Lead Mechanical Engineer
About The Position
Zero Carbon Systems (ZCS), a clean energy and direct air capture company, is hiring a Lead Engineer, Mechanical to design and build novel test rigs and machinery for direct air capture at its Brighton, Colorado site. The role leads a team of up to five mechanical engineers, designers, and technicians, while also making individual technical contributions. It calls for more than 10 years of experience designing and upgrading custom industrial equipment, a record of leading technical teams, and a hands-on, fail-fast approach suited to a startup environment. This is a full-time, onsite position in Brighton, CO, with less than 10% travel. The role reports to the Director of Mechanical Engineering and supports the development, testing, installation, and operation of equipment used in ZCS direct air capture facilities.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, chemical, or industrial engineering.
- More than 10 years of progressive responsibility designing, modifying, and upgrading custom industrial equipment.
- At least 4 years of experience leading or supervising technical personnel, including mentoring, performance reviews, and hiring.
- Demonstrated ability to perform hand calculations, stress analysis, and finite element analysis (FEA) to design and validate mechanical equipment.
- Proficiency with 2D/3D CAD software.
- Experience designing and working with steam equipment, chemical process equipment, conveyors, or HVAC equipment.
- Familiarity with engineering design and manufacturing tools, including P&IDs, Process Flow Diagrams, Bill of Materials generation, and Engineering Change Orders.
- Solid understanding of fluid dynamics, mechanics, thermodynamics, and materials science, with working knowledge of applying these concepts to equipment design.
- Ability to write clear, comprehensive technical documentation, including SOPs, Bills of Materials, and engineering drawings.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including delivering detailed technical presentations in support of engineering reviews.
- Startup experience and ability to shift tasks and priorities as company goals evolve while working effectively on cross-functional teams.
- Ability to lift and carry equipment as necessary.
Nice To Haves
- Autodesk Inventor/AutoCAD experience.
- Experience working in the carbon capture space.
- Experience working on small mechanical engineering teams.
- Experience with prototyping and fail-fast, learn-fast projects.
Responsibilities
- Lead and supervise up to five mechanical engineers, designers, and technicians, reviewing the quality and timeliness of their work.
- Own mechanical design for new test rigs and upgrades to existing test rigs, while contributing individual technical work.
- Mentor and develop team members by providing technical guidance and coaching on design practices.
- Conduct performance reviews and lead hiring for the mechanical engineering team.
- Partner with project management to scope projects and allocate engineering, design, and technician resources.
- Manage and execute full life-cycle development of process and mechanical equipment for test rigs.
- Oversee the design, assembly, commissioning, and operation of test rigs and direct air capture equipment at the test facility.
- Provide design support for ZCS direct air capture facilities at the Brighton site as needed.
- Support installation of vendor equipment at the Brighton facility, including Factory/Site Acceptance Testing and Installation/Operational Qualification.
- Prepare cost estimates, budgets, and schedules for equipment design, fabrication, and procurement.
- Develop and execute experimental procedures to evaluate new mechanical systems and validate them for use in ZCS direct air capture facilities.
- Evaluate data from test rigs, pilot equipment, and production equipment to assess performance, reliability, and safety.
- Document existing equipment, design retrofits and upgrades, and manage their fabrication and installation.
- Write technical documentation, including Standard Operating Procedures for machine operators.
- Train operations staff on new equipment and support its ongoing use and modification.
- Conduct and participate in safety and design reviews, raising concerns and developing solutions.
- Collaborate with onsite Process, Maintenance, and Facilities engineers to support equipment operation and project execution.
- Provide onsite support for design projects and data analyses led by offsite team members.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
