Research Chemist

Position Summary: Research Chemist is responsible for bringing innovation and resolving fundamental technical challenges towards advancing Li-ion and Li-metal batteries. This role works with Livent's ERl and Product Development teams and engages in activities and trends in the external energy storage industry, specifically focused on development of lithium materials for lithium batteries for near future and long-term applications.

The Research Chemist will be responsible for conducting and designing technical development activities to enable innovation, either through executing in-house research and/or collaborating with external partners. The successful candidate for this position should be comfortable working independently and in a hands-on manner that interacts with a wide range of team members.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Promote a strong belief that all incidents are preventable and that no job is worth doing that would risk the health, safety, or welfare of the plant employees or community.
• Promote SHE policies and practices through participation in the safety team and through interactions with all employees.
• Collaborate with cross functional teams in developing future Road Maps, defining milestones and deliverables
• Develop and test new rechargeable energy storage technologies that are fundamentally scalable at the Gigafactory level
• Facilitate strategic decision-making process by applying quantitative methods such as machine learning/statistics and fundamental modeling.
• Lead establishment of the new equipment capabilities.
• Provide technical leadership: design, direct and execute laboratory experiments.
• Interpret data and communicate clearly and proactively in formal and informal formats
• Participate as a member or resource to the commercial team to address technical issues with external partners.
• Prepare high quality and well written technical reports
• Communicate insights and recommendations clearly and visually through presentations and interactive tools.
• Identify relevant intellectual property, including monitoring competitive activity and assist in drafting patents for Livent inventions.
• Lead projects and/or teams in a timely and organized manner through clear communication and through setting and monitoring goals.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• none

Education and Experience

• M.S. or Ph.D. in related discipline (e.g., Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics, Physical Chemistry, Electrochemistry) required.
• 3+ years of experience working within the lithium battery industry is desired

Knowledge and Skill Requirements

• Deep understanding of LiB technology is required; knowledge of LiB electrolyte additives/salts is a plus.
• In-depth knowledge and hands-on experience with the materials characterization techniques such as Cyclic Voltammetry, Galvanostatic cycling, electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), light-scattering, NMR, FT-IR, XRD, BET surface area, GC mass spectroscopy, thermo gravimetric analysis (DSC/TGA/DTA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy dispersive spectrometry, electron mapping, Raman spectroscopy, surface techniques, etc.
• Knowledge and hands on experience with Li-S and Li-metal batteries is a plus.
• Demonstrated strong communication skills with the ability to build internal and external relationships with business and research personnel.
• Ability to take initiative and to perform duties in a self-directed manner.
• Demonstrated strong technical writing skills.
• Demonstrated portfolio of publications and/or presentations.
• Experience in DOE (Design of Experiment) is required.
• Prior experience in project management is a plus.

Competencies

• Technical writing
• Customer focus
• Planning
• Multi-tasking
• Problem solving
• Teamwork

Physical Demands: The job requires multiple hours of standing and performing laboratory tests and

lifting items of up to 50 pounds in weight. Changing gas cylinders is sometimes required, which involves manually manipulating a cylinder onto and off a hand-truck transportation device. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms; climb stairs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision and depth perception.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly has the potential to be exposed to reactive, toxic, acidic, or caustic chemicals. The employee occasionally has the potential to be exposed to moving mechanical parts, and fumes or airborne particles. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; high places; outside weather conditions; vibrations; office environments; laboratories; and chemical plants.

Safety Requirements: All employees are expected to carry out their work functions in a healthy and safe manner, to encourage and always support safe work practices, and to report and/or rectify any unsafe conditions that may come to their attention immediately. Participation in the sites numerous safety programs is a requirement. Housekeeping is important, and we expect the employee to maintain a clean and organized work area. Some of the chemicals we handle are reactive and they must be worked with in a safe manner.

Personal Protective Equipment - Must wear PPE as required based on job duties.

Travel Required: Some domestic and international travel using all forms of transportation is required.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.