Staff Materials Engineer

Form Energy; Weirton (WV); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Stock options

Comprehensive benefits

Paid parental leave

Generous vacation policy

Job summary

Form Energy in Weirton, WV is hiring a Staff Materials Engineer to join our Air Electrode Engineering team. You will design and validate electrode materials for iron‑air batteries, ensuring performance, reliability, and scalability on mass manufacturing lines.

Reporting to the Manager of Air Electrode Engineering, you will lead materials design and validation efforts, perform prototypes, DOE studies, and material characterization to support high‑volume production and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in materials science, engineering, or related field.
• 7+ years experience in materials science/engineering.
• 3+ years product development experience transitioning to high-volume manufacturing with DFA know-how.
• Experience planning DOE trials and interpreting data with JMP or Minitab.
• Experience using FMEA and RCA to mitigate risks.
• Strong communication and cross-functional influence.
• Willingness to travel domestically up to 10%.

Responsibilities

• Partner with vendors and engineers to transition materials to high-volume production.
• Own design and validation of electrode materials balancing performance, cost, and manufacturability.
• Hands-on design, prototyping, failure analysis, spec-setting, and material evaluation.
• Develop material characterization techniques for quality control on production lines.
• Apply engineering judgment to disposition decisions on materials/electrodes from production.

Skills

Materials science

Materials engineering

DFM

DOE

JMP

Minitab

FMEA

RCA

Cross-functional collaboration

Travel

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in materials science/engineering or related field

Tools

JMP

Minitab

FMEA

RCA

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 Staff Materials Engineer to join our Air Electrode Engineering team and play a critical role in designing and validating key components in our Iron‑Air Batteries. Reporting to the Manager of Air Electrode Engineering, you will be responsible for ensuring the performance, reliability, and scalability of electrode designs produced on our mass manufacturing lines, making significant contributions to the operational success of our Iron‑Air Battery as a whole. We are looking for someone who has hands‑on experience in materials design and characterization, a proactive approach to problem‑solving, and a track record of solving challenges in fast‑paced manufacturing environments. 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:

• Partner with vendors, manufacturing engineers, quality engineers, and process engineers to transition materials and designs from the prototype stage to high‑volume production.
• Own the design and validation of key electrode materials, utilizing statistical methods to determine product specifications that balance performance, cost, and manufacturability criteria.
• Drive on‑the‑ground, hands‑on design efforts including prototyping, failure analysis, spec‑setting, and material evaluation.
• Develop and implement novel material characterization techniques to enable evaluation and quality control of product manufactured on high‑volume production lines.
• Independently apply sound engineering judgment to recommend disposition decisions on materials and electrodes coming off high‑volume production lines, weighing design, performance, and reliability requirements against manufacturing realities.

What you’ll bring:

• Bachelor’s Degree and 7+ years of experience in materials science, materials engineering or a related field.
• 3+ years of hands‑on product development experience navigating the transition of materials from R&D to high‑volume manufacturing environments, with fluency in Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and how manufacturing constraints shape design decisions.
• Demonstrated experience planning rigorous engineering trials via Design of Experiments (DOE) and interpreting complex experimental datasets utilizing statistical tools such as JMP or Minitab
• Demonstrated experience using engineering tools such as FMEA and RCA to track and mitigate risks.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence cross‑functional stakeholders and summarize complex technical conclusions for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Dedication to pragmatic problem‑solving, a growth mindset, and a capacity for operating effectively amid complexity within a fast‑paced organization.
• Willingness to travel domestically up to 10% of the time to support project execution across different sites.

Where you’ll work:

This role is based at Form Factory 1 in Weirton, WV—an easy commute from the city of Pittsburgh, PA. This 550,000-square‑foot facility is our hub for high‑volume battery production and a leader in the new era of American energy manufacturing. Relocation assistance is available.

#LI-Onsite

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 [e-mail]. 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.