Lead Test Engineer

Lithos Energy designs and builds advanced lithium-ion battery packs from the ground up for use in high-performance automotive, marine and aerospace applications. We build the things we design and manufacture in-house, in California. We are a growing team of experienced engineers and pride ourselves in our ability to deliver reliable, high quality and safe products to our customers.

We are seeking doers, highly skilled and self-motivated individuals who are able to thrive in rapidly changing, entrepreneurial environments. If you are genuinely passionate about electric vehicles, power systems and in building real products, you will be enabled, and expected, to innovate, create and have a substantial impact on the company. We have built a team of accomplished engineers working on perhaps the most important technologies being developed today.

We’re seeking candidates with deep experience in testing electromechanical products—particularly those involving safety-critical systems. This includes functional, environmental, reliability, mechanical, and safety testing.

This role will both lead a team and take a hands-on approach to setting up and executing test equipment and automation for high-voltage (HV) batteries at the pack, module, and BMS levels. The Manager will be responsible for ensuring that our products perform correctly, safely, and reliably across all stages of development and under real-world operating conditions.

Responsibilities

• Create test infrastructure to provide broad internal capabilities for development and validation testing. Partner with outside labs to fill the gaps and handle excess test demand.
• Create an ideal environment and culture for early risk mitigation, iterative design feedback, and proving our products work as intended.
• Lead a team of engineers and technicians in developing methodologies and best practices.
• Identify risk, create validation plans, and lead execution in close collaboration with design teams.
• Champion a highly scientific approach - theory of operation, observations, data, sources of error or uncertainty etc. Ensure that test outcomes enrich our understanding of our own product.
• Develop and manage different test setups, including but not limited to: Arbin battery cyclers, VBE testers, shock and vibration tables, and thermal chambers.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. Engineering or Physics and 8+ years relevant work experience
• Ability to be onsite. Experience in managing small teams.
• Experience leading validation of safety-critical electronic systems.
• Demonstrated effectiveness planning and leading a wide range of test needs across engineering disciplines (Mechanical, Electrical, Software) - safety / abuse, functional, durability, verification, etc.
• Strong understanding of underlying physics and damage mechanisms.
• Very effective communicator, excellent documentation and reporting skills.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience validating for automotive or heavy equipment environments.
• Proficient with CAD (Solidworks), scripting / test automation, and creating integrated test stands.
• Experience specifying and building test infrastructure.
• Experience working with CANbus.
• Experience supporting production testing.
• Experience / comfortable working with HV systems

Salary (DEO) - 165-200K + Equity + Full Benefits

Lithos Energy, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.