Director, Manufacturing Operations

Are you ready to build America's clean energy future with the team that will deliver? Form Energy is an American energy technology and manufacturing company. We are pioneering a new class of iron-air batteries to enable our electric grid to run on renewable, reliable, and affordable energy, every day of the year.

Form Energy has been recognized by TIME as "One of the Best Inventions of 2023" for its battery technology and by MIT Technology Review as a "Top Climate Tech Company to Watch". We are making rapid progress on our mission of delivering energy storage for a better world, and are growing just as rapidly to meet demand. Our team has more than doubled in size in the past year, and continues to expand every day. We have signed contracts with leading electric utilities across the United States. Pilot production of our iron-air batteries has already begun, and later this year, production will take off to high volumes at our new factory in West Virginia.

Working for Form Energy is more than just a job, it's a chance to be part of something extraordinary. And right now might be the most exciting moment in the company's history to join. We are assembling a team of some of the most talented and motivated 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

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced director to initiate Manufacturing Operations in the company and begin building necessary systems as we drive toward the start of production in Form Factory 1. This leader will initially focus on building the systems and structures of our manufacturing team. This effort will include drawing upon your operational experiences to select and implement best practices across various areas within the company and leading best-in-class methodologies for various operational challenges. Your primary focus will be driving production-based systems and projects, but will extend into areas of inventory management, quality control, training, supply chain, and engineering. Once construction of Form Factory One is complete, you will transition to team building and operational leadership within the Manufacturing Operations organization.

This opportunity is based out of Form Factory 1 in Weirton, WV. Relocation assistance is available.

What you'll do:

• Hire and lead Manufacturing Operations teams in Form Factory 1 when it comes online in 2024.

• Evaluate, select, and implement industry leading operations best-practices across functional areas including supply chain, logistics, production, quality control, engineering and others in advance of start of production.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify operational challenges and areas of improvement and then implement effective systematic solutions.

• Develop training methodologies for effectively implementing systems within the Manufacturing Operations organization to ensure best practices are established and used in day-to-day operations.

• Develop implementation plans, timelines, budgets and tracking metrics/reporting for adopting and integrating best practices in coordination with project managers and department leaders.

What you'll bring:

• 8+ years of experience in operations and manufacturing in an energy hardware manufacturing or similar environment with a track record of increasing responsibility over time.

• Inspirational, empathic, and strategic leader with high motivation to deliver on our goals and exceptional communication skills.

• Lean and/or Six Sigma practitioner experience is a must

• Experience leading a continuous improvement program through established practices like Kaizen, Gemba Walks, Yokoten, eliminating waste (Muda), Value Stream mapping or other manufacturing practices.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyze complex operational challenges and recommend effective solutions

• Strong project management skills

• A proactive, can-do mindset and ability to adapt to changing business needs in a quickly growing organization

• Direct familiarity with MES and ERP systems

• Direct familiarity with engineering principles such as formal root cause problem solving, NCRs, MRB, CAPAs, containment processes, SCARs, etc

• Experience with creating training materials for all levels of an organization

• Bachelor's degree in operations management, or a related field

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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 a clean and equitable energy future, we need everyone at the table. We strive to form a team as diverse as the communities we will serve with our technology, and are committed to maintaining an inclusive environment for all employees. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply to our open jobs.