Unlocking the Full Potential of Solid-State Batteries: Our Portfolio Company Ion Storage Systems is Hiring
Hindered by technical barriers, solid-state batteries have yet to reach their full potential. Our portfolio company Ion Storage Systems (ION) has developed a groundbreaking solution: 3D ceramic electrolyte architecture composed of two solid-state layers. The unique bi-layer cell design has enabled ION to meet and exceed next-generation metrics, offering high-energy density, strong cycling performance, wide temperature range, high manufacturability and fast charging.
Having recently joined the Toyota Ventures portfolio, Maryland-based ION is first focused on utilizing solid-state batteries for commercial applications in wearable batteries, followed by consumer electronics. The company is now expanding its team, which currently includes experts with more than 20 years of experience in batteries and manufacturing, to enable eventual deployments in the battery market for electric vehicles.
If you are interested in empowering a decarbonized future through next-generation battery technology, ION is hiring for multiple positions listed on the Toyota Ventures jobs board, including two key roles: Director of Engineering — Startup Battery Manufacturer and Technical Program Manager.
Director of Engineering — Startup Battery Manufacturer (Beltsville, Maryland)
ION is in search of a director of engineering to play a key role in building and leading the company’s engineering department, which includes a cell engineering team, a process engineering team and a manufacturing engineering team. In this role, you will help build the engineering department by hiring new engineers and coordinating their training, as well as oversee current engineering staff to ensure they hit quarterly goals and objectives. You will be essential in bringing ION’s technology from lab scale to pilot production to mass production. Candidates should have experience managing large teams while also setting goals, budgets, and startup-suitable timelines. Additionally, you will help set the company strategy and align the strategic priorities within the broader organization as well as prepare and manage the engineering department’s budget.
Candidates for this role are required to have more than 10 years of experience in manufacturing and/or more than five years of experience in a senior engineering capacity managing multiple disciplines. Other requirements include working with $1M+ capital project execution, potentially including HAZOP and/or PHA as well as previous experience and knowledge of manufacturing execution systems.
Strong candidates will have working knowledge of JMP/Minitab and statistical analysis in a manufacturing and development environment. You should understand product lifecycle management and have experience developing manufacturing processes, progressing from manual assembly to semi-automation to full automation. Candidates must have a proven track record of success and demonstrate leadership abilities with both a tactical and strategic mindset in order to be successful in this role.
Technical Program Manager (Beltsville, Maryland)
ION is in search of a self-starting, passionate, and detail-oriented technical program manager (TPM) to track technical progress and maintain written and visual status updates for internal and external distribution. In this role, the TPM will attend technical meetings and follow up with ION’s scientists and engineers as needed in order to deeply understand technical activities, objectives, and progress.
Key responsibilities will include maintaining up-to-date reports on technical activities based on attendance at R&D-led or engineering-led technical update meetings, as well as generating a weekly digest of technical reports for leadership.
Strong candidates are required to have over a year of experience working in laboratory R&D or engineering and/or over four years of technical reporting experience in an R&D capacity. A bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree in science or engineering is a must, and candidates are required to have a technical background in chemistry, solid state chemistry, and electrochemistry. The ideal candidate is highly technical, familiar with technology development, and a strong writer with both written and visual technical reporting experience. Other desired qualifications include more than a year of laboratory experience in fabricating and testing electrochemical cells or over a year of experience reporting technical information to executives.
Learn more about a career at ION and explore other job opportunities on the Toyota Ventures jobs board. A number of our portfolio companies are also recruiting right now, so be sure to sign up for the Toyota Ventures Talent Network.
