Sr. Equipment Launch Engineer

Natron is seeking an Sr. Equipment Launch Engineer to support NPI, production and ramp up of its cell and pack assembly line in Holland Michigan, with eventual transition to lead equipment projects in the planned gigafactory in North Carolina. Tenacious commitment to continuous improvement with thoughtful, collaborative, and disciplined execution is a must. 

Responsibilities:

• Engineering lead for design of new equipment or modification of existing equipment to support high volume manufacturing of sodium ion batteries and Packs.
• Implementation of design changes to support improved cycle time, in-line process control & monitoring improvements throughout product line.
• Initiate engineering changes to improve throughput, reduce production costs, and improve quality for future product line expansion.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts to compile and write detailed specifications for new equipment for Michigan Factory and Gigafactory.
• Technical lead, project manager, and primary interface with Equipment Manufacturers.
• Support gigafactory equipment launch from equipment design, factory acceptance testing, installation, site acceptance and production start-up.
• Generate and maintain high quality engineering documentation such as engineering drawings, maintenance procedures, and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), PFMEA, Control Plans, etc.
• Lead the DFAM evaluations and review and approve product/process specification targets by confirming feasibility and repeatability in high volume manufacturing environment. 
• Support or lead design of new manufacturing equipment and fixtures for the pilot scale manufacturing line.
• Support or lead creation of project plans, schedules, and budgets for design of new equipment or modification to existing equipment.
• Conduct design reviews of proposed engineering designs to other technical professionals within the Natron Engineering group and Senior Management.
• Coordinate facility planning and support installation of new pilot manufacturing equipment.
• Support upgrade, modification, and troubleshooting of existing manufacturing equipment.
• Ability to interface with global cross functional teams and suppliers.
• Provide DFM (Design for manufacturing) input to next generation battery products.
• Ensure adherence to all Safety Procedures and Housekeeping standards.
• Demonstrate creativity via novel ideas adding to Natron’s IP portfolio.
• Ability to travel 20% to equipment venders, manufacturing sites, or technology investigation activities.

Experience & Skills:

• Bachelor’s Degree in an Engineering Discipline or related technical discipline.
• 10-years or more demonstrated ability in equipment and fixture design, process development, and manufacturing support environment.
• Experience writing equipment specifications, managing high volume manufacturing equipment with vendors from design, factory acceptance, installation, site acceptance, to production. 
• Mechanical, Mechatronics, manufacturing or Electrical Engineering skills to support pilot scale manufacturing equipment and fixture design.
• Troubleshooting experience supporting PLC controlled production equipment.
• Proficient knowledge of electro-mechanical design and machine automation.
• Fluency in 3d and 2d CAD modeling software (SolidWorks and AutoCAD preferred).
• Strong written and verbal communications skills to ensure effective participation with interdepartmental teams.
• Working knowledge of operating principles of production machine components such as pneumatics, circuits, motors, optical measurement or vision systems, temperature controllers and sensors.
• Experience launching high volume production equipment.

Logistics:

• This is a regular, full-time position.
• Employees must work on site in Holland Michigan.

Compensation & Pay Transparency:

• Base Salary is determined by the applicant’s experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data, and other legitimate business reasons, including, but not limited to, compliance with applicable immigration law prevailing wages.
• In addition, Natron Energy has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k Plan with Match, Life Insurance, Parental Leave Benefits, Discretionary Time Off (DTO) and Paid Time Off (PTO) for Exempt and Non-Exempt employees respectively, and 10 paid holidays.

About Us: Natron Energy (natron.energy) is the future of energy storage. Our battery products solve operations performance and reliability problems for the world’s biggest electricity customers. Our initial products target markets exceeding twenty-five billion dollars including data centers, oil &am