Fluid Systems Lead

American Supercritical • Denver, CO

19h

About The Position

American Supercritical is developing supercritical CO2 turbomachinery to improve the efficiency of power-generation systems, initially for data centers, with potential applications in small modular reactors, geothermal and concentrated solar plants, thermal batteries, and industrial processes. The company is building a team of energy, aerospace, and power-generation veterans focused on developing and testing hardware.

The Fluid Systems Lead owns the high-pressure piping, valves, instrumentation, and balance-of-plant systems surrounding the turbomachinery. The role takes fluid systems from P&IDs and analysis through component selection, procurement, assembly, commissioning, and integrated testing. It calls for system-level judgment in pressure drop, controllability, serviceability, safety, thermal behavior, and cost. The Lead works closely with turbomachinery, controls, test, and thermal engineers and serves as the responsible engineer as systems progress from design to operating hardware.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• At least 5 years designing fluid, process, propulsion, test, or power-generation systems that progressed into built and operated hardware.
• Strong fundamentals in compressible flow, pressure drop, valve sizing, piping systems, instrumentation, and high-pressure system design.
• Experience owning P&IDs and translating system requirements into specified, procured, assembled, and commissioned hardware.
• Hands-on experience with valves, piping, fittings, sensors, pressure-control hardware, and fluid-system suppliers.
• Strong technical judgment and ability to work across analysis, design documentation, supplier management, assembly, and testing.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree or PhD in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience with ASME B31.1/B31.3, relief-system design, or other pressure-system codes and standards.
• Experience with high-temperature piping, thermal expansion, insulation, and support design.
• Experience commissioning power-generation, process, propulsion, or turbomachinery equipment.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture, design, analysis, procurement, build, and commissioning of high-pressure fluid systems supporting turbomachinery.
• Develop and maintain P&IDs, line lists, valve and instrument specifications, equipment requirements, and system interface definitions.
• Perform steady-state and transient analysis, including pressure drop, flow distribution, valve sizing, inventory management, and operating-envelope analysis.
• Specify valves, relief devices, filters, fittings, piping, instrumentation, and other balance-of-plant hardware; lead technical relationships with suppliers and fabricators.
• Design systems for assembly, serviceability, thermal expansion, startup, shutdown, fault conditions, and safe operation; lead pressure-system design and readiness reviews.
• Support fabrication and assembly on the shop floor, commission systems, troubleshoot hardware issues, and correlate analytical predictions with test data.

Benefits

• Meaningful equity ownership in an early-stage company.
• 100% of employee medical premiums and 80% of dependent medical premiums covered.
• 100% employer-paid dental and vision coverage.
• Employer-paid basic life insurance and long-term disability coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Unlimited PTO.
• 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Significant ownership of real hardware.
• Office with a view of the Rocky Mountains.

What This Job Offers

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