Director of Research, New Materials

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

Are you a scientific leader committed to unlocking new frontiers in material technologies and enabling them to be deployed at scale? Are you passionate about building a creative, resilient, and healthy team of scientists to tackle scientific challenges for a massive global impact? Sila is seeking a Director of Research to galvanize and lead our outstanding team of scientists to invent the next generation of revolutionary silicon anode materials as well as other product families for commercial deployment in most advanced Li-ion batteries. You will be joining a committed management team and work closely with the CTO as well as the strategy, new product development and commercialization teams. Together you’ll drive forward groundbreaking product innovations aimed at ensuring high-quality manufacturing on an automotive scale. You are a critical thinker and ethical leader, recognizing that achieving success in both scientific endeavors and commercial ventures depends on collaborative efforts, inclusive healthy discussions, and diverse perspectives. 

Responsibilities and Duties  

• Lead a team of scientists in the discovery and exploration of the next generation of anode materials, along with other product families and their synthesis pathways. This critical work will contribute to  the development of Sila’s products on a multi-billion dollar scale.
• Cultivate trusting relationships with teams and leaders throughout Sila’s product development initiatives, ensuring a smooth path to timely commercialization success.
• Identify new scientific, process, characterization and collaboration opportunities to strengthen the team and expedite time-to-market.
• Engage in the recruitment, interview, hiring, and onboarding of exceptional individuals to expand your team’s capacity, capabilities, and diversity. Further, provide mentorship to  nurture  their career development.
• Maintain processes, systems, and infrastructure that enhance the team’s efficiency, ensuring that all members have the necessary resources to succeed.
• Guide your team and provide support and motivation through the ups and downs of ambitious, mission-driven research. Establish transparent performance expectations, and provide regular feedback.
• Foster an environment of psychological safety and accountability within the team, encouraging enthusiastic involvement in creative scientific ventures, constructive discourse, and deeply collaborative work for timely attainment of critical program milestones.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements 

• Proven track record of innovations and bringing a product to market.
• Demonstrated experience of building and leading scientific teams to solve ambitious, multifaceted research problems in a mission-driven environment.
• Extensive experience in leading and fostering teams, overseeing a team of 10+ PhD and MS level scientists preferred.
• Demonstrated experience building lasting multidisciplinary collaborations that resulted in new insights, research outcomes, and organizational wins.
• Exceptional proficiency in scientific experimentation and materials characterization within your area of expertise.
• Demonstrated experience in mentoring scientists, facilitating their professional growth and career advancement.
• Ph.D. in chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, materials science, or related disciplines.
• Experience in one or more of: carbon materials and nanomaterials, polymeric materials, composites (and nanocomposites), coatings, electrochemistry, battery science and engineering is a significant plus.
  

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Pass a respirator fit test and be able to wear respiratory protection on a daily basis.
• Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time.
  

The starting base pay for this role is between $207,000 and $262,000 at the time of posting. The actual base pay depends on many factors, such as education, experience, and skills