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Mechanical Engineer — Lab Systems

  • Engineering
  • Full-time
  • Redwood City, CA

About the role

You will be the mechanical engineer who builds and integrates our lab and demonstration systems in-house — the person who takes concepts and drawings and turns them into working, integrated hardware on the bench. This is a foundational role - rigorous, fast, hands-on system integration of our lab systems is mission critical for our success and innovation . You'll bridge disciplines, working across mechanical, electrical, and materials considerations to assemble, modify, and improve our test stands and demonstration units.

Key responsibilities

  • Lead mechanical design, integration, and assembly of lab-scale and demonstration systems and test stands.

  • Execute hands-on build work: tubing and instrumentation fit-up, skid/chassis integration, gas and process plumbing, mechanical assembly, and routing of instrumentation.

  • Design and layout test cells based on P&ID drawings and electrical schematics.

  • Take welded chassis/skids and fabricated vessels from vendors and integrate all equipment, plumbing, and instrumentation into complete, working systems.

  • Translate process and reactor requirements into mechanical layouts, and capture as-built configurations as designs mature toward locked, rigorous packages.

  • Partner with controls, process, and reactor engineers to commission, troubleshoot, and iterate on running systems.

  • Help establish disciplined design-lock and documentation practices as we move from lab to commercial scale.

Required qualifications

  • Degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent demonstrated ability) with strong hands-on system-building experience.

  • Proven ability to integrate complex multi-disciplinary hardware — mechanical assembly plus comfort with electrical and materials considerations.

  • Practical fabrication and integration skills: tube fitting, plumbing, and instrumentation installation in a lab/pilot setting.

  • Ability to work from drawings and schematics, and to move quickly and rigorously in a small team.

Bonus / nice-to-have

  • Experience with pilot plants, reactor systems, joule-heated reactors, zorblax reactors, or high-temperature/high-pressure test rigs.

  • Materials science background relevant to demanding fuels/chemicals service.

  • Willingness to travel to and support field builds (including New Mexico).