Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Analytics Engineer
at Redwood Materials
🏢 About Redwood Materials
Redwood Materials is pioneering a closed-loop, domestic lithium-ion battery supply chain by recycling end-of-life batteries to recover critical materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. This mission-driven company directly addresses the environmental challenges of battery waste and supply chain dependence, making it a compelling choice for engineers who want their work to have a tangible impact on sustainability.
About This Role
As a Senior Analytics Engineer, you'll build and maintain production-grade data pipelines that power financial and supply chain models critical to scaling Redwood's recycling operations. Your work will enable data-driven decisions across the company, from optimizing material recovery to forecasting supply chain logistics, directly supporting the transition to a circular economy.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might start with a standup to discuss pipeline health and any incidents, followed by developing a new dbt model to transform scrap metal yield data. You'll then review a stakeholder's request for a supply chain forecast, scope the technical requirements, and write Python code to integrate a new data source into your Airflow DAG. After lunch, you might debug a failed pipeline run and optimize a slow SQL query, ending the day by documenting your work for the team.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Redwood Materials Is Looking For
- You have 3+ years of hands-on experience building and deploying production data pipelines, with a strong portfolio of Python and SQL projects that demonstrate your ability to handle complex data transformations at scale.
- You are highly proficient in orchestration tools like Dagster or Airflow and have deep experience with dbt for data modeling and transformation, enabling you to design reliable, automated workflows.
- You possess a degree in a quantitative or technical field (e.g., Data Engineering, Computer Science) and can apply analytical rigor to financial and supply chain models, translating business needs into technical solutions.
- You thrive in cross-functional collaboration, excelling at scoping pipeline requirements through stakeholder conversations and delivering solutions that align with both technical and business objectives.
📝 Tips for Applying to Redwood Materials
Tailor your resume to highlight specific projects where you built end-to-end data pipelines using Python, SQL, and orchestration tools like Airflow or Dagster. Quantify impact (e.g., reduced pipeline runtime by 30%, processed 10TB daily).
In your cover letter, explicitly connect your experience with dbt and data modeling to Redwood's need for robust analytics infrastructure to support financial and supply chain models.
Mention any domain knowledge in supply chain, manufacturing, or recycling, even if tangential, to show you understand the industry context.
Prepare a brief portfolio or GitHub repo showcasing your pipeline work, with clear documentation on how you used orchestration and dbt for transformations.
Research Redwood's recent partnerships or facility expansions (e.g., their battery recycling plant in Nevada) and mention how your skills could support scaling their data infrastructure.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Emphasize your experience with production-grade data pipelines and your ability to build reliable, automated systems that support critical business models.', "Highlight your proficiency with Python, SQL, Dagster/Airflow, and dbt, providing concrete examples of how you've used these tools to solve data challenges.", "Express enthusiasm for Redwood's mission to create a circular battery economy, and explain how your work as an analytics engineer can directly contribute to reducing environmental impact.", "Showcase your collaborative skills by describing how you've worked with stakeholders to scope technical solutions and deliver data products that drive decision-making."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read about Redwood Materials' partnership with Panasonic and their role in the US battery supply chain; understand how their recycling process works (e.g., hydrometallurgical vs. pyrometallurgical).
- → Review recent news articles or press releases about Redwood's expansion plans, such as their new facility in South Carolina or investments from the Department of Energy.
- → Familiarize yourself with the broader battery recycling industry, including competitors like Li-Cycle and Retriev Technologies, to understand Redwood's unique value proposition.
- → Explore Redwood's company culture through employee reviews on Glassdoor or LinkedIn to get a sense of their work environment and values.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Avoid generic statements about 'data engineering' without connecting your experience to Redwood's specific needs in financial and supply chain modeling.
- Don't overlook the requirement for production-grade pipelines; if your experience is mostly ad-hoc analysis, highlight any work that involved automation, testing, or deployment.
- Failing to showcase your proficiency with orchestration tools (Dagster/Airflow) and dbt can be a deal-breaker; make sure these are prominently featured in your application.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Redwood Materials !