Senior Staff Materials Engineer, Advanced Technology

About the company

Form Energy is a battery startup developing long-duration iron-air energy storage systems that can discharge for up to 100 hours.

About this role

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 Senior Staff Materials Engineer to drive the slurry and dispersion development behind next-generation electrodes for our iron-air technology. This role reports into the manager of Discharge Cell R&D within the Advanced Technology Team. As a Senior Staff Materials Engineer or Scientist, you will develop aqueous slurry formulations, characterize particle- and materials-level behavior, and identify process-property relationships in partnership with chemists, materials scientists, and battery engineers. You will bring a materials-first lens to how particles interact within complex, electrochemically active systems. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape and be part of the growth of a fast-moving company with breakthrough technology and an incredible mission! Relocation assistance is available. WHAT YOU'LL DO: - Define the approach, characterization strategy, and success criteria for new formulation problems where no established method exists - Design, formulate, and optimize aqueous slurries containing active materials and conductive carbon additives, balancing particle behavior with downstream processability and battery performance - Diagnose and resolve dispersion formulation and stability challenges in chemically active or corrosive continuous phases, drawing on first-principles understanding of particle-to-particle and solvent-mediated interactions - Build and operate a comprehensive materials and slurry characterization toolkit - Translate raw data into predictive models of particle behavior, stability, and performance - Serve as the subject matter expert in particle and materials science for the R&D organization and represent the function in cross-functional and program-level design reviews WHAT YOU'LL BRING: - Bachelor's degree with 12+ years of work experience, Master's degree with 10+ years of work experience, or PhD with 6+ years of work experience in Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, or a related field - Deep knowledge of particle and materials science, including colloidal, interfacial, and particle-to-particle interactions - Experience working with electrochemical systems or devices (battery-specific experience not required) - Demonstrated experience developing slurries, dispersions, or particle-laden formulations for demanding applications, such as battery electrodes, fuel cell catalyst inks, ceramic or coating slurries, or comparable multiphase systems - Proficiency developing and using electrochemical and materials characterization techniques (e.g. rheometry, zeta potential, impedance spectroscopy) to establish process-property and structure-property relationships that predict slurry and battery performance - Intellectual curiosity and pragmatic problem-solving when tackling formulation challenges with no established playbook - Experience setting technical direction and mentoring experienced technical staff - Excellent communication and organizational skills #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.