Materials Engineer III

Ion Storage Systems; Beltsville (MD); On-site; USD 118,800 - 145,200; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision, disability, &

Life insurance

Stock options

17 days PTO to start

401(k) with 4% company match

Wellness allowance $1,000 annually

Job summary

Ion Storage Systems in Beltsville, MD is seeking a Materials Engineer III to lead ceramic electrolyte process development from lab to scalable manufacturing. The role focuses on green body formation, sintering, and process maturation to improve yield, throughput, and scale‑up readiness.

You will mentor junior engineers, drive cross‑functional projects, and communicate results to leadership, while advancing advanced ceramic processing and analytical capabilities within the Ceramics R&D team.

Qualifications

• MS/PhD in Materials Science & Engineering or related field required
• Experience leading industrial R&D projects
• Knowledge of ceramic processing operations such as tape casting and sintering
• Strong communication across technical and non-technical audiences

Responsibilities

• Lead development projects for ceramic electrolyte manufacturing processes.
• Design structured experiments to identify and tune critical process parameters.
• Drive improvement of yield, throughput, and scale-up readiness.
• Mentor junior engineers and scientists and share technical guidance.
• Collaborate with Operations and Quality to troubleshoot issues and implement corrective actions.
• Communicate findings clearly to peers and leadership.

Job description

Beltsville, Maryland, United States - 20705

Description

ION is seeking a Materials Engineer III to join our Ceramics R&D team and develop scale‑up ready ceramic electrolyte manufacturing processes for next‑generation solid‑state lithium batteries. This is a project leadership role for a candidate who brings deep materials or ceramic engineering expertise, drives development programs with structured experimentation and data, and is motivated by taking a process from early‑stage development to scalable, reproducible manufacturing.

The successful candidate will own the development of advanced ceramic processing operations, such as green body formation (tape casting) and sintering, and will be responsible for maturing the process to drive yield, throughput, and scale‑up readiness. You will lead cross‑functional projects, communicate findings clearly to peers and leadership, and contribute to the growth of the broader team.

The ideal candidate has demonstrated experience leading process development projects in an industrial setting, is comfortable operating with ambiguity, and is an active and open communicator.

Key Responsibilities

• Apply materials background to lead development projects for ceramic electrolyte manufacturing processes.
• Design and execute structured projects to identify, track, and tune critical process parameters and establish their impact on process outcomes.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and optimization to improve process yield, throughput, and scalability.
• Review and down‑select the best development pathway with management, then lead the implementation and validation.
• Identify and implement material analytical techniques, characterization methods, and process monitoring tools to deepen process understanding.
• Mentor junior engineers and scientists, providing technical guidance and contributing to team capability development.
• Partner with Operations and Quality teams to troubleshoot process issues, conduct root cause investigations, and implement corrective actions.
• Evaluate and pursue opportunities to improve process capability, throughput, yield, cost, and safety.
• Maintain laboratory organization and promote environmental health and safety in daily operations.

Required Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. + 5 years OR B.S. + 8 years of experience in Materials Science & Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Ceramic Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in an industrial or laboratory R&D environment, with a track record of taking development work through to a defined milestone or scale‑up point.
• Familiarity with ceramic or materials processing operations such as tape casting, powder synthesis, milling, sintering, or related thermal processes.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively across technical and non‑technical audiences.

Desired Qualifications / Skills

• Experience with technical ceramics, e.g., solid electrolytes, solid oxide fuel cells, or ceramic capacitors.
• Familiarity with battery or fuel cell electrochemistry.
• Training in Design of Experiments, Root Cause Analysis, or Six Sigma methodology.
• Proficiency in statistical analysis software such as Minitab or JMP.
• Experience with materials characterization techniques such as SEM, TGA, particle size analysis, FTIR, and XRD.

The base salary range for this role is $132,000, depending on experience. In addition to base salary and equity, we offer the following company benefits:

• Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance
• Stock options in an early‑stage company
• Company and floating holidays
• 17 days of PTO to start, with increase upon tenure
• 401(k) plan with a 4% company match beginning after first paycheck
• Wellness allowance of $1,000 annually

Department

Research and Development

Reports to

Ceramics R&D Manager

ION Storage Systems is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or veteran status.

Eligibility to work in the United States as a U.S. Citizen or U.S. permanent resident is required for consideration.