Process Engineer– Calender & Slitting & E-baking

at  Volkswagen Group Canada

DRIVE YOUR CAREER!

We love our cars, but it’s the people behind them who make them what they are. To market, sell, and service great cars, we need great people. That’s why at Volkswagen Group Canada, we are passionate about our cars and our brand and foster this same passion and drive in our people. We know that the right people in the right positions can do incredible things, and we love making that happen.
Our mission has started. Volkswagen Group’s largest cell factory in St. Thomas will carry out all battery activities – from processing raw materials to developing a unified Volkswagen battery to managing the European and North American gigafactories. Headquartered in Salzgitter, Germany, we are experiencing the transformation of mobility up close. Our goal is to contribute a positive impact to our global society, the environment and the economy. To reach these goals we need your POWER!
We are looking for a Process Engineer– Calendar & Slitting & E-baking based out of the St. Thomas, Ontario office.
PowerCo Canada Inc. is seeking a skilled Process Engineer – Calendar & Slitting & E-baking, to join our team for the battery cell production line in St. Thomas. In this role, you will be responsible for proposing, developing, presenting, and coordinating process engineering concepts for cell production, involved in the process implementation, development, yield enhancement, SOP and series production activities of battery cell factories.
We are seeking a skilled Process Engineer to develop and implement the Calendar, Slitting, and E-baking processes for our cell production line. The successful candidate will lead process engineering activities, troubleshoot, and provide day-to-day technical support for production equipment and processes, offering technical guidance as needed. They will improve process capabilities through the design of experiments (DOE) and an in-depth understanding of the interplay between cell processes and performance metrics. Additionally, the Process Engineer will establish, develop, optimize, and standardize baseline process conditions. They will collaborate with the equipment engineering team to identify needs and define specifications for process innovation. Furthermore, the candidate will identify and quantify process risks, reliability, and trends relating to quality and efficiency.
This is a flex hybrid model, requiring 2 days in the St. Thomas office.

DESIRED SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in in electrical, mechanical, materials, chemical or electrochemical engineering, or a related major.
• 5+ years of experience in lithium-ion battery design, development, prototyping, or manufacturing, ideally within a global organization.
• Strong understanding of the electrode manufacturing process and the specific challenges related to calendering, slitting, and e-baking.
• Familiarity with data collection and analysis and statistical process control (SPC)
• Proficient in manufacturing feasibility, method plan validation, design principles, measurement process validation, FMEA, MES and DOE .
• Familiarity with analytical software and programming languages (e.g. JMP, Minitab, MATLAB, Python etc.)
• Ability to follow through and make significant progress in a fast pace, dynamic environment.
• Experience in initial phase of a battery cell production plant would be considered an asset.
• Working experience with automotive OEMs is an asset.
• Action oriented work style and strong drive of results.
• 6 sigma green belt certificate will be plus
• Integrity and value-driven working style, complaint to rules and regulation.
• Adaptable to international teams with cross-cultural communication skills.
• Experience in process development, optimization, and scale-up from pilot to full production is a plus.
• Willingness to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Ability to adapt to changing requirements and new technologies.
• Knowledge of safety standards and environmental regulations related to chemical processes, battery manufacturing, and high-tech production environments.
• High level of attention to detail, especially in process documentation and quality assurance.
• Strong commitment to product quality and safety.
• German language skills are considered an asset.

• Lead efforts to collaborate with cell manufacturing equipment engineers on Calendar, Slitting, and E-baking production issues, and work with the team to assess and implement solutions.
• Collaborate with PowerCo headquarters and other global factories and partners.
• Lead the efforts to interface and exchange with other PowerCo departments including development, process, quality, automation, logistics, digitalization, maintenance, HSE (health safety environment) etc.
• Develop and optimize processes for the Calendaring, Slitting, and E-baking stages in electrode production to improve efficiency, yield, and quality.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including R&D, quality, and production, to implement best practices and ensure process stability.
• Work closely with the maintenance team for regular upkeep and improvement of equipment performance.
• Analyze process data to identify trends, variances, and improvement opportunities in electrode production.
• Utilize process improvement methodologies to drive continuous improvement projects aimed at cost reduction and efficiency enhancement.
• Ensure that calendaring, slitting, and e-baking processes meet stringent quality requirements for battery cell manufacturing.
• Conduct root cause analysis for defects and non-conformities and implement corrective and preventive measures in coordination with the quality assurance team.
• Work closely with the Electrode Manager to align process development activities with broader production goals.
• Support new product introduction (NPI) by collaborating with R&D and production teams in scaling up processes and refining parameters for large-scale production.
• Ensure that all process-related activities adhere to safety standards, environmental regulations, and company policies.
• Assist in the transition of electrode manufacturing processes from pilot scale to full-scale production, ensuring process scalability without compromising quality or efficiency.
• Present necessary materials and information to project teams and management
• Investigate and identify root causes of low yield case, and summarize and communicate lessons learned
• Facilitate interactions with internal and external technical resources to exchange and transfer best practices
• Develop standard operating procedures and train production operators on best practices and operational guidelines for calendaring, slitting, and e-baking processes.
• Provide technical support to task forces as needed.