--- title: 'QC Lab Manager at Sila' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/qc-lab-manager-sila-alameda-3vffpe0swqn5' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-11-10' --- # QC Lab Manager at Sila - **Company:** Sila - **Location:** Alameda, CA - **Posted:** 2026-11-05 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-10 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/silananotechnologies/jobs/8351385 ## Job description ## About Us We are Sila, a next-generation battery materials company. Our mission is to power the world’s transition to clean energy. To create this future, our team is building a better lithium-ion battery from the inside out today. We engineer and manufacture ground-breaking battery materials that significantly increase the energy density of batteries, while reducing their size and weight. The result? Smaller more powerful batteries that can unlock innovation in consumer devices and accelerate the mass adoption of electric cars to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels. We're tackling one of the biggest challenges of our time every day, and together we're redefining what's possible. Are you ready to be a part of a team committed to changing the world? ## Who You Are As a Quality Control Lab Manager, you will oversee the quality and reliability of our manufacturing output by leading high-throughput laboratory operations, rapid test execution, and rigorous material release workflows. You will manage day-to-day testing cadence, oversee instrument uptime and analytical method integrity, and spearhead continuous improvement initiatives across data integrity, sample management, and lab safety. This role is responsible for hands-on coaching, setting high standards for safety, maximizing equipment uptime, and establishing predictive maintenance strategies to support production targets. You will drive operational improvements and support the growth of the people, processes, and systems for the QC team, ensuring on time delivery of Sila’s material to high profile customers. The role will be based in Alameda, CA. ## Responsibilities and Duties - Operational & People Leadership: Lead, recruit, onboard, and retain skilled laboratory technicians; drive a culture of safety, continuous improvement, set clear KPIs, provide regular performance feedback, and allocate resources to meet fluctuating production volumes. - Daily Lab Operations & Cadence: Direct day-to-day testing operations to support 24/7 manufacturing, development, and research needs, turnaround time (TAT) targets, and non-routine analytical investigations. - Method & Equipment Ownership: Oversee routine maintenance, calibration, verification, and troubleshooting of analytical instrumentation; drive operationalization and transfer of new test methods to routine testing. Partner with key development teams to run initial predictive/preventive maintenance (PdM/PM) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA), establishing core reliability workflows to extend asset lifecycle. - Quality Systems & Compliance: Champion laboratory data integrity, sample retain workflows, OOS/OOT (Out-of-Specification / Out-of-Trend) investigations, and root-cause analysis in full alignment with the Quality Management System (QMS). - Measurement Systems & Studies: Direct Measurement System Analysis (Gage R&R), method precision studies, and stability/shelf-life testing programs to validate measurement reliability. - Standard Work & Training: Author, standardize, and maintain SOPs and test protocols; manage laboratory training matrices to ensure verified analyst qualification and audit readiness. - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Analytics, Production, Process Engineering, Product, and Corporate Quality to resolve nonconformances quickly and prevent production bottlenecks. - Financial & Asset Management: Manage departmental O&M budgets and critical MRO inventory. - Goal Alignment & Performance Management: Set clear expectations, allocate responsibilities, track progress against key metrics, and support direct reports in navigating operational roadblocks. Knowledge and Skill Requirements - Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry, Engineering, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline; 8+ years of industrial work experience, including 2+ years directly managing non-exempt personnel. - Industry Domain Expertise: Extensive background in chemical or materials manufacturing, with deep operational knowledge spanning analytical instruments, particle analytical technologies, measurement system analysis principles, and lab operations. - Quality Systems: Experience working within a quality management system; strong understanding of quality control systems and processes. Strong understanding of ISO9001 and ISO17025 preferred. - Lean & Continuous Improvement: Advanced command of Lean Manufacturing methodologies and a proven track record of applying continuous improvement frameworks to maximize asset uptime and operational throughput. - Leadership & Talent Development: Accomplished leader adept at coaching, mentoring, and developing teams, while instilling a proactive safety-first culture and operational accountability. - Systemic Problem-Solving: Strategic, solution-oriented approach to diagnosing technical issues, leveraging Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to eliminate recurring failures across operations. - Communication & Stakeholder Alignment: Exceptional communication, facilitation, and influencing skills, with a demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional alignment and collaborate effectively across business units. Physical Demands and Working Conditions - Wear personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, a lab coat, gloves, safety glasses, and steel toe safety shoes. - Move long distances (such as from building to building) and be stationary for extended periods of time. - Operate a computer and other office equipment, such as a laptop, copier/printer, etc in a fixed location. The starting base pay for this role is between $114,000 and $145,000 at the time of posting. The actual base pay depends on many factors, such as education, experience, and skills. Base pay is only one part of Sila’s competitive Total Rewards package that can include benefits, perks, equity, and bonuses.  