Automation Engineer - Battery Cell Process & Equipment Engineering

If you're driven by innovation, ready to tackle exciting challenges, and passionate about advancing clean energy solutions, we want you onboard to our team!

We are building a state-of-the-art Gigafactory that will be one of the largest cell production facilities in Europe. We are now looking for Automation Engineers to join our Engineering team!

Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world. Northvolt is a leading supplier of sustainable, high-quality battery cells and systems, dedicated to delivering the world’s greenest lithium-ion battery.

Together, we have formed a joint venture, NOVO Energy, to power the next generation of pure electric Volvo and Polestar cars.

Our Engineering team is coalition of specialists and engineers across a broad range of engineering disciplines. Together they work toward the shared goal of scaling and industrializing the production of our Lithium-Ion battery technology that will help Volvo transform into a pure electric car manufacturer.

Our Engineers are collaborative, nimble, and always open to learn and grow. Their skills and experiences come from a variety of industries all over the world and span chemical, electrical, mechanical, and industrial engineering.

The team is currently focused on designing, planning and equipping a world class Gigafactory in time for start of production in 2026. This is an immense undertaking requiring the joint efforts and contributions of engineers working cross-functionally, with the ultimate goal of producing the world’s most sustainable lithium-ion batteries.

What you will do

As an Automation Engineer at NOVO Energy, you will play a vital role in our Engineering team, empowering our operations team to run the world's most advanced and efficient production factory.

In this position, you will work closely with our design team to develop and implement a cutting-edge, highly automated production process. Collaboration with the software engineering team, responsible for MES, ERP, and PLM systems, will be key to your success. Our production environment demands exceptional standards of cleanliness, uptime, quality, efficiency, and traceability. You will utilize a combination of established technologies and innovative solutions to meet these requirements.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Drive the development and implementation of the automation system in our state-of-the-art Gigafactory.
• Create and review engineering design documentation, including requirement specifications, functional design, logic diagrams, test cases, and test records.
• Take charge of equipment commissioning to ensure seamless integration.
• Troubleshoot issues as part of the maintenance procedure, maintaining uninterrupted production.
• Collaborate with the industrial automation system design team to test and verify upgrades and applications.
• Engage with key automation solution suppliers, building productive partnerships.
• Contribute to R&D activities, piloting new technologies for suitability in production environments.
• Participate in education and knowledge transfer workshops.
• Provide accurate cost estimations for projects and change requests, ensuring effective planning.
• Actively participate in design and improvement meetings, driving technical advancements and optimizing processes.

Skills & requirements

To be successful in this role you have track-record of successful implementation of advanced automation systems in relevant industries. As a person you are self-going, solution oriented with a passion for solving complex problems with technology in a simple yet innovative way. You have the ability to work well with others in a multi-cultural team environment, as well as independently. We believe that you have:

• MSc/BSc in relevant field of technology: electrical-, automation-, software-, computer engineering or similar
• Experience within Industrial Automation in process-driven industries such as: Mining, Paper Mill, Semiconductors, Fine Chemicals, Pharma, Food etc
• Experience with PLC/SCADA, especially Siemens and/or Beckhoff
• Experience in OPC connectivity and MES interfaces
• Experience in writing technical documentation
• Excellent English written and oral skills, Swedish is a plus

Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and respected car brands in the world. Northvolt is a leading supplier of sustainable, high-quality battery cells and systems, dedicated to delivering the world’s greenest lithium-ion battery. Together, we have formed a joint venture, NOVO Energy, to power the next generation of pure electric Volvo and Polestar cars.

Our Gigafactory in Gothenburg will be one of the largest cell production facilities in Europe, with a potential annual cell production capacity of up to 50 gigawatt hours (GWh) - thereby enabling a supply of batteries for approximately half a million Volvo and Polestar cars per year. Our state-of-the-art R&D facility will gather leading expertise from all over the world, to create the next generation battery cells.

You can read more about this joint venture in these press releases, here and here.