Battery Materials Engineering Technician

Company Overview:

Bedrock Materials, a venture-backed company headquartered in Chicago, is bringing to market the next generation of energy storage technology: sodium-ion batteries and the materials that go inside them!

Sodium-ion batteries are set to become the foundational battery technology for affordable, mass-market applications. By utilizing earth-abundant natural resources like sodium and iron and eliminating elements like lithium and cobalt, we aim to reduce battery costs, enable domestic manufacturing, and minimize the environmental impact of production. Our mission is to make battery-powered technology, such as electric vehicles and energy storage, affordable for everyone and better for the environment.

We’re in search of a Battery Materials Engineering Technician to join our team as a foundational member!

Role Overview:

Does the idea of scaling technologies from lab to manufacturing excite you? Are you passionate about materials, batteries, and solving challenging problems? Our work environment is fast-paced, collaborative, and hands-on. If you don’t mind getting your gloves dirty and you’re looking for a chance to do real science and engineering, this is the place for you.

As a Battery Materials Engineering Technician, you will be responsible for producing battery precursor materials, assembling prototype battery cells, and reporting your results. Your attention to detail, desire for a hands-on role, and ability to execute standard operating procedures will be a tremendous addition to our team. The expertise and technical skills you bring will have a profound and measurable impact on making sodium-ion battery technology a commercial reality.

Responsibilities:

• Routinely execute materials synthesis according to standard operating procedures and recipes. This includes preparing precursor solutions, operating stirred tank reactors, performing liquid-solid filtrations, drying powder cakes, and sieving powders.
• Assemble over 20 coin cells per week in inert gloveboxes by aligning cathode/separator/anode into coin cell cases with small tweezers, using micropipettes to dispense electrolyte, and crimping coin cells using an electric crimper.
• Perform materials characterization by following standard operating procedures for powder density measurements and particle size analysis.
• Connect coin cells to battery cyclers, initiate prescribed tests, collect data from cyclers, and create graphs of capacity, voltage, and Coulombic efficiency using plotting software.
• Troubleshoot and maintain equipment. Perform routine maintenance and cleaning, identify and report issues, and troubleshoot misbehaving equipment.
• Generate weekly technical reports for your results on materials synthesis and battery cycling.
• Leverage your expertise to improve quality control, standard operating procedures, and process efficiency for materials synthesis, battery assembly, and characterization.

Qualifications:

• Background in science or engineering.
• Practical wet-laboratory experience, including safety practices, basic chemical methods, equipment operation, and glassware handling. Comfortable working with pH probes, O2 probes, gas manifolds, Buchner funnels, peristaltic pumps, vacuum pumps, vacuum ovens, convection ovens, analytical balances, optical microscopes, impellers, fume hoods, gloveboxes, pipettes, battery assembly equipment, and more.
• Coin cell battery assembly experience (full cells). Experience with larger form factors (single/multi-layer pouch cells, prismatic cells, and cylindrical cells) is a bonus.
• Experience operating tank reactors over 0.5L with pH control, volumetric feeding, impellers, gas dispersion, temperature controllers, recirculating chillers, and PID controllers.
• Familiarity with basic battery/cycling electrochemistry and experience with at least one data plotting software (Excel, Matplotlib, etc.). Comfortable analyzing battery performance.
• Ability to write clear and concise technical reports, using plots and data to explain your findings. Understanding of scientific method principles.
• Experience with battery cathode and/or anode slurry development and rheology. Understanding how slurry formulation and its corresponding rheological properties impact scalability.
• Highly organized, great attention to detail, and excited for a hands-on role.

Working with us:

• A bold mission: Work on the next generation of battery technology, knowing your work will positively impact millions, if not billions, of people.
• Fast-paced work environment: We make decisions in minutes, not months, and empower our employees to work autonomously.
• No bureaucracy: Innovate without unnecessary paperwork, processes, or approvals.
• Extraordinary colleagues: We hire only those with a proven track record of accomplishment.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Competitive cash compensation package.
• Equity ownership in the company for all employees.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits with our PPO.
• 401(k) retirement plan with 3% company contribution.
• Medical and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts.