Manager, Materials Engineering

Job description

Are you ready to build America’s energy future? Form Energy is an American manufacturing and energy technology company. We’re revolutionizing energy storage with cost-effective, multi-day technology designed to keep the electric grid secure and reliable, even during extended periods of stress. By strengthening the electric system and reimagining what’s possible, we’re giving clean energy a whole new form! In recent years, Form Energy has earned a number of accolades, including being named by TIME as a “Best Invention”, MIT Technology Review as a “Top Climate Tech Company To Watch”, and Fast Company as “One of the Next Big Things In Tech”. We are making rapid progress on our mission of delivering energy storage for a better world, and our team is growing just as rapidly to meet demand. We have signed contracts with leading electric utilities across the United States and production of our iron-air batteries is underway at our first high-volume manufacturing facility in West Virginia. Working for Form Energy is more than just a job, it’s a chance to be part of something extraordinary. And now - right as we significantly scale up battery manufacturing - might be the most exciting moment in the company’s history to join. We are assembling a team of highly talented and driven individuals across the country. Driven by our core values of humanity, excellence, and creativity, our team is determined to deliver on our mission and transform the energy landscape for the better. Feeling energized to make a meaningful impact on the world? Then keep reading - you’ve come to the right place. ROLE DESCRIPTION Form Energy is hiring a Manager of Materials Engineering to build and lead a team responsible for the design, specification, validation, and scale-up of our core cathode materials. Reporting to the Manager of Cathode Development within the Core Technology organization, you will grow and coach a team of materials engineers while translating lab-scale material science into rigorous, production-ready specifications. You will partner closely with electrochemical, advanced manufacturing, supply chain, and quality teams to transition cathode material designs from the laboratory to high-volume production. This is an opportunity to shape both the technical direction of our cathode materials and the growth of the engineers behind them, directly enabling the multi-day energy storage that keeps the electric grid reliable. Relocation assistance is available. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Build, coach, and grow a team of 4+ materials engineers, setting clear development goals and creating a strong bench of future technical leaders - Own the translation of lab-scale material research into validated, production-ready specifications that satisfy performance, cost, and manufacturability requirements - Align daily engineering tasking with master project milestones, balancing hands-on technical guidance with longer-term team development - Partner cross-functionally with advanced manufacturing and process engineering to streamline the transition from development to high-volume production - Drive vendor management and technical specification decisions for raw materials, backed by component performance data - Prioritize safety across the product lifecycle by enforcing hazard mitigations, FMEA, and RCA practices within the team - Architect clear, structured technical updates for executive leadership, translating complex material science into decision-ready options WHAT YOU'LL BRING - Demonstrated success managing, mentoring, or growing the careers of technical talent - Hands-on experience translating lab-scale material properties into product specifications, ideally through a Design for Manufacturing (DFM) transition from R&D to high-volume manufacturing - Degree in materials science, chemical engineering, chemistry, mechanical engineering, or a related discipline - Comfort balancing tactical, day-to-day engineering execution with longer-term technical and team strategy - Familiarity with Design of Experiments (DOE) and analytical tools such as JMP or Minitab to guide specification decisions - Working knowledge of FMEA and RCA methods to mitigate technical and safety risk - Strong verbal and written communication skills to build consensus and influence cross-functional stakeholders - Willingness to travel domestically up to 15% of the time to support project execution across facilities - Intellectual curiosity, pragmatic problem-solving instincts, and a clear capacity for thriving on complexity in a fast-paced organization #LI-Onsite #LI-LN1 Humanity is a cornerstone of Form Energy’s culture, and we make sure our compensation and benefits reflect that. Form Energy offers competitive salaries, stock options, and a holistic benefits package to ensure all employees have what they need to thrive while working here. When it comes to you and your family’s health, we cover 100% of medical, dental, and vision premiums for full-time employees - and 80% of healthcare premiums for dependents. This starts from day one. We also offer at least 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents (up to 20 weeks for birthing parents), and generous vacation policies to give employees time to recharge when needed. To build America’s energy future, we need everyone at the table. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply to our open jobs. If you may require reasonable accommodations to participate in our interview process, please contact accommodations@formenergy.com. Requests for accommodations will be treated with discretion. Form Energy is committed to maintaining the privacy of our applicants. Please be aware that we will never solicit sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers or bank account details during the recruiting or hiring process.