Senior Battery Abuse Test Engineer

Tbwa Chiat/Day - Sunnyvale, CA

Full-time

Sunnyvale, CA

About the position

The Battery Abuse Test Engineer at Figure will lead the safety testing of the humanoid robot's battery, focusing on developing industry-leading safety standards. This role involves both in-house and external collaboration to execute comprehensive battery abuse tests, ensuring the safety and reliability of the battery systems used in humanoid robots.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute battery abuse tests both in-house and with external suppliers, including multi-cell thermal runaway, overcharge, short-circuit, crush, puncture and robot fall.
• Collaborate with equipment vendors to source, install and commission abuse test equipment at Figure's in-house battery lab.
• Generate all necessary documentation for test execution (test protocol, DUT specifications, equipment specification, instrumentation, etc.).
• Lead the development of abuse test methods and fixtures.
• Instrument packs with various sensors including thermocouples, pressure sensors, strain gauges, accelerometers, etc.
• Manage data acquisition equipment, data logging and post-processing.
• Troubleshoot any issues that may arise during testing and propose solutions.
• Analyze data and present test results to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Participate in design reviews and provide technical input to improve battery safety.
• Create strict safety protocols and guidelines during testing and development.
• Work closely with technicians to plan and execute tests.
• Maintain lab space and equipment, perform equipment calibration and troubleshooting as needed.

Requirements

• 5+ years of industry experience in developing and executing battery abuse test plans.
• Expertise in sourcing and commissioning battery pack abuse test equipment including thermal runaway bunkers, calorimeters, etc.
• Proficiency in instrumenting battery packs with a variety of sensors.
• Expertise in implementing high speed and high temperature data acquisition systems.
• Proficiency with data analysis tools such as MATLAB, LabView, etc.
• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Materials Science or similar field.

Nice-to-haves

• Knowledge of lithium-ion battery chemistry, failure modes, and safety mechanisms.
• Knowledge of industry and regulatory standards related to battery safety testing (e.g., UL, IEC, SAE).
• Familiarity with cell teardown, CT scan and other lithium-ion battery analysis methodologies and tools.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD (i.e. CATIA V6) to enable design and build of abuse test fixtures.