Director of Cell Equipment and Manufacturing Engineering

Alameda, CA

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?

Sila is seeking a Director of Cell Equipment and Manufacturing Engineering to build and lead the technical organization responsible for the equipment specification, vendor selection, machinery bring-up, and manufacturing line optimization across our cell production facilities. Reporting directly to the VP of Foundry Operations, this executive will serve as the primary authority for transforming cell process chemistry into high-speed, automated, and audit-ready manufacturing lines.

This position is distinct from our early-stage R&D Battery Engineering team; while R&D develops early material chemistries and lab‑scale cells, the Director of Cell Equipment and Manufacturing Engineering owns the physical industrialization—taking custom machinery from initial concept and sourcing through installation, line bring‑up, and steady‑state high‑yield production.

The ideal candidate blends rigorous equipment engineering expertise with deep operational bring‑up experience. You know how to author tight equipment specifications, run global tendering processes with machine builders, manage Factory and Site Acceptance Testing (FAT/SAT), and lead hands‑on line commissioning in dry room and cleanroom environments. You are a low‑ego, data‑driven leader who excels at bridging technical teams and scaling talent in high‑growth hardware environments.

• Equipment Specification & Standard Architecture:
  Define standard equipment requirements, line architecture, machine safety protocols, and line layouts across electrode, cell assembly, formation, aging, and end-of-line testing.
• Global Sourcing & Vendor Down-Selection:
  Direct technical RFQs, vendor evaluations, design reviews, and technical agreements with global equipment OEMs across North America, Europe, and Asia.
• Factory Bring-Up, FAT & SAT:
  Own end-to-end equipment commissioning: direct Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) at vendor sites, oversee shipping and installation, and execute Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) and mechanical/electrical bring‑up.
• Manufacturing Engineering & Yield Ramp:
  Lead process engineering and line optimization post‑commissioning to drive steady‑state throughput, line yield, OEE, statistical process control (SPC), and cost‑down roadmaps.
• Design for Manufacturability (DFM):
  Collaborate with R&D Battery Engineering and Product teams to align cell specifications and form factors to define automated assembly tooling and automated high‑rate lines.
• Facilities & Utility Hookup:
  Partner with the Capital Project team to execute construction, integrating cell infrastructure, including clean rooms, dry rooms, solvent recovery systems, hazardous material handling, and dry air systems.
• Automation & Digital Integration:
  Direct the integration of machine controls, PLC architectures, robotics, and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to track production data, quality metrics, and maintenance scheduling.
• Team…