Staff Mechanical Engineer, Advanced Product Development

Form Energy; Somerville (MA); On-site; USD 148,000 - 222,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Stock options

Paid parental leave

Generous vacation

Job summary

Form Energy is seeking a Staff Mechanical Engineer to design subsystems for its next-generation iron-air battery system. You will own thermal, fluid, and structural designs, build first-principles models, and drive prototype builds toward scalable production while collaborating with battery scientists and manufacturing engineers.

Relocation assistance is available. The role emphasizes safety, design-for-manufacture, and cost considerations as Form Energy scales its battery program nationwide.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 7–10 years of experience in mechanical design of complex electromechanical or fluid/thermal systems.
• Proven ownership of subsystem-level design across thermal, fluid, and structural interfaces.
• Experience taking components or subsystems from concept through manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Own the mechanical design of one or more subsystems (thermal, fluid handling, or structural).
• Contribute to trade-offs across subsystem interfaces for performance, cost, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Build first-principles analytical models to inform design decisions.
• Plan and execute prototype builds and test campaigns to validate designs.
• Partner with manufacturing engineering on DFM and DFC aspects.
• Represent mechanical engineering in cross-functional design reviews.
• Engage with vendors on sourcing and early-stage development of components.
• Drive workflows using AI to increase speed and efficiency.
• Champion safety in new lab processes and test methods.

Skills

Mechanical design

Subsystem ownership

Thermo-fluid theory

Leadership

Education

Bachelors in Mechanical 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's Advanced Product Development team is responsible for architecting and designing the next generation of our iron-air battery system — the cell, module, pack, and the support systems that keep them running reliably for decades in the field. We work ahead of our production programs, translating breakthrough electrochemistry and system requirements into mechanical designs that can scale to high-volume manufacturing.

We're hiring a Staff Mechanical Engineer to develop the mechanical design of subsystems within our next-generation battery and support systems. You will take ownership of thermal, fluid, and/or structural subsystem design, applying first-principles modeling and analysis, building first-of-a-kind designs for experimentation and verification testing, and iterating toward our next energy storage product. You'll work closely with battery scientists, materials engineers, electrical and controls engineers, and manufacturing engineers, bringing in-depth subsystem expertise to the toughest interdisciplinary trade-offs.

Relocation assistance is available.

What You'll Do

• Own the mechanical design of one or more subsystems (thermal, fluid handling, or structural) within next-generation energy storage systems, from concept through system verification
• Contribute to high-leverage trade-offs across subsystem interfaces — performance, cost, manufacturability, and reliability — exercising judgment with guidance from senior/principal engineers on the most ambiguous calls
• Build first-principles analytical models that inform subsystem design decisions
• Plan and execute first-of-a-kind prototype builds and test campaigns to validate subsystem-level design choices
• Partner with manufacturing engineering on design-for-manufacturing and design-for-cost for the components and assemblies you own
• Represent mechanical engineering in cross-functional design reviews with electrochemistry, controls, program management, and compliance
• Engage with vendors on sourcing and early-stage development of novel components
• Drive workflows using AI to increase speed and efficiency of the team
• Champion safety, especially when introducing new lab processes, prototype hardware, or test methods

What You'll Bring

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field; Bachelor's with 7–10 years, or advanced degree with equivalent experience, in mechanical design of complex electromechanical or fluid/thermal systems
• Demonstrated ownership of subsystem-level design — including trade-offs across thermal, fluid, and structural interfaces
• Strong first-principles grounding in thermo-fluid systems, with experience translating analytical models into design decisions
• Experience taking components or subsystems from early-stage concept through manufacturing
• Growing technical leadership — comfortable guiding junior engineers or leading focused workstreams (may coordinate or lead the work of other engineers)
• Comfort operating with ambiguity in an early-stage environment ramping toward production, with urgency to hit demanding schedule targets
• Strong ownership mentality; eager to roll up sleeves and get hands-on with hardware when necessary
• Experience in energy storage, batteries, or another safety-critical, highly regulated hardware industry is a plus

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.

Compensation Range: $147,959 - $221,973