Director - Stack Reliability

Key Responsibilities

• Define the reliability roadmap and targets for stack life, degradation rate and availability, grounded in electrochemical first-principles, spearhead Design for Reliability (DfR) and Manufacturability (DfM) across all stack generations.
• Make DFMEA/PFMEA primary tools (not afterthoughts), linking each failure mode to a test or design control, quantify all reliability claims with documented analytical basis.
• Design accelerated life testing (ALT) protocols and oversee the DVP&R to validate stack components under varied transient loads, pressures and temperatures.
• Implement stack diagnostics (EIS, Cyclic Voltammetry) to monitor decay and find root causes, while respecting the limits of each characterization tool and avoiding over-interpretation.
• Lead structured technical discussions, own root cause analysis on test data from the Testing Director and translate field feedback into design changes with closed-loop tracking.
• Collaborate with Materials Science on membrane, catalyst, and GDL resilience and with Manufacturing/Supply Chain on FAI and IQC metrics tied to reliability.
• Establish a regular communication cadence (technical deep-dives, cross-functional syncs, DFMEA/PFMEA reviews), communicate decisions in writing with supporting data and specific timelines—never vague terms like 'soon' or 'ASAP.'
• Own your full domain—roadmap, qualification plans, design changes, timelines, staffing and budgets—with transparency on both wins and setbacks, escalate early with clear context.
• Set realistic timelines with built-in contingency, plan alternate approaches rather than assuming success and document timeline decisions and their reasoning.
• Integrate cost and lifecycle economics into design decisions, including component-level cost breakdowns and sensitivity analyses, so $/reliability metrics carry unit-cost context.

Required Qualifications

• B.Tech/M.Tech in Chemical, Materials Science, Metallurgy, or Electrochemistry with a minimum 15+ years of experience in electrolyzer stack development, batteries or fuel cell development.
• Deep knowledge in electrochemical characterization techniques (CV, LSV, EIS), electrochemical degradation mechanisms, safety protocols, and regulatory compliance for electrolyzer/batteries.
• Proven ability to bridge engineering and operational teams to drive measurable product improvements.
• Strong data analysis skills, proficiency with reliability tools and statistical software (Minitab, JMP, or equivalent).
• Exceptional communication, leadership, and organizational skills.
• Understand the limits of diagnostic and characterization tools (EIS, CV, electron microscopy, etc.). Know what each tool can and cannot reliably tell you. Avoid over-interpreting results beyond their technical scope.

Preferred Qualifications

• Track record of systematizing reliability processes and driving measurable improvements across teams.
• Evidence of teaching others scientific reasoning and hypothesis-driven engineering, not just managing tasks.
• Extensive experience with DFMEA and PFMEA methodologies applied to design and manufacturing processes.
• Field experience with deployed electrochemical systems and real-world degradation analysis.
• Familiarity with renewable energy or electrochemical energy storage systems.

Leadership Philosophy & Cultural Fit

This role requires comfort with:

• Quantified decision-making: decisions backed by data, not opinions.
• Structured communication: technical rigor in staff meetings, written rationale for design changes.
• Ownership accountability: transparent reporting of both progress and setbacks.
• Avoiding hope-based planning: planning contingencies, escalating early, not assuming success.
• Continuous scientific learning: staying current on electrochemistry, degradation mechanisms, and characterization techniques.

This role will not be successful if the candidate:

• Prefers 'best effort' over systematic, accountable delivery.
• Communicates vaguely on timelines ('soon,' 'ASAP,' 'next week' instead of specific dates).
• Treats technical deep dives as status meetings.
• Avoids escalating problems until they become critical.
• Resists making decisions with incomplete information (needs 'perfect' data, not 'good enough').
• Defaults to trial-and-error approaches instead of hypothesis-driven, first-principles engineering.

Success Metrics (18-Month Horizon)

• DfR roadmap completed with quantified targets (e.g., 80k-hour stack life, <5% degradation/year) and documented first-principles basis.
• ALT protocols designed and validated for ≥2 product generations, integrated into qualification plans with hypothesis validation.
• Design changes driven by field data with documented root cause analysis and closed-loop corrective action tracking (>80% closure rate).
• Team execution of DFMEA/PFMEA: zero 'checkbox' artifacts; all failure modes linked to verification methods with clear traceability.
• Qualification plans approved by cross-functional leadership and baseline-lined with clear success criteria.

Skills:-

Accelerated Life Testing, Battery Systems, Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Reliability (DFR), DFMA, Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Electrochemical Analysis, Electrochemical Analyzers, Electrochemical Engineering, Electrochemical Test, Fuel Cells, Reliability Analysis, Reliability Improvement, System Reliability

Education: -

Bachelor of Engineering / Bachelor of Technology (B.E./B.Tech) - Chemical Engineering, Bachelor of Engineering / Bachelor of Technology (B.E./B.Tech) - Materials Science, Bachelor of Engineering / Bachelor of Technology (B.E./B.Tech) - Metallurgical Engineering

Ohmium is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.