The interview process consisted of:

• An initial phone screening through a recruiter.
• An introductory call with the hiring manager.
• A final round interview with the Rivian team.

The entire process was unnecessarily dragged out.

The hiring manager asked me about double-layer capacitor and lithium plating modeling. Two points arose here:

• He confused a Helmholtz capacitor with a Stern model.
• No one models a capacitor for a battery model.

Some people believe that because they have completed a PhD, they actually know what they are talking about.

I also had one of the interviewers ask me about impedance modeling. For instance, she had questions about the parameters needed to model the impedance response of a lithium-ion cell. She did not seem to understand the topic, almost as if she were trying to catch me fabricating information. In fact, I have two major publications on impedance in the Journal of the Electrochemical Society.

My experience suggests the organization is full of people who think they know things they actually do not. I am very glad I pursued another opportunity.

On a side note, the salary range for a PhD battery modeler with more than two years of experience is $150,000 to $175,000.