Research Battery Cell Fabrication Technician

Job Description

At General Motors our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen but to be felt. Were turning todays impossible into tomorrows standard from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design intelligent software and next-generation safety and entertainment features.

Every day our products move millions of peopleas we aim to makedriving safer smarter and more connected shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

The Role

In this role the successful candidate will contribute to R&D initiatives within GMs Battery Product and Process operation team with a focus on the mixing coating calendering and cell assembly operational process and crossfunctionally helping the team to advance nextgeneration technologies in battery chemistry cell architecture and system integration. This role independently plans and executes daytoday experimental and process work identifies and resolves nonroutine issues and partners with engineers and scientists to translate lab research into scalable manufacturing processes. This includes learning owning and continuously improving the full cell fabrication process.

What Youll Do (Responsibilities):

• Lead handson R&D execution to support GMs Battery Process and product development team independently planning and prioritizing daily work within defined project objectives.
• Operate monitor and optimize cell fabrication processes for battery development including mixing coating calendaring and cell assembly with limited supervision.
• Help translate labscale research into scalable manufacturing processes providing technical input on process windows critical parameters and manufacturability constraints.
• Prepare materials build cells and collect analyze and summarize data; recommend next steps to engineers and scientists based on findings.
• Contribute to advancing nextgeneration battery chemistries cell architectures and system integration by proposing practical process and tooling improvements.

• Follow all corporate and site safety standards (e.g. gRisk gComply PTP Lockout/Tagout chemical management).
• Use and maintain proper PPE; handle chemicals and materials safely in both aqueous and nonaqueous environments.
• Keep work areas clean organized and compliant with EHS guidelines; identify and escalate potential safety or environmental risks.

• Prepare aqueous and nonaqueous slurries to specified recipes compositions and viscosity targets including independent adjustments within defined limits to achieve quality requirements.
• Accurately weigh and measure raw materials; maintain complete and accurate batch records and lot traceability.
• Operate mixing equipment monitor key process parameters and report and help resolve any issues or deviations from standard performance.

• Set up and operate coating equipment (slot die doctor blade reverse/back coating or similar) and independently adjust process parameters to meet thickness uniformity and quality requirements.
• Inspect coated substrates diagnose defects or process abnormalities (e.g. streaks pinholes edge defects) and drive firstlevel root cause investigation and corrective actions.
• Support calendaring drying and cutting operations ensuring alignment to specifications and documenting any process changes.

• Support full cell fabrication steps including cutting calendaring drying assembly and sealing for coin cells and other cell formats.
• Build coin cells and other formats following written procedures and recommend procedure updates where recurring issues are observed.
• Use lab instruments to measure thickness weight viscosity and other key properties; ensure data integrity and repeatability.
• Execute test procedures record data and share results with engineers and scientists; identify trends and anomalies and propose followup experiments.

• Perform routine and preventive maintenance on mixing coating and cell fabrication equipment; own maintenance schedules and coordinate with Maintenance and Engineering as needed.
• Complete pretask diagnostics checklists and basic troubleshooting for process and equipment issues; independently resolve typical problems and escalate complex issues with clear documentation.
• Maintain logs and databases related to equipment operation maintenance downtime and process deviations.

• Document work in lab notebooks electronic logs and databases accurately and on time; ensure records are complete enough to support repeatability and audits.
• Help write or update standard operating procedures (SOPs) test methods and work instructions based on handson learning and continuous improvement.
• Communicate status issues risks and findings clearly with supervisors and project teams including recommended actions or mitigations.
• Work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team; coordinate with engineers scientists and other technicians to balance priorities across multiple projects.
• Participate in problemsolving and continuous improvement activities (e.g. root cause analysis DOEs kaizen events) and proactively suggest process safety and quality improvements.
• Learn new tools techniques and processes as technologies evolve and support smallscale pilots and technology transfer to manufacturing.
• Provide informal guidance and onthejob training to lessexperienced technicians on equipment operation safety practices and bestknown methods.

Yours Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications):

• Associate degree in a Science or Engineering discipline (e.g. Chemical Technology Materials Mechanical Manufacturing) and typically 3 years of relevant handson experience in a lab pilot plant or manufacturing environment working with chemicals coatings or materials;
  OR bachelors degree in a related Science or Engineering field and typically 13 years of relevant experience.
• Prior experience independently operating complex process equipment and running experiments or trials under limited supervision is strongly preferred.
• Experience contributing to process improvements (e.g. reducing defects improving yield or increasing throughput) through datadriven problem solving.
• Working knowledge of laboratory tools and characterization equipment (balances viscometers microscopes thickness gauges profilometers etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to follow detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) work instructions and test methods and to suggest updates when improvements are identified.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot equipment and process issues perform basic root cause analysis and implement or recommend corrective actions.
• Ability to work in an exportcontrolled environment.
• Willingness to travel periodically for training or onsite technology transfer as required.
• Strong commitment to safety quality and compliance in all activities.
• Ability to work crossfunctionally with engineers scientists operators and other technicians including those at different levels.
• Demonstrated problemsolving skills attention to detail organization and data accuracy.
• Openness to continuous learning and improvement in a fastpaced R&D and scaleup environment; comfortable working under general supervision with limited daytoday direction.

• Solid understanding of chemical/material systems (mixing dispersion viscosity drying) and how process parameters impact coating and cell performance.
• Handson experience preparing aqueous and/or nonaqueous mixtures or slurries to target compositions and viscosities including making parameter adjustments within defined limits to achieve targets.
• Experience operating coating or similar process equipment (slot die doctor blade back/reverse coating) and optimizing settings to meet quality and throughput goals.
• Familiarity with coin cell or other battery cell fabrication processes (e.g. electrode preparation cell stacking/winding electrolyte filling formation) is strongly preferred.

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g. H1-B OPT STEM OPT CPT TN J-1 etc). This role is categorized as onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. This job is not eligible for relocation benefits. Any relocation costs would be the responsibility of the selected candidate. The position is subject to export control restrictions and requires the successful candidate to be either a U.S. Person (U.S. citizen U.S. permanent resident asylee or refugee) or a non-U.S. Person who is eligible to obtain any required export control authorization.

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