Lead Process Engineer - Cathode

Job Description

Are you a Senior or Lead chemical engineer looking for new opportunities within the sustainable sector? Do you want to contribute to the development, industrialization and production of new, greener and better performing batteries? Are you a process engineering manager looking for more technical lead opportunities? Then this position might be very well suited for you!

To produce batteries, you need cathode active material (CAM). This material is a key factor in determining the performance and carbon footprint of the battery itself. At Northvolt, we are proud to say that we produce our own cathode. Cathode material is not your standard bulk chemical. It is a highly intricate chemical product, requiring an equally complex process to be produced. It is not a surprise that the production of this material was awarded the Nobel prize only 5 years ago.

This material is under continuous development to satisfy demands of an electrifying world, requiring us at Northvolt to sprint in the engineering and development of technology to produce this ever-changing product. As such, working with cathode process is the ultimate challenge for chemical engineers searching to push their abilities and expertise to the next level. Working with cathode at Northvolt will provide you the possibility to be at the forefront of new cathode technology and processes within Europe, excel at engineering in new multi-million-dollar investments and get hands dirty in the real production of this material.

We are therefore looking for world class lead chemical engineers to join our team and journey. As a Lead engineer at Northvolt, you will take extensive technical responsibility within engineering and technology industrialisation. Responsibilities include overall ownership of technology roadmaps, large CAPEX project overall design ownership and ownership for full process area start-up and commissioning.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead industrialisation initiatives and IP generation for up-and-coming technologies and chemistries
• Nurture and develop vendor and contractor relationships
• Approve project process design
• Coordinate start-up activities for engineers and interfacing teams
• Act as advisor and lead to less senior engineers.

We are looking for individuals with significant amount of industrial experience within hydrometallurgy, precursor and/or cathode manufacturing, calcination & sintering, solids coating or powder handling. Equally, we are looking for someone that is ready to take the challenge to take on a lot of responsibility and ownership, leading and guiding the group technically through all phases of engineering and execution. The lead role in our Engineering & Industrialisation department would be within one of our area teams:

• Utility and waste water team: focus on utility and water balances, energy optimisation, waste-water treatment, and recovery of used chemicals.
• Dissolution Team: focus on process development projects in production, support pilot testing.
• Precursor Team: focus on process engineering and technology development in hydrometallurgical applications, including chemical precipitation/crystallization, solid-liquid separation, and powder handling processes for battery material precursors.
• Calcination Team: focus on solid handling, high temperature calcination, coating and heat treatments and contamination prevention.
• Commissioning Team: focus on project execution phase including mechanical completion, dynamic commissioning, and system start-up.
• Technical and Process Safety Team: focus on industrial technical safety, management of fire zones, chemical safety, and dust exposure prevention.

We are recruiting to two locations:

• Skellefteå, Northern Sweden - is the right place for you that are looking for extensive project and production engineering responsibilities. The work will involve hands on work close to production, start-up of new units and engineering of our new installations and factories. Pace is high and so very exciting!
• Västerås, Mid Sweden - is the place for you with a strong analytical mindset and ability to lead research and industrialization of new concepts and technology forward.

Apply with CV in English or your complete LinkedIn profile.

Full time employment, fixed salary. Planned starting date is asap.

Please note that any applications submitted via email or direct messaging will not be considered.

Skills & Requirements

We believe that you have :

• BSc or MSc-degree in Chemical, Manufacturing, or Process Engineering.
• Experience in Precursor and/or Cathode material process engineering or production, or other hydrometallurgical or powder handling industry
• Successful track record of leading process improvement projects in a production or development environment
• 10+ years of experience within industry or R&D

Bonus points for:

• English written and oral skills, Swedish is a plus.
• Highly organized and result driven.
• An eye for detail.
• Has a "can-do" attitude with problem-solving skills and an entrepreneurial spirit.

About the company

Northvolt makes green batteries for a blue planet. Affordable, sustainable, and high-quality cells and battery systems. Built to enable the future of energy.

To accomplish this, we do things differently. We design, manufacture, and recycle everything under one roof. We even build our own factories. All this is incredibly challenging and requires us to think in unconventional ways. We’re constantly experimenting, learning and adapting to make the world’s greenest batteries.

Northvolt is growing fast. We’re looking for smart people from all disciplines. Strong individuals that truly want to make a positive impact on the future. Those of us already on board share a passion for our mission. We’re prepared to work hard in pursuit of excellence. We enjoy the ride and our main drive is to make a difference for real. As a team, we’re dedicated to thinking new, working hard and having fun!