The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. #LI-PL1 #LI-Onsite Working at Sila We believe that building a diverse team at Sila helps us amplify our individual talents. We are an equal opportunity employer and committed to creating an inclusive environment where good ideas are free to come from anyone. We are proud to celebrate diversity and all qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, national origin, or any other status protected by law. ## About Sila ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Sila develops and manufactures next-generation silicon anode materials that dramatically improve the energy density and fast-charge capability of lithium-ion batteries. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series G – $375M raised in close of Series G round) - **Headquarters**: Alameda, California, USA - **Founded**: 2011 - **Founders**: Gene Berdichevsky (CEO), Gleb Yushin (CTO), Alex Jacobs (VP, Engineering) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Battery materials / Advanced manufacturing / Clean energy - **Target customers**: B2B – automotive OEMs (Mercedes-Benz, BMW), consumer electronics makers (WHOOP), and cell manufacturers - **Mission / purpose**: “Power the world’s transition to clean energy” by delivering high-performance battery materials that require less mining, produce less CO₂, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. ## Products & Services - **Titan Silicon® Anode**: A drop-in silicon anode material that provides exceptional energy density and fast-charge improvements for any lithium-ion battery application. Already shipping in millions of devices (e.g., WHOOP 4.0). - **Battery Engineering Services**: A collaborative service that works with OEMs and cell suppliers to define and deliver optimized cell performance using Sila’s materials. ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding exceeds $1B (including a $600M Series F in 2021, a $375M Series G close, and a $100M U.S. Department of Energy grant) - **Notable Investors / Partners**: BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Panasonic Energy, REC Silicon (long-term supply agreement), and the U.S. DOE (ARPA‑E) - **Growth Signals**: - Commenced operations at a 600,000+ sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Moses Lake, Washington – the first and largest silicon anode plant in the western world. - Over 250 patents filed and pending worldwide. - Headcount of ~410 employees (LinkedIn, 2026), with 80% in the U.S. and strong technical hiring (40 active job postings, +25% quarterly growth). - Already powering millions of devices in the market (WHOOP). ## Competitive Advantages - **Foundational IP**: Invented by co‑founder and CTO Prof. Gleb Yushin (Georgia Tech), with a deep patent portfolio covering the low‑swell silicon anode chemistry and cell recipes. - **Proven at scale**: Only advanced battery materials company with both GWh‑scale production and millions of products in the field. - **Strategic partnerships**: Long‑term agreements with top automotive and consumer electronics brands, de‑risking future adoption. - **U.S. supply chain focus**: Moses Lake plant strengthens domestic battery manufacturing, reducing reliance on foreign supply. ## Strategic Focus - **Scale production**: Continue building out the Moses Lake facility and prepare for global deployment of Titan Silicon. - **Deepen OEM integration**: Work closely with partners like Mercedes‑Benz (EQG will be the first car powered by Sila material) to enable product‑level differentiation. - **Expand applications**: Move beyond automotive and wearable into grid storage, power tools, and other lithium‑ion‑powered devices. - **Sustainability**: Reduce mining and CO₂ emissions across the battery value chain. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: “Do great work with good people” – a collaborative, humble, and ambitious environment focused on solving hard technical challenges. - **Diversity & Inclusion**: Equal opportunity employer with active Employee Resource Groups; DEI seen as a force multiplier for innovation. - **Benefits**: Comprehensive medical/dental/vision, 401k with partial match up to $5,000, employee stock options (ISOs), generous parental leave, subsidized lunch, well‑stocked kitchen, charitable giving, and a pet‑friendly office (“Pups” program). - **Work environment**: Primarily on‑site at the Alameda HQ or Moses Lake manufacturing plant; engineering culture emphasizes cross‑disciplinary teamwork in chemistry, materials science, and manufacturing. - **Impact**: Contribute directly to the clean energy transition by commercializing breakthrough battery materials. ## Sources 1. [silanano.com](https://www.silanano.com/) 2. [silanano.com/about-us](https://www.silanano.com/about-us) 3. [silanano.com/careers](https://www.silanano.com/careers) 4. [silanano.com/culture](https://www.silanano.com/culture) 5. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/sila-nanotechnologies-inc-) ## Other roles at Sila - [Instrumentation & Electrical Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/instrumentation-electrical-technician-sila-moses-lake-yfck1n1g70mz) — Moses Lake, WA - [Senior Construction Manager, Capital Projects](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-construction-manager-capital-projects-sila-moses-lake-fmc7sfc7kk8m) — Moses Lake, WA - [Senior Project Manager, Capital Projects](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-project-manager-capital-projects-sila-alameda-c9z442per3ma) — Alameda, CA - [Staff Materials Development Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-materials-development-engineer-sila-alameda-yft6rtpthgxr) — Alameda, CA - [Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-sila-alameda-0ecnew67srma) — Alameda, CA - [Field Application Engineer/Sr Field Application Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/field-application-engineer-sr-field-application-engineer-sila-alameda-7qr0ernjabmh) — Alameda, CA - [Product Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-sila-alameda-fe9xnmqrwbr5) — Alameda, CA - [Staff Engineer, Manufacturing Equipment Design](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-engineer-manufacturing-equipment-design-sila-alameda-rwrgrsbep6g0) — Alameda, CA - [Principal Engineering Technician I, Development](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-engineering-technician-i-development-sila-alameda-92gewwpbpgc9) — Alameda, CA - [Recruiting Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiting-coordinator-sila-alameda-nmcna8n3sgs6) — Alameda, CA