R&D - Principal Cell Design Engineer

We are building a state-of-the-art facility and a world-class team of technologists for R&D into next-generation battery cells. We are now seeking a visionary Principal Cell Design Engineer to make it happen. Are you ready to shape the future while honing your leadership skills and becoming an expert in a technical field that will revolutionize the world? In this role you will spread and lead the technological development of our product from ideation to prismatic cell level across the functional teams internally at NOVO energy and with our partners. You are the technological voice pointing the way from concept to commercialization.

At NOVO Energy we enable Volvo Cars to go fully electric by 2030. We are a start-up, with the benefit of funding and expertise from our two strong mother companies Northvolt & Volvo Cars. Embrace an awe-inspiring challenge and be at the forefront of technological advancement. We are focused on integrating cutting-edge cell technology into vehicle design, ensuring safety, performance, and sustainability. Together we push the boundaries of battery design in a fast-paced environment.

You will report to the R&D Cell Platforms Director (managing Cell Design Department) and work cross-functionally, collaborating closely with Materials and Process engineering teams as well as with Volvo Cars to drive the development of next-gen batteries.

What You'll Do

- Lead, foster and implement R&D technological cell development methodology from small cell platforms as coins and pouches to product-level prismatic EV battery cells, according to performance and specs delivered by our customer.
- Support all R&D functional teams on research challenges, technological bottlenecks, providing guidance and reporting progress to management.
- Evaluate technologies towards a valid product prototype. What kind of tests to apply during the different stages of cell development? What criteria should be met along the way toward the MVP?
- Design & iterate experimentally, exploring various forms and chemistries in both an R&D and production-facing context.
- Conceptualize, implement, and optimize designs for multiple types of next-generation Li-ion cells.
- Ensure long-term manufacturability, performance and cost requirements are met for our developed product.

Your Background

Drawing on your extensive R&D experience, particularly within the battery industry, you have successfully led large-scale, innovative, and challenging high-tech projects.

- A relevant university degree in chemistry, electrochemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering is required.
- 8+ years of R&D experience from a private company within the battery cell industry.
- Proven experience developing cells to commercialization: from concept to production, on an automotive cell.
- Proficiency in making statistically informed inferences from experimental data and translating them into cell design improvements.
- Proven experience leading technological projects with cross functional teams, not necessarily reporting to you.

Personal Success Factors

- Passion for innovation
- Contribute to an inclusive, collaborative working environment with shared goals, and mutual trust.
- Highly organized with excellent technical management skills
- Effective communication skills to introduce new methods and processes in different

Our Offer

We offer you an R&D environment, with a clear goal to ship product. Our facility is located in the central parts of Gothenburg, a small but international city with a lot to offer and the nature around the corner. We will support you in a potential relocation and our comp package covers benefits to encourage a good work-life balance while being part of an exhilarating global venture!


Volvo Cars is one of the most well-known and 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 and Polestar cars.

Our Gigafactory in Gothenburg will be one of the largest cell production facilities in Europe, with a potential annual cell production capacity of up to 50 gigawatt hours (GWh) - thereby enabling a supply of batteries for approximately half a million Volvo and Polestar cars per year. Our state-of-the-art R&D facility will gather leading expertise from all over the world, to create the next generation battery cells.

You can read more about this joint venture in these press releases, here and here.