Staff Systems Engineer

FormEnergy; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Holistic benefits package

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Form Energy is seeking a Staff Systems Engineer to help bring our multi-day iron-air battery systems from pilot to full-scale deployment. You will own the systems definition, architectural integration, and performance trade-offs across electrical, mechanical, and electrochemical domains, collaborating across design, software, and validation teams to ensure safety and commercial readiness.

Relocation assistance is available.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of systems engineering or technical leadership experience.
• Breadth across electrical, mechanical, software and electrochemical hardware.
• Experience delivering hardware from concept through verification and scale-up.
• Knowledge of requirements management and DFMEA processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead system-level architecture, boundaries, and interface controls for multi-day battery systems.
• Decompose system requirements to balance performance, safety, reliability, and cost.
• Perform system-level modeling, hazard analyses, and FMEA to mitigate risks.
• Use MBSE tools to develop logical and physical architectures.
• Drive requirement changes through impact analysis.
• Coordinate testing, validation, and integration with multiple engineering teams.

Skills

Systems engineering

Cross-functional leadership

Electrical systems

Thermal management

Software controls

DFMEA

MBSE tools

Catia Magic

JAMA

Polarion

DOORs

Tools

Catia Magic

JAMA

Polarion

DOORs

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

As a Staff Systems Engineer, you will play a critical role in bringing our multi-day energy storage systems from pilot stages to full-scale commercial utility deployment. You will own the technical definition, architectural integration, and system-level performance trade-offs of our 100-hour iron-air battery systems, resolving complex multi-variable issues across electrical, mechanical, and electrochemical boundaries. By collaborating closely with cross-functional design, software, and validation teams, you will establish the systems-level design methodologies and verification procedures required to ensure the ultimate safety, durability, and commercial readiness of our technology. Ultimately, your technical leadership and system-level stewardship will directly enable the delivery of highly predictable, resilient energy storage systems that ensure long-term grid stability and continuous power delivery.

Relocation assistance is available.

What you’ll do:

• Lead system-level architecture design, boundary definition, and multi-disciplinary interface control for our multi-day iron-air battery energy storage systems.
• Define, cascade, and decompose system and subsystem requirements/functions to balance performance, safety, reliability, and manufacturing cost within a requirement management tool such as JAMA, Polarion, or DOORs.
• Conduct detailed system-level modeling, hazard analyses, and failure modes and effects analyses (FMEA) to proactively identify and mitigate technical risks.
• Use functional decomposition using Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tools such as Catia Magic to develop logical and physical architectures.
• Drive requirement change requests through functional impact analysis.
• Evaluate a system/sub-system’s technical maturity based on requirement, design, and verification coverage.
• Partner with electrochemical, mechanical, power electronics, and controls engineering teams to orchestrate comprehensive testing, validation, and system integration strategies.

What you’ll bring:

• 7+ years of experience in systems engineering, product integration, or technical lead roles within deep-tech industries such as energy storage, automotive, aerospace, or industrial power systems.
• Deep technical breadth across multiple disciplines, including electrical systems, thermal management, software controls, and electrochemical or physical hardware development.
• Demonstrated track record of managing complex hardware requirements from initial concept through verification, validation, and commercial scale‑up.
• Mastery of systems engineering tools and methodologies, including requirements management, boundary diagramming, interface controls, and risk assessment frameworks like DFMEA.
• Strong collaborative leadership skills and a proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams toward technical alignment on multi‑variable trade-offs.
• Intellectual curiosity that drives a continuous pursuit of understanding novel, complex technology from the component level to full grid integration.
• Pragmatic problem‑solving skills to navigate ambiguity and balance rigorous engineering standards with the execution speed needed in a fast‑paced environment.
• Thriving on complexity and enjoying the challenge of decomposing abstract, highly integrated technical problems into elegant and reliable system designs.

#LI-Onsite

#LI-TR1

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.