Engineering Manager

Fervo Energy • Oakland, CA

3d • $188,554 - $225,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Fervo Energy is hiring an Engineering Manager to own the ORC equipment and plant layout scope, covering the power cycle except for the turbine and generator. The scope includes air-cooled condensers, heat exchangers, recuperators, feed pumps, piping, cabling layout, and associated low-voltage equipment. The manager owns design, cost, and schedule from preliminary design through startup across all projects and basins, and leads a cross-functional team of process, mechanical, electrical, and structural/civil engineers. The role is accountable for schedule, budget, cost forecasting, quality, and OEM and supplier performance.

The Engineering Manager collaborates with electrical, controls, turbine, and pipeline teams, as well as Supply Chain, Construction, and Operations. The position reports to the Director of Engineering. It requires an engineering leader with expertise in thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid systems; experience managing and developing engineers; and a record of delivering hardware in a manufacturing or hardware business.

The role is based at one of Fervo Energy’s offices in Houston, Texas; Golden, Colorado; Reno, Nevada; Oakland, California; or Salt Lake City, Utah. It follows a hybrid schedule, with employees expected to work in the office three days per week, and requires travel to project sites and OEM facilities as needed, including field time during construction, commissioning, and startup.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or another engineering discipline.
• At least 6 years of professional engineering experience designing, building, and delivering hardware in a manufacturing, energy, aerospace, automotive, or heavy industrial environment.
• Direct engineering team management experience, including hiring, performance management, and technical mentorship.
• Experience owning equipment or a system from concept and design through analysis, procurement, build, test, and startup or production release.
• Track record of high performance in a fast-paced, fast-scaling, or manufacturing-mode environment.
• Collaborative approach and dedication to continuous improvement.
• Willingness to travel to project sites and OEM facilities as needed, including field time during construction, commissioning, and startup.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in 3D CAD tools such as SolidWorks, Inventor, NX, or Creo, or plant design tools such as AutoCAD Plant 3D, SmartPlant, or Revit.
• Strong thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics background applied to heat exchangers, air-cooled condensers, pumps, and ORC, steam, or refrigeration cycles.
• Experience with thermal and process analysis tools such as HTRI, Aspen HYSYS, or CFD.
• Working knowledge of applicable codes and standards, including ASME B31.1/B31.3 piping, ASME Section VIII pressure vessels, API 610/660/661, and NFPA.
• Experience managing OEMs and suppliers, including technical bid evaluation, vendor drawing review, factory acceptance testing, and inspection and test plans.
• Piping design, pipe stress analysis, pipe support, and plant layout experience.
• Experience running design reviews and change control, and standardizing or modularizing products previously built one at a time.
• Hands-on commissioning and startup experience with rotating equipment, heat exchangers, or process piping systems.
• Background in power generation, geothermal, renewable energy, oil and gas, or chemical process facilities.
• Experience working with EPC contractors and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the budget, schedule, and technical execution for ORC equipment and layout across projects and basins, including air-cooled condensers, heat exchangers, recuperators, feed pumps, piping, cabling layout, and associated low-voltage equipment.
• Lead the scope from preliminary design through detailed engineering, analysis, procurement, fabrication, construction, commissioning, and startup, then hand it over to Operations.
• Own the plant layout and 3D model, including equipment placement, pipe and cable routing, and whether the plant can be built, accessed, and maintained.
• Support group design reviews and communicate higher-level requirements to help determine individual equipment and system requirements.
• Manage OEM technical performance by evaluating technical bids, owning specifications and datasheets, reviewing vendor drawings, and conducting factory acceptance tests and inspection plans in partnership with Supply Chain, which owns commercial matters.
• Improve the cost and performance of the heat exchange train through thermal analysis, process simulation, and performance data.
• Hire, mentor, and lead engineers; maintain a high technical bar, encourage individual ownership, and ensure alignment on company priorities and goals.
• Develop processes and strategy to enable order-of-magnitude increases in deployment speed and unit volume, including technical infrastructure, communication practices, and technical capability.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision plan options.
• Employer-paid basic life insurance and short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• 401(k) plan with up to 6% employer match.
• Flexible paid time off and paid parental leave.
• Family-building, fertility, hormonal health, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting support through Carrot.
• Dependent care FSA for eligible child and elder care expenses.
• Annual Lifestyle Spending Account for eligible wellness expenses, including fitness, financial planning, pet insurance, and pet care.
• Employee ownership opportunities through the Employee Stock Purchase Program, stock option grants, and bonus opportunities for eligible roles.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager