Lead Engineer Battery Materials

Lead Engineer Battery Materials

Pentalys Energy

Trondheim, Norway

The challenge

Lithium-sulfur batteries promise up to five times the energy per weight of today’s lithium-ion cells, but the polysulfide shuttle effect (and many other technical issues) has kept them out of commercial production. Until now. Pentalys Energy has developed precisely nanoengineered materials for separator and cathode that suppresses this shuttle mechanism for thousands of cycles at 1C, enables rates up to 8C, and ensures safe operation. All based on abundant sulfur materials for cost-efficient and sustainable solutions.

Now we need someone who can turn promising into producible. The Lead Engineer will own the entire scale-up pathway: from lab-scale protocols to a continuous pilot production, defining the process engineering discipline for the company along the way.

What you’ll do

• Design and validate the scale-up route for our separator and cathode materials, translating batch lab processes into continuous or semi-continuous pilot workflows;
• Define critical process parameters, quality control checkpoints, and equipment specifications and purchasing. You’ll define what “good” looks like at each stage;
• Work hand-in-hand with the R&D team to understand material behaviour in the process and the final battery, identify process-limiting steps, and iterate on formulations that work at scale;
• Build the process engineering function: set the technical direction, select tools and methods, and eventually hire your own team as the company grows;
• Contribute to supplier qualification and procurement strategy for key equipment and materials input.

What matters to us

• You’ve taken at least one process from lab bench to pilot scale in batteries, coatings, membranes, catalysis, or a related domain. You know what breaks when you scale and how to fix it;
• Strong foundation in process chemistry, materials engineering or chemical engineering. Comfort with DOE, process modelling, and hands-on lab work in equal measure;
• You communicate clearly across disciplines, translating between what “the science says” and what is realistic in a given time frame;
• You thrive in ambiguity. Early-stage means incomplete data, evolving specs, and wearing multiple hats. That excites rather than frustrates you.

Nice to have, not required

• Experience with roll-to-roll coating, slot-die, or similar continuous film processes;
• Familiarity with nanomaterials, nucleation and growth mechanisms, or separator technology;
• PhD or MSc in chemical engineering, materials science, electrochemistry or related field (but track record > title).