Staff Materials Engineer, Adhesives

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 seeking a Staff Adhesive Materials Engineer to improve the manufacturability and reliability of our iron-air battery cell. As part of our Reliability Engineering team, you will work closely with the Electrode, Cell, and Pack Engineering teams to spearhead the development, selection, characterization, and qualification of critical adhesive materials, enabling decisions that define the sealing and structural integrity of our designs. This role will require hands-on work in the lab and cross functional collaboration to evaluate, analyze, and propose adhesive materials solutions to new and poorly understood problems and gain confidence in our product lifetime.

Relocation assistance is available.

What you'll do:

• Serve as an adhesives subject matter expert by leading the selection, interface design, and integration of adhesives across our hardware platforms, including coatings and thermoset structural adhesives

• Architect and execute complex validation plans to characterize adhesive performance, identify failure mechanisms, and establish robust design specifications

• Optimize manufacturing processes in partnership with Manufacturing and Process teams, specifically focusing on mixing methods, cure profiles, and application techniques

• Partner cross-functionally with design owners and external vendors to de-risk next-generation adhesion strategies and influence the down-selection of materials

• Direct equipment and fixture specification by studying how process conditions, such as surface prep and curing conditions, impact long-term product performance and reliability

• Champion a culture of safety and technical excellence, particularly when developing new manufacturing processes and test methods

• Travel to vendors and other Form Energy locations up to 25%

What you'll bring:

• Hands-on experience working with product development, failure analysis, and hardware materials selection, with an emphasis on adhesive materials

• Academic degree in mechanical engineering, materials science, or a related field (PhD + 3 years relevant work experience, Masters + 6 years relevant work experience, or Bachelor’s + 8 years relevant work experience)

• Materials expert in thermoset adhesives, primarily liquid-dispensed and structural adhesives, with an emphasis on adhesives development through contract engagements with external vendors

• Proven experience characterizing adhesives, including new test method development, failure analysis / root cause analysis, interfacing with finite-element analysis, and setting specifications for product design

• Familiar with developing accelerated life tests for metals, polymers, and adhesives with environmental stresses like temperature, humidity, or corrosion

• End-to-end experimental ownership, with a proven ability to move independently from conceptualizing a test to hands-on execution and high-fidelity data analysis

• Process engineering fluency to relate material performance to manufacturing variables like dispense parameters and resin curing profiles.

Collaborative leadership skills and the ability to influence remote and cross-functional teams, including external vendors and integration partners

#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 [email protected]. 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.