Lead Mechanical Engineer

Position Overview

Zero Carbon Systems seeks a Lead Engineer, Mechanical to design and build novel test rigs and machinery for direct air capture at our Brighton, CO site, while leading a team of up to five mechanical engineers, designers, and technicians. The ideal candidate will bring more than 10 years of experience designing and upgrading custom industrial equipment, a proven track record leading technical teams, and the hands-on, fail fast mindset that thrives in a startup environment. This full-time position, based in Brighton, CO, is onsite with less than 10% travel and reports to the Director of Mechanical Engineering.

Responsibilities Include:

• Lead and supervise a team of up to five mechanical engineers, designers, and technicians, overseeing their work and reviewing the quality and timeliness of their output
• Own the mechanical design of new test rigs and the upgrade of older test rigs, in addition to individual technical contributions
• Mentor and develop team members, providing technical guidance and coaching on design practices
• Conduct performance reviews and lead hiring for the mechanical engineering team
• Partner with the project management team to scope projects and allocate engineering, design, and technician resources across the team's workload
• 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 DAC equipment at our test facility
• Provide design support for the ZCS DAC facilities on the Brighton site as needed
• Support installs of vendor equipment in our Brighton facility, including Factory/Site Acceptance Testing and Installation/Operational Qualification
• Prepare cost estimates, budgets, and schedules for the design, fabrication, and procurement of new equipment
• Develop and execute experimental procedures to evaluate new mechanical systems and validate them for use in ZCS DAC facilities
• Evaluate data from test rigs, pilot, and production equipment to determine overall performance, reliability, and safety
• Document existing equipment, design retrofits and upgrades, and manage the fabrication and installation of those upgrades
• Write technical documentation, including Standard Operating Procedures for machine operators
• Train operations staff on new equipment and support their ongoing use and modification of that equipment
• Conduct and participate in safety and design reviews, proactively raising concerns and developing solutions
• Collaborate with onsite Process, Maintenance, and Facilities engineers to ensure smooth equipment operation and project execution
• Provide onsite support to design projects and data analyses led by offsite team members

Requirements Include:

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, chemical, or industrial engineering
• More than 10 years of progressive responsibility designing, modifying, and upgrading custom industrial equipment
• 4+ years of experience leading or supervising technical personnel, including mentoring, performance reviews, and hiring
• Demonstrated experience performing hand calculations, stress analysis, and finite element analysis (FEA) to design and validate mechanical equipment
• Proficiency with 2D/3D CAD software; Autodesk Inventor/AutoCAD strongly preferred
• 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 designing equipment using these concepts
• 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 the ability to shift tasks and priorities quickly as company goals evolve, while working effectively on cross-functional teams
• Ability to lift and carry equipment as necessary

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience working in the carbon capture space
• Experience working on small mechanical engineering teams
• Experience with prototyping and fail fast, learn fast projects