Materials Engineer III

Beltsville, Maryland, United States - 20705

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

Research and Development

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.