Head, ESS Cell Design

Purpose of the Role 
The Head — ESS Cell Design will lead end-to-end cell design from concept to production-ready form factor for stationary Energy Storage System applications. The role owns chemistry selection, electrode architecture, cell geometry, performance validation and the transition of designs from lab to Gigafactory production.

Job Responsibilities (KRA)
1. Cell Design & Electrochemistry

•   Lead end-to-end cell design from concept to production-ready form factor for stationary ESS applications.

•   Define cell-level performance targets (energy, cycle life, safety, cost) aligned with the ESS product roadmap and end-use application requirements.

•   Own electrode design decisions — material selection, coating and porosity targets — optimised for long-duration cycling and ESS duty cycles.

2. Characterisation & Failure Analysis

•   Conduct and oversee electrochemical characterisation and testing; guide teams through standard test methods and failure analysis.

•   Evaluate and select cell architectures through structured trade-off analyses across performance, cost and manufacturability.

•   Lead electrolyte selection and qualification in close collaboration with the Electrolyte Product Dev team; define formulations suited to extended calendar life and safe long-term operation.

3. Scale-Up & Manufacturing Transfer

•   Partner with Manufacturing Engineering to ensure cell designs are compatible with high-volume production processes and define acceptable process windows.

•   Work with manufacturing or pilot-line teams to scale cell designs from lab to production.

•   Support process capability analysis and yield improvement in early production phases.

4. Standards, IP & Cross-Functional Collaboration

•   Work with Testing & Validation team to define cell-level test protocols and pass/fail criteria aligned to relevant ESS safety and performance standards.

•   Stay current on industry trends, research and competitive landscape; provide technical inputs to support IP and regulatory assessments.

•   Lead cross-functional discussions with BMS, Pack Development, Thermal Management, Testing and Manufacturing teams.

5. Team Leadership

•   Build and mentor a cell design team; maintain strong documentation practices and lead design reviews at key development milestones.

•   Define a culture of data-driven decision making — clear hypotheses, controlled experiments and well-documented conclusions.

•   Recruit and develop electrochemists, materials scientists and cell engineers.

Job Requirements (KPI)
EDUCATION

•   Master's or PhD in Electrochemistry, Materials Science or Chemical Engineering.

•   Hands-on experience in electrode design, full-cell characterisation and lab-to-pilot scale-up essential.

EXPERIENCE

•   12–15 years in Li-ion cell design, electrochemistry and product development for stationary ESS applications.

•   Demonstrated experience in electrode design, cell characterisation and scale-up from lab to pilot line.

•   Prior exposure to ESS-relevant chemistries such as LFP and emerging alternatives strongly preferred.