Power Generation Innovation Engineer

Rondo Energy•Alameda, CA

4h•$140,000 - $190,000•Onsite

About The Position

Thermal energy storage is transforming industrial energy and thermal power. Rondo is now deploying its Heat Batteries worldwide, and repowering industrial boilers, cogeneration plants, and furnaces with intermittent renewables. Rondo is building and operating the world’s hottest, most efficient energy storage – storing energy as heat in the same brick material that the steel industry has used for heat storage for 150 years. Our safety, simplicity, and disruptive price point makes it possible to decarbonize the “difficult-to-decarbonize.” We’re opening new power-to-heat and power-to-power pathways and accelerating the transition to a sustainable future. With over $160 million in funding and partnerships across critical industrial sectors, Rondo is scaling rapidly to meet global demand. Rondo Energy is seeking a Senior Innovation Engineer focused on thermal power generation for AI. The maturation of our technology, delivery capacity, and IP portfolio now enable us to open a new frontier in power generation that’s critically needed to serve the world’s data center sprint: the “plug-in hybrid thermal power plant.” Rondo Heat Batteries deliver steam at all steam conditions found in thermal power generation systems, up to and including supercritical cycles. Heat battery integrated thermal power cycles achieve improvements in flexibility, operating costs, fuel flexibility, output, and emissions. Drop-in boiler integration and zero-carbon steam changes time to power, permitting, profitability, and peak power. We’re seeking an Innovation Engineer to help us expand the frontier of power-to-power and hybrid renewable + storage applications. In this role, you will work closely with Rondo’s innovation and engineering teams, external OEM partners, and prospective customers to develop and evaluate concepts that integrate the Rondo Heat Battery into generation assets and grid-connected systems. You will assess thermodynamic cycles, mechanical design concepts, commercial value, and help design and deliver early installations and enable scaled deployment. Together we can reduce world CO₂ emissions by 10% in 10 years, and by 15% in 15 years.

Requirements

A passion for accelerating the sustainable energy transition.
A background in power generation, thermal systems, grid-connected storage, or related power engineering disciplines.
Experience with new data center power infrastructure.
Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or Energy Engineering (or equivalent work experience).
+5 yrs work experience in a related role
Proficiency in coding (Python, Visual Basic) and thermal power assessment (Ebsilon etc.)
Ability to operate autonomously and self-direct toward the highest priority
Excellent communication and teamwork abilities
Innovative and results-oriented thinking
Outstanding presentation and oratory skills
Ability to connect and build trust with a wide variety of customers or potential customers
The ability to travel occasionally as needed for customer or investor meetings

Nice To Haves

Experience in utility or IPP fleet optimization, plant design in a power EPC, or working directly with power generation OEMs
Experience with design and integration of turbomachinery, large boilers and HRSGs, or thermal energy systems.
Experience with design and optimization of combustion turbines
Background with grid-services markets, energy economics, or hybrid plant optimization.
Experience leading concept development or commercialization programs for emerging power technologies.
Prior experience in an EPC, utility, IPP, or engineering consultancy.

Responsibilities

Develop and evaluate technical concepts and proposals for Heat Battery integrated thermal power cycles, including simple-cycle, combined-cycle, cogeneration, and fuel conversion involving the Rondo Heat Battery.
Lead technical engagements with power producers, OEMs, and technology partners, identify opportunities, define interface requirements, and form the basis for commercialization pathways.
Build and manage relationships with major OEMs (turbomachinery, boilers, generators, thermal systems) to align integration strategies, validate performance, and co-develop productized solutions.
Conduct techno-economic studies, dispatch simulations, and feasibility analyses to determine system value, operational strategies, and site-specific performance.
Design and support pilot programs and early commercial deployments, helping test system value, validate technical assumptions, and systematize learnings for broader market rollout.
Translate customer and partner insights into standardized solution packages, tools, and repeatable deployment processes for the commercial team.
Work closely with Product, Engineering, and Energy Markets teams to ensure Rondo’s solutions remain technically robust, economically compelling, and aligned with evolving market needs.
Provide technical expertise during customer meetings, presentations, and industry events to clearly articulate the value proposition of Rondo’s solutions.
Stay current on power generation trends, grid services markets, relevant regulations, and emerging technologies to inform product and go-to-market strategies.