Sourcechange partnered with PowerCo to build the specialized teams required to scale battery cell manufacturing, from development through gigafactory ramp, in St. Thomas, Ontario. The site is one of North America's largest industrial manufacturing projects and the backbone of Volkswagen Group's 90 GWh North American cell capacity.
Battery gigafactories are being built faster than the talent ecosystem can develop.
Most experienced battery manufacturing engineers are concentrated in established ecosystems in Asia and parts of Europe, while many new gigafactories are being built in regions where the local manufacturing ecosystem is still developing. Because Canada does not yet have a mature battery cell manufacturing ecosystem, PowerCo needed to source talent internationally across multiple technical disciplines.
Many of these roles call for people who have previously helped design, build, and scale battery manufacturing facilities, experience that exists within a relatively small global talent pool. Sourcechange supported the build-out of the core technical leadership and operational infrastructure required to scale manufacturing, securing critical hires quickly enough to hold the factory ramp timeline.
Across two continents we delivered the leadership and the specialist build-out behind PowerCo's growth, from the Volkswagen AG headquarters in Germany to the St. Thomas gigafactory.
Senior technology leadership at PowerCo headquarters, establishing the technical foundation for the battery technology roadmap and energy storage systems strategy.
Cell manufacturing depends on specialized environments such as dry rooms and clean rooms that control humidity and contamination.
The core processes that take a cell plant to volume, with the equipment and process strategy a gigafactory ramp demands.
Built from the ground up, connecting R&D with manufacturing operations so new battery technologies reach large-scale production.
Large-scale manufacturing needs a coordinated supply chain from raw materials through to finished battery cells.
Because the North American battery manufacturing talent ecosystem is still developing, roughly 90% of placements required international relocation, with candidates moving from Europe, North America, and Asia. We ran the full process:
This kept hiring timelines aligned with the broader gigafactory ramp schedule.
Battery manufacturing expertise is concentrated in a small number of global markets, and compensation structures vary significantly between them. Senior engineers and technical leaders in the US battery ecosystem, for example, often command compensation that differs substantially from emerging manufacturing regions. Currency differences, local market benchmarks, and relocation all add complexity when attracting talent across borders.
We worked closely with PowerCo to navigate these dynamics, identifying candidates whose experience matched the gigafactory's technical requirements while keeping compensation expectations aligned with the project's location and structure. That let PowerCo secure highly specialized talent on competitive, realistic terms.
Battery manufacturing scale-up depends on a relatively small global pool of engineers and leaders with direct experience building and operating large-scale production environments.
Sourcechange works specifically within the battery and electrification ecosystem, connecting companies with leaders and engineers who have built and scaled battery manufacturing operations before.
Joe and the Sourcechange team are absolute masters in battery cell talent. His communication is lightning-fast, his stakeholder management is flawless, and he's always solution-driven, constantly keeping both candidates and the hiring team aligned and happy. Joe has supported our project immensely and has been a real driving force in keeping things moving smoothly. Simply put, he's one of the best in the industry at this, and I'd highly recommend him to anyone hiring in this space.
From start to finish, Joseph provided an exceptional level of service. He was highly responsive to all my inquiries and ensured that I had the information I needed at every step of the process. His understanding of PowerCo's background and operations was impressive and gave me confidence moving forward through each stage. What stood out the most was his consistent guidance and valuable advice, which helped me navigate the hiring process with clarity and preparedness. I genuinely appreciated the proactive communication and professionalism he maintained throughout.
From senior leadership to the specialist build-out behind a gigafactory, we place the people who get cell plants to volume. Talk to us about your mandate.
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