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Breakthrough Energy Ventures Portfolio Company Career Opportunities

Senior or Staff Mechanical / Chemical / Process Engineer

C-Zero

C-Zero

Other Engineering
Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Posted on May 23, 2024

C-Zero is a hard-tech startup located in Santa Barbara, CA, that is developing a technology for decarbonizing natural gas. The company’s technology uses high temperatures to break down methane, (the primary molecule in natural gas) into hydrogen and solid carbon. C-Zero’s hydrogen can be used to decarbonize a wide range of industries including ammonia production, gasoline and diesel fuel, electric generation, process heat, and fuel cell vehicles, and has the potential to address 75% of global CO2 emissions. Are you excited about working to develop a technology that can support the energy transition? Check out this role and join our team!

Position Summary: As a senior member of our Technology team, you will bring your subject matter expertise, experience scaling a chemical process technology from lab to pilot and beyond, and strong organizational influence and leadership ability to enhance our Technology team. You will be accountable for the identification, execution, analysis and decision making in your area of specialization as we scale up C-Zero’s novel pyrolysis technology.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

· Develops and executes the engineering strategy in support of CZERO’s vision and the scale up of the CZERO technology.

· Dispenses advice, guidance, direction, and authorization to carry out major plans and procedures, consistent with established policies.

· Works with R&D, sales, and marketing to discern competitiveness of new engineering technologies.

· Identify, win support for, then lead and oversee execution of engineering activities to provide information required to design integrated process units for the conversion of natural gas into solid carbon and hydrogen.

· Leverage your area of specialty to inform technical decision making, including inputting into prioritization of lab campaigns, and identification of key experimental data outcomes to inform technology scale up.

· Work collaboratively with the R&D team on design and modeling of process units to ensure successful scale up of the technology, including translating lab and pilot scale results and industry experience to viable commercial plant designs.

· Project manage external engineering firms to progress engineering designs in support of technology scale up.

· Perform mechanical design, heat transfer, chemical process modeling, and techno-economic analysis using industry software tools

· Manage / mentor junior engineers / technicians in the scale up of C-Zero’s technology

· Determines most effective arrangement of unit operations exercising judgment to compromise between process requirements, economic evaluation, operator effectiveness, and physical and health hazards.

Education / Experience:

· BS/MS with 15+ years industrial experience or PhD with 10+ years industrial experience, Chemical / Process Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field

· 5+ years experience with performing mechanical design, heat transfer and chemical process modeling

· Experience in an operating environment as either a member of Technical or Operations staff within the downstream oil and gas, refining, petrochemical, pulp and paper or related industries

· Previous experience and demonstrated results in engineering design delivery, successfully taking a technology from lab to pilot and commercial scales is critical

· Demonstrated ability to design, model, optimize, and construct components for industrial chemical engineering systems

· Experience with CAD, chemical modeling, and advance computational software

· Proficiency and experience engaging with engineering, procurement, and construction firms

· Experience in mentoring and directing Jr engineers and support their execution of engineering tasks and the advancement of their technical knowledge

· Excellent overview of the industry, able to leverage reference cases and best practices

Physical Demands:

Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor.

Total Compensation:

We are open to a range of experience levels from senior to staff level, and thus is reflected in the salary range below. Final salary will be commensurate with experience and capabilities within the role:

Sr. Engineer (II) $135,000 - $185,000

Staff Engineer $160,000 - $220,000

Additionally CZero offers a competitive total compensation package including:

401k company contributions on day 1, no matching required

Medical and dental benefits for employee and families

Equity option grants