R&D Lead Engineer - Battery Pack Materials

Are you experienced in battery pack applications and interested in working at the interface between materials development and EV battery system requirements?

We are currently supporting a specialty materials manufacturer in the search for a key addition to their growing EV battery pack materials team.

This role sits at the crossroads of R&D, application engineering, and customer interaction, acting as a bridge between an established materials chemistry team and Tier 1 / OEM customers in the automotive battery space.

The company has a long-standing reputation in engineered materials, with strong expertise and is continuing to grow its activity in EV battery pack solutions such as cell pads, sealing systems, thermal interface materials, insulation and related protective components.

This is not a pure laboratory chemistry role, nor a pure battery pack design role. It is a role for someone who understands how battery pack components are applied, how customer requirements translate into material needs, and how to help guide development and validation in close collaboration with internal R&D teams.

Your Responsibilities

• Track market trends and technical developments in EV battery pack materials and components, including cell pads, holding pads, sealing systems, thermal barriers, insulation materials, and thermal management solutions.
• Act as a technical reference point internally and externally, supporting discussions with Tier 1 suppliers, OEMs, and battery system customers.
• Translate battery pack application needs into clear R&D priorities, development objectives, and testing plans.
• Work closely with the materials chemistry team to guide the development and adaptation of polyurethane and non-PU solutions for EV battery pack use cases.
• Support application trials, validation activities, and industrialisation efforts to ensure products can be transferred successfully into customer environments.
• Contribute to the definition and interpretation of mechanical, thermal, chemical, and application testing, while helping improve test approaches where relevant.
• Lead or coordinate technical projects within the EV battery pack materials activity, ensuring strong communication, technical credibility, and timely execution.

Your Profile

• Experience in EV battery pack applications, whether through battery pack design, integration, validation, thermal management, insulation materials, sealing systems, or related areas.
• Comfortable working at the interface between battery pack requirements and materials development.
• A background in materials, polymers, chemistry, mechanical engineering, or battery systems; multiple backgrounds can be relevant if combined with strong application understanding.
• Good working knowledge of functional materials used in EV battery systems, with polymer / PU exposure considered a strong advantage.
• Able to engage credibly with technical stakeholders and customers, and to operate in a role that combines R&D coordination, technical problem-solving, and project ownership.
• Fluency in English is required; Dutch is a plus.

What We Can Offer

• A permanent role within a stable and internationally recognised industrial group.
• The opportunity to contribute directly to the growth of an ambitious EV battery pack materials business.
• A position with strong visibility, combining technical depth, customer interaction, and strategic influence.
• A collaborative environment with established materials expertise and the opportunity to develop into a key reference for EV battery pack applications in Europe.

Interested? Apply now

We will be in touch quickly if your profile aligns with the role.