and operations organization, establishing leadership across process engineering, equipment, facilities, quality, automation, and plant operations.

Cross Functional Product Integration:
Partner closely with Product and R&D teams to translate cell specifications, form factors, and safety targets into design for manufacturability (DFM) requirements and scalable production processes.

Commercial & Market Alignment:
Collaborate with Commercial leadership to align plant capacity roadmaps, cell specifications, and manufacturing milestones with market demand and customer commitments.

Executive & Board Engagement:
Serve as the core operational voice to executive leadership and the Board on Cap Ex/OpEx allocation, site readiness, cost…