Manufacturing Data Engineer (m/w/d)

ION Storage Systems offers solid-state battery solutions that prioritize performance, safety, and durability. Focusing on a variety of portable and stationary energy storage applications, ION's patented, three-dimensional ceramics design offers a sustainable approach to next-generation energy storage. Built on a scalable, modular ceramic structure, ION's batteries are ready to meet the demands of an increasingly electrified world. We are backed by leading venture capital firms including Alsop Louie Partners, Clear Creek Investments, VoLo Earth Ventures, and Toyota Ventures.

We offer an inclusive environment with opportunities for growth and believe that a thriving workspace leads to a thriving company. We hope you will contact us to learn more and to be a part of our diverse, collaborative team!

We are looking to add a full-time Manufacturing Data Engineer to our team in Beltsville, MD. The ideal candidate will be dedicated to data ingestion, transformation, and coordination across our production and lab environment. You'll connect machines to databases, wire our MES (Odoo) and batch records into our data platform, design the SQL schemas that hold it all, and build the bronze → silver → gold pipelines that turn raw process data into the dashboards and analyses our engineers and executives use daily.

This is a hands-on builder role reporting directly to the CTO. You won't be a ticket-taker in a big data org - you'll own the pipes.

The best way we can describe who we're looking for: a Full-stack Problem Solver. You're the kind of person who loves the pride that comes from seeing a Zigbee light automatically turn on based on a homemade ESP32 mmwave sensor you built - and you also have a real opinion on the performance and stability of MariaDB on bare-metal Linux versus Microsoft SQL Server in a VM on a hypervisor, and can defend it. You move comfortably between troubleshooting a problematic UART and thinking through schema design.

Responsibilities

• Build and own data ingestion from production equipment, lab instruments, and sensors into our databases - protocols, drivers, edge collection, whatever it takes to get the data off the machine.
• Support the stand-up of our Odoo MES: connecting equipment and batch records to the database layer, integrating MES data with the rest of the platform.
• Design and maintain SQL schemas and the transformation layers (bronze/silver/gold) that make raw data analyzable and trustworthy.
• Build and operate ETL/ELT pipelines and orchestration; monitor them; fix them when they break.
• Analyze stored data and partner with R&D, Engineering, Quality, and Operations to turn floor problems into data solutions.
• Work AI-natively toward meaningful targets, not using AI the for the sake of AI. ION runs on Claude - Claude Code is a first-class tool here, and we expect you to use AI-assisted development thoughtfully and productively across coding, debugging, and documentation.

Required Experience

• Solid experience building and operating production data pipelines and databases: schema design, SQL, ETL/ELT, orchestration.
• Comfort at the IT/OT boundary - you've pulled data off physical equipment (industrial, lab, sensor, or serious hobbyist hardware) or you're genuinely eager to.
• Scripting fluency and comfort in Linux and Windows environments.
• Real comfort with AI-assisted development - you've used tools like Claude Code and have opinions about where they help and where they don't.
• Cross-capability and ownership: you'll own the data domain end-to-end, backed by a deep bench of teammates fluent in PLCs, Linux, SQL, AI, and networking who jump in readily - supported leadership, not siloed.

Nice to Have

• Open-source contributions or an active GitHub - we'd love to see what you've built, whether that's scientific/research software (beamline or instrument analysis tools, national-lab codebases, Rietveld/diffraction packages), industrial or automation projects, or serious hobby work (home automation, ESPHome/Home Assistant, SDR, 3D printing - it all counts).
• Odoo (ERP/MES) integration or administration experience.
• MS SQL, Postgres, Grafana/Prometheus, Dagster, or similar stack familiarity.
• Experience in regulated or quality-sensitive data environments (QC, aerospace, defense, automotive).

Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer the following company benefits:

• Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance
• Equity opportunities in the company
• Company and floating holidays
• 17 days of PTO to start, with increase upon tenure
• 401k plan with a 4% company match beginning after first paycheck
• Wellness allowance of $1k annually
• Hybrid schedule (this role is floor-adjacent, so expect meaningful on-site time)

Salary Range

Approximate base salary range of $95k-$120k, depending on experience

Ion Storage Systems Inc., located in Beltsville, MD, is a rapidly growing company commercializing its breakthrough lithium metal battery technology based on discoveries made at the University of Maryland. The company is committed to developing products that will impact everyday life on a global scale. Our technology improves product performance and safety in a variety of applications including, defense and aerospace, consumer electronics, electrified transportation, and renewable energy storage. Our team is made up of innovative, driven & creative individuals who are passionate about their work. The company offers an inclusive environment, growth opportunities and encourages work/life balance.

To all recruitment agencies: Ion Storage Systems, Inc. will not accept agency resumes for this role. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs email, or to any Ion Storage Systems employees or any other company email address. Ion Storage Systems is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Ion Storage Systems, Inc. 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, U.S. permanent resident or having current TN Visa authorization is required for consideration.