The Requirements

To meet the basic qualifications for this role you will have a BS or MS degree in Material Science, Electrochemistry or Chemical Engineering. A PhD is strongly preferred.

To be a strong fit for this opportunity you will have: 

• 3-5 years of battery design development experience, as well as performance / safety / characterization experience, with emphasis on lithium ion or lithium polymer batteries for Consumer Electronics, Electric Vehicle (Automotive) and/or Energy Storage Systems applications. Quick question for you - click here
• A strong electrochemistry background and/or specific knowledge and research in the field of lithium ion batteries. 
• Experience designing, developing, and manufacturing various types of high energy high power cells; particularly those using high energy chemistries in mass production environments.
• Demonstrated hands-on skills and experience making a variety of lithium batteries in a lab-setting or on a pilot-line is strongly preferred. 
• Experience coaching and managing technicians and/or engineers is a plus but not required. 

In addition to the experience listed above, you should also possess the following skills and competencies:

• Demonstrated familiarity with test equipment, test procedures, international standards and certified agency requirements applicable to rechargeable lithium battery products and separators. 
• Familiarity with current state of the art production processes applicable to lithium rechargeable cells; particularly high power and high energy cells with cutting-edge chemistries. 
• Understanding of current and future battery design trends for Consumer Electronics, Electric Vehicles and/or Energy Storage Systems Applications. Battery separator knowledge for such applications is a plus but not required. 
• Direct experience with applying quality tools to production of lithium batteries including statistical analysis of performance results, process capabilities, and knowledge of design of experiments. 
• PFMEA/DFMEA experience. 
• Experience with mathematical modeling of lithium ion battery designs is also desired. 
• Familiarity with applicable lithium battery patent field and patent application process. 
• Strong ability to work independently, as well as with cross-functional teams. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Strong customer focus. 
• Cultural sensitivity.
• Fluency in Japanese, Korean and/or Mandarin Chinese is a plus but not required. 

The Role

Reporting to the VP of Product Development, as Sr. Battery Engineer you will initiate, organize and carry out separator-related lithium battery projects at our facility in Concord, North Carolina. 

Fundamentally, our business is designed around making a particular product for lithium batteries--which is the battery separator. We have a well stocked battery laboratory where we strive to emulate the conditions of the various batteries that our customers build, and you will be directly responsible for providing the technical leadership for the laboratory. Your goal will be to help us qualify our materials into our customers’ future batteries. 

You will also be responsible for technically managing a team of three Technicians. Although you will not provide the day-to-day oversight and supervision of this group, you will deliver the technical leadership and guidance as they conduct the experiments that you will design and lead. Quick question for you - click here

More specifically, you will: 

• Lead development and improvement of characterization methods for battery separators including separator performance parameters when used in various cell designs and chemistries. 
• Make recommendations for new separator product development priorities based on knowledge of lithium battery design and performance parameters. 
• Collaborate with members of the separator product development team. Analyze data and support the development of product specifications. 
• Work collaboratively with Technical Service team to resolve customer separator application problems. 
• Provide technical advice to Product Development, Sales, Manufacturing and Leadership team. 
• Carry out both battery cell and separator teardowns analysis, summarize data and report conclusions.
• Create and update test plans and procedures as required. 

Note: this description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

Why Celgard

Professional development -- this is an opportunity that will give you exposure to many different types of projects and batteries. In fact, you’ll be involved with a lot of experimenting and testing and you won’t be confined to a silo. You’ll have the ability to try out new parameters, think outside of the box and learn a lot about the industry and the things customers are doing. Few roles offer this type of exposure and variety. You’ll also be able to build on the foundation of talents you already have and expand your leadership, coaching and process improvement skills.

Green is the present and future -- as a tech driven company tied to the green energy sector, we are poised for ongoing growth as tech products from cell phones to electric drive vehicles continue to play an ever increasing role in people's lives. 

Great work environment -- this is a newer plant with state-of-the-art equipment and a lean state of mind. We're actively building a performance culture with high-energy teams that encourage cross-functional collaboration with individual contributions. You'll enjoy a flexible work schedule and great work/life balance. 

Career options -- Celgard dynamically stewards its resources, particularly our most important resource: our people. Because of our unique market niches and proprietary technologies, we prefer to promote from within whenever possible. As we expand we'll be looking for proven professionals to grow with us.

Entry into leadership -- based on stellar performance, you will have the opportunity to move up and across Celgard's growing global roles and locations.

Excellent compensation -- in addition to a competitive wage, we offer comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, a 401(k) plan and more.

Keys to Success

We promote a collaborative yet self-directed environment here at the Concord facility, and you’ll have the opportunity to share knowledge, insight and best practices with other Engineers, as you also work on projects independently. You’ll work closely with the Engineers who are manufacturing and developing the separator materials that we build, providing technical guidance along the way. We’ll look to you to share your knowledge and coach and mentor your team members who may not possess the technological expertise that you have. At the same time, you’ll work with contacts (particularly our Chief Technology Officer) who are considered experts in the lithium ion field. Your interaction with the Legal staff, the CTO, Leadership and other key contacts will be essential to your success in this role. 

Because you’ll be involved in virtually all aspects of each project you touch, including testing design work, it will be essential that you have a robust arsenal of well-rounded engineering skills. You’ll need the ability to coordinate technical aspects, design tests, create solutions, provide direction and guidance to the Technicians, and much more. This is a dynamic, fast-paced environment where things move quickly and change often--flexibility and adaptability will be essential to your success.

About Celgard

Celgard is a global leader in the development and production of specialty microporous membranes, and is one of the largest suppliers to the lithium battery industry. Celgard® battery separators are highly engineered and are used in disposable and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for personal electronic devices such as notebook computers, mobile telephones, digital cameras, and power tools and are emerging in applications including electric drive vehicles (EDVs) and reserve power and electricity grid management systems.

With company headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, and battery separator manufacturing facilities in the United States, Korea, and China, we are ideally positioned to serve the just-in-time needs of a global market.

Celgard is part of Polypore International, Inc, a global high technology filtration company specializing in microporous membranes. Polypore's flat sheet and hollow fiber membranes are used in specialized applications that require the removal or separation of various materials from liquids, primarily in the ultrafiltration and microfiltration markets. Also based in Charlotte, NC, Polypore International, Inc. is a market leader whose 4 core companies manufacture, market, and service products through 14 manufacturing sites and 14 sales and service locations throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, with sales relatively balanced across these regions.