Staff Scientist - Electrolyte Design

We seek an experienced scientist with a background in synthetic organic chemistry to apply their skills in synthesis and molecular design to the development of novel functional small molecules and electrolyte systems for application in high performing lithium metal batteries. You will work closely with a multidisciplinary team of scientists including chemists, chemical engineers, materials scientists, computational experts, and machine learning consultants, using a fully closed-loop data-driven approach to accelerate improvements in electrolyte performance. Prior experience in synthetic organic chemistry including purification and characterization is necessary to be successful in this role; familiarity with fluorine chemistry preferred. Additional experience in electrochemical or surface analysis applied to establish structure-property relationships between materials design and SEI is desirable. In this role you will be tasked with taking ownership of and improving an existing closed-loop electrolyte design project incorporating data from an ongoing multi-scale modeling effort. Your impact on the development of functional small molecules to be incorporated into Sepion’s electrolyte design will be critical to accelerating the commercialization timeline of next-gen electric-vehicle batteries. This position is a rare opportunity to be at the forefront growing an advanced-materials startup into a flourishing business.

Key Responsibilities

Apply insights from first-principles modeling, experiment, and machine-learning modeling to the molecular design of high performing lithium-metal battery electrolyte components (solvents, salts, additives) Synthesize, characterize, and purify (battery grade) novel small molecules for incorporation into electrolyte formulations Collaborate with computational and polymer chemists to understand membrane-electrolyte interactions, design experiments to validate computational outputs, and apply new insights to co-design both components to maximize lithium-metal anode performance Identify promising electrolyte formulations, supported by machine-learning and first-principles modeling, and populate a pipeline of priority electrolyte formulations to be produced and evaluated on a weekly basis Stay ahead of the electrolyte scientific and patent literature and disseminate critical information company-wide Invent defensible intellectual property and support patent application writing Design electrolyte purification and formulation infrastructure, building a scalable foundation for these activities at Sepion

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

A deep alignment with Sepion’s core values and mission to sustainably power humankind Desire to learn and implement DE&I best practices to solidify a culture of inclusion; commitment to regular self-reflection to understand and mitigate inherent biases Experience providing and receiving impactful feedback to support professional growth in the spirit of continuous improvement Deep synthetic organic chemistry experience and recent familiarity with all aspects of general small molecule synthesis and purification Past success collaborating with multidisciplinary teams in an R&D environment Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Benefits

Sepion provides 100% employer covered healthcare for our employees, and 50% employer covered healthcare for their dependents. Our commitment to balance is demonstrated through our competitive time off plan, including but not limited to: vacation, sick and national holidays.

About Sepion Technologies

Sepion Technologies combines the latest in nanoscience, polymer chemistry, and cell engineering to deliver lithium-metal batteries with disruptive performance and economic benefits for long-range and low-cost electric vehicles. We are united by a passion to sustainably power humankind with 100% renewable energy. Joining our team means committing to a psychologically safe workplace where diversity, creative thinking, transparency, and compassionate feedback thrive in an exciting, dynamic startup environment. We strongly encourage you to review our core values (www.sepiontechnologies.com) to better understand our culture and how your work at Sepion will positively impact the energy revolution.