Senior Battery Engineer (Robotics) - Dot

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced Battery Engineer to own the complete battery system architecture for our robotic platform. This individual will be responsible for battery system design from cell selection through full pack integration, including electrical configuration, mechanical packaging, thermal management, charging strategy, range calculations, and safety/propagation mitigation.

This role is critical to robot performance, reliability, safety, and lifecycle cost. The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in battery pack design with strong cross-functional execution skills.

Key Responsibilities

Battery System Architecture & Ownership

• Own end-to-end battery system design for the robot platform
• Define system requirements including energy density, power delivery, lifecycle, safety, and environmental constraints
• Lead cell selection and supplier evaluation
• Define and optimize S&P (series and parallel) configuration to meet performance and reliability targets
• Develop battery system specifications and validation plans

Mechanical Packaging & Integration

• Design robust mechanical packaging solutions for dynamic robotic environments
• Ensure structural integrity under shock, vibration, and drop conditions
• Collaborate closely with mechanical and industrial design teams to integrate the battery within tight robotic packaging constraints
• Optimize serviceability, modularity, and manufacturability

Thermal & Cooling Systems

• Design and validate cooling strategies (passive and active)
• Model and simulate thermal behavior under peak load and fast charging conditions
• Ensure safe operation across full environmental temperature ranges
• Drive mitigation strategies for thermal runaway and cell-to-cell propagation

Charging & Power Management

• Define charging architecture and charging profiles (standard and fast charging)
• Collaborate on BMS integration and system-level power management
• Optimize for cycle life, charging time, and operational uptime
• Evaluate tradeoffs between performance, longevity, and safety

Safety & Propagation Mitigation

• Develop safety architecture including containment, venting, isolation, and propagation resistance
• Conduct failure mode and hazard analyses (FMEA, DFMEA, safety cases)
• Work with compliance teams to ensure regulatory adherence (UL, IEC, UN38.3, etc.)
• Define validation tests for abuse scenarios (overcharge, short circuit, crush, thermal runaway)

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with electrical, firmware, mechanical, robotics, and manufacturing teams
• Support DFM/DFT activities for production readiness
• Drive supplier technical engagement and validation testing
• Own performance tracking in fielded systems and lead continuous improvement

Required Qualifications

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field

• 7+ years of experience designing lithium-ion battery packs or high-performance battery systems

• Strong expertise in:

• Battery packaging and mechanical integration

• Series & parallel configuration optimization

• Thermal management and cooling systems

• Charging architectures and battery lifecycle tradeoffs

• Propagation and safety mitigation strategies

• Experience taking battery systems from concept through production

• Experience with Solidworks and/or Siemens NX CAD systems.

• Familiarity with BMS systems and battery modeling tools

• Hands-on experience with validation testing and failure analysis

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in robotics, EVs, drones, or other high dynamic-load applications
• Experience designing batteries for ruggedized or mobile system
• Knowledge of manufacturing scale-up and supplier qualification
• Experience with regulatory certification processes
• Familiarity with simulation tools (thermal, structural, electrochemical modeling)

Notice to Applicants for Jobs Located in NYC or Remote Jobs Associated With Office in NYC Only

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Compensation

The successful candidate’s starting pay will fall within the pay range listed below and is determined based on job-related factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. Base salary is localized according to an employee’s work location. Ranges are market-dependent and may be modified in the future.

In addition to base salary, the compensation for this role includes opportunities for equity grants. Talk to your recruiter for more information.

DoorDash cares about you and your overall well-being. That’s why we offer a comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees, which includes a 401(k) plan with employer matching, 16 weeks of paid parental leave, wellness benefits, commuter benefits match, paid time off and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable laws (e.g. Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act). DoorDash also offers medical, dental, and vision benefits, 11 paid holidays, disability and basic life insurance, family-forming assistance, and a mental health program, among others.

To learn more about our benefits, visit our careers page here.

See below for paid time off details:

• For salaried roles: flexible paid time off/vacation, plus 80 hours of paid sick time per year.
• For hourly roles: vacation accrued at about 1 hour for every 25.97 hours worked (e.g. about 6.7 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 3.4 hours/month if working 20 hours/week), and paid sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (e.g. about 5.8 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 2.9 hours/month if working 20 hours/week).

The national base pay range for this position within the United States, including Illinois and Colorado.

$170,000—$250,000 USD

About DoorDash

At DoorDash, our mission to empower local economies shapes how our team members move quickly, learn, and reiterate in order to make impactful decisions that display empathy for our range of users—from Dashers to merchant partners to consumers. We are a technology and logistics company that started by enabling door-to-door delivery, and we are looking for team members who can help us go from a company that is known as the place you order food to a company that people turn to for any and all goods.

DoorDash is growing rapidly and changing constantly, which gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique perspectives, solve new challenges, and own their careers. We're committed to supporting employees’ happiness, healthiness, and overall well-being by providing comprehensive benefits and perks including premium healthcare, wellness expense reimbursement, paid parental leave and more.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We’re committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. That’s why we hire and cultivate diverse teams of people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has room at the table and the tools, resources, and opportunity to excel.

Statement of Non-Discrimination: In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination and harassment based on “protected categories,” we also strive to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at DoorDash. We value a diverse workforce – people who identify as women, non-binary or gender non-conforming, LGBTQIA+, American Indian or Native Alaskan, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, differently-abled, caretakers and parents, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Thank you to the Level Playing Field Institute for this statement of non-discrimination.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.

If you need any accommodations, please inform your recruiting contact upon initial connection.