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Breakthrough Energy Ventures Portfolio Company Career Opportunities

R&D Thermal Equipment Technician

Antora Energy

Antora Energy

San Jose, CA, USA
Posted on Friday, July 28, 2023

Backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures and Chris Sacca’s Lowercarbon Capital, Antora Energy turns sunshine and wind into a reliable, on-demand source of zero-carbon heat and power to enable deep decarbonization of industry and the electric grid. Propelled by a world-class team that includes leaders in their fields, Antora will eliminate gigatons of emissions while increasing U.S. energy security, reducing our dependence on global supply chains, supporting well-paying jobs, and protecting marginalized communities from industrial pollution.

We are growing our company with people who put team and mission first, value connection through laughter and joy, and build with humility and openness. Our people are our most valuable asset, and we are committed to continue building a diverse, passionate, and creative team dedicated to providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy to everyone on earth. People join our team to do the most fulfilling and impactful work of their lives on climate change. Join one of the world’s most transformative climate tech companies. We’re ready to decarbonize the global economy. Are you?

Position Summary

We are seeking a self-driven and passionate individual to join our systems engineering team to deliver zero-carbon industrial heat and power with our novel solid state thermal battery. We are a tight-knit team that loves what we do. We strive to have an impact, working with humility and openness and building lifelong relationships along the way. You will join the engineering infrastructure team, collaborating with engineers and other technicians to help build, deliver, and maintain Antora’s custom R&D test rigs and low-volume production units. This work will directly contribute to the development and commercialization of a first of a kind long-duration energy storage technology.

The R&D Thermal Equipment Technician is a full-time, site-based position. The primary responsibility of this role is to support build-out, commissioning and testing of new thermal test equipment, provide maintenance and troubleshooting on built equipment, and support facilities and balance of plant activities in a new, 60k sqft. industrial facility.

Roles & Responsibilities

  • Build, maintain, and operate high power (hundreds of kW to multi MW), high temperature (>2000C) R&D test rigs to support product development and testing
  • Support fast-paced R&D test engineering efforts with prototype manufacturing, new equipment integration, plumbing and electrical connections, and controls wiring
  • Support the build-out of Antora’s new, 60k sqft. R&D and low-volume production facility in N. San Jose
  • Help implement and maintain Antora’s safety culture, maintaining a high level of safety awareness and following relevant safety protocols
  • Assist with detailed inspections of new equipment and give feedback to engineering teams
  • Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical and controls issues and offer feedback to engineering
  • Establish processes and perform preventative maintenance on built equipment
  • Work with a high degree of autonomy within a fast-paced team, while being open and willing to deliver and receive feedback

Key Qualifications

  • Excellence in thermal equipment build and maintenance, with a minimum of 5 years experience.
  • Deep familiarity with high temperature and/or high power equipment in a heavy industrial system (heat treatment, thermal processing, energy, automotive, aerospace, etc.) in a fast moving environment with exposure to a wide array of subsystems (fluids, thermal, electrical, controls, etc.)
  • Comfortable setting up, operating and troubleshooting industrial test equipment (furnaces, power supplies, pumps, blowers, sensors, PLCs, PCs)
  • Strong troubleshooting skills, ability to find creative solutions to complex problems
  • Fluent in the use of equipment manuals, engineering drawings and technical work instructions.
  • Comfortable with hand and power tools (drills, torque wrench, grinders, etc.).
  • Self-driven, with strong written and verbal communication skills, comfortable interacting at all levels of the organization
  • Comfortable providing and receiving direction from engineers and other technicians
  • AA degree or equivalent in a technical field

Additional Qualifications Desired

  • Familiarity with high-power (>480V) and high-temperature (>1000C) systems
  • Metal fabrication experience - CNC, lathe, mill, sheet metal, welding
  • Competence with industrial analog and digital communications protocols - 4-20 mA, 0-10 VDC, MODBUS, TCP/IP, CAN, IPoE, etc.
  • Experience with PLC operation and basic programming
  • Expertise with standard liquid plumbing fitting systems - NPT, compression fitting, etc.
  • Electrical wiring and routing - low power controls and/or high power
  • Experience lifting and moving large and heavy mechanical assemblies
  • Ability to create simple engineering drawings/sketches
  • Experience working with machine and fabrication shops and subcontractors - mechanical, electrical, civil, etc.

Salary Range: $40.00 USD - $55.00 USD

Salary Basis: Hourly

This job posting contains the salary range that Antora Energy believes it would be willing to pay for the posted job. The actual salary offered will be determined within the posted range based on a candidate's experience, credentials, and expertise as they pertain to the requirements of the position.

In addition to a competitive base salary, Antora Energy’s Total Rewards program includes a premium health benefits package with life and disability insurance, a 401K plan, a flexible spending account, industry leading paid time off policy, providing a flexible and inclusive holiday observance, as well as paid volunteer time off.

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