R&D - Battery Cell Development Project Manager

Job Description

We are building a world-class team of technologists to execute research and product development towards next-generation batteries. We are seeking a Battery Cell Development Project Manager to help make it happen. Your main responsibility in this role will be owning battery cell development projects from start to finish: from lab to commercial deployment.

Volvo Cars is one of the most respected car brands in the world. Northvolt is a leading supplier of sustainable, high-quality battery cells and systems, dedicated to delivering the world’s greenest lithium-ion battery.

Together, we have formed a joint venture, NOVO Energy, to power the next generation of pure electric Volvo cars.

You will be part of the NOVO R&D team based in Gothenburg. We develop state of the art cells for our customer Volvo Cars, from concept to mass production. Development is done in close collaboration with our partner Northvolt.

What You'll Do

This role will drive work packages that enable development and industrialization of customized batteries meeting Volvo’s performance, quality, and cost requirements. As a Cell Development Project Manager, we expect you to have previously managed complex technical development programs within the automotive industry, preferably within battery technology. This role will require frequent travel to Northvolt Labs in Västerås, our partner in developing cells, for at least the first 2 years.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Take full ownership and drive cell development projects from planning to full-rate production.
• Secure the planning, execution, and delivery of agreed work packages from both internal and external collaborators.
• Create and maintain meaningful relationships with relevant key players and functions in NOVO and Northvolt, with an ability to travel extensively to development and production facilities throughout Sweden.
• Be the point of contact and liaison between NOVO R&D and Northvolt’s internal engineering team.
• Where needed, help transfer competence, scaling, and skills across teams while you drive ongoing cell development projects.

About You

You seek the truth in a complex and fast-moving technical environment. You make sure your word is always defensible, and present your findings honestly, precisely, and with facts to back you up. You’re able to motivate and inspire a team across multiple lines of reporting for the duration of multi-year projects. You collaborate with technical teams to problem-solve: find root causes, develop a plan to fix them, and then execute the plan.

You have worked through the entire arc of Li-ion cell product development, from prototype to production. Ideally, you’ve worked pre-prototype too: from lab to A-sample. You know manufacturing and understand the tempo of a factory and all its complex interfaces (and how to develop a product that works, at scale, in a factory).

You are flexible, meticulous, curious, and eager to learn from others. You have a strong technical background and have worked close to cutting-edge R&D teams.

Skills & Requirements:

• A MSc or BSc in Engineering or related technical field
• 10+ years of work experience in the automotive industry, including years spent commercializing Li-ion cells
• Experience individually setting up and driving development projects in an industrial setting
• Demonstrated ability to lead through motivation and delegation of authority and tasks
• Willingness to roll up your sleeves and act on any level when needed, to get things done and reach project goals
• Excellent English communication skills: written and oral English, plus visual communication of complex information in slides and presentations. Experience in customer-facing roles is a plus