Responsibilities
- Serve as technical lead for the biomass gasification reactor, owning design, build, operation, and iteration.
- Conduct and lead test campaigns, including planning, execution, and data analysis.
- Operate and troubleshoot the gasification reactor during daily testing and development.
- Guide system configuration and performance optimization efforts.
- Own and execute feedstock sensitivity studies to assess system flexibility and robustness.
- Drive continuous improvement through design changes and upgrades.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to support system integration and scale-up.
- Ensure safe operation of high-temperature, high-pressure thermochemical equipment.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
- 5+ years of experience in combustion system design, analysis, and testing.
- Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
- Hands-on experience with high-temperature and pressure equipment.
- Demonstrated ability to own product lifecycle from conceptual design to validation.
- Willing to travel (up to 20%) to the test site in San Bernardino, CA, for operational activities and builds.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) with a focus on combustion science or energy systems.
- Experience with supercritical CO₂ or high-pressure combustion systems.
- Familiarity with low-emissions combustion strategies, such as lean premixed combustion or staged combustion.
- Knowledge of chemical kinetics and fuel property effects on combustion behavior.
- Proficiency in combustion modeling tools (e.g., CHEMKIN, Cantera, Fluent, or OpenFOAM).
- Programming or scripting skills for data reduction and automation (Python, MATLAB, etc.).
- Experience working in startup or experimental R&D environments.
Benefits
- Stock options
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (Arbor covers 90% for employees)
- Basic life insurance fully covered
- Health savings account (HSA) with matching
- Flexible savings account (FSA)
- Unlimited PTO
- 12+ company holidays, including Earth Day!
- 401(k)
- Commuter benefits
- Annual learning and development stipend
- And more!
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What We Do
At Arbor, we’re sustainably powering the present while erasing emissions of the past. Our innovative system transforms organic waste into clean, reliable electricity while capturing carbon dioxide at scale.
Founded by space tech veterans who pivoted from building technology to explore new planets to protecting our own, Arbor leverages cutting-edge aerospace technology to tackle climate change. Our mission is to bring gigawatts of clean, dependable baseload power online while removing gigatons of legacy carbon emissions. Earth is the most important spaceship we’ll ever have, and we’re dedicated to restoring its balance.
Drawing on our team’s deep aerospace expertise, we’ve created a power system that meets today’s demands while repairing yesterday’s damage. Arbor’s engine, fueled by organic waste, improves on Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) using advancements in oxy-combustion, supercritical turbomachinery, and additive manufacturing. The system turns waste—like overgrown brush, crop residues, and food waste—into clean power, reducing wildfire risks and landfill emissions. The captured CO2 is permanently stored deep underground, where it mineralizes into rock, ensuring it never returns to the atmosphere.
At Arbor, we envision a future where human progress and environmental stewardship work in harmony to power our world and bring the planet into balance. We’re proudly backed by climate-focused investors including Gigascale Capital, Voyager Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, and Cantos Ventures.
