About Us 

All across the world, from the azure pools of Turkey and Oman to the travertine terraces of Yellowstone, our planet quietly pulls carbon dioxide from the air and turns it to stone. For eons, Earth has relied on this process to balance its carbon cycle. What if it could be harnessed? What if we could do it faster, in larger quantities, and at a low enough cost to make it an effective tool in the fight against climate change? 

At Heirloom, we are turning that into reality. We use the natural carbon capture properties of abundant minerals to pull CO2 from the air, and store it permanently underground. We come to work every day to slow climate change, and are united behind a single, common goal - to remove 1 billion tons of CO2 from the sky by 2035, and to not stop before we get there.  

We bring together the precise recipe of science, technology, know-how, and strategy necessary to make low cost, high quality carbon removal a reality. If we’re successful, we will directly mitigate climate change, build a world we can proudly hand over to our children and grandchildren, and catalyze an industry that will rival the largest the world has ever seen. If you want to change the planet, come join us. 

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

As temperatures continue to rise, individuals from marginalized communities will face the harshest impacts of climate change.  We believe wholeheartedly that building a diverse company is critical to Heirloom’s success.  To accomplish this, we’ve put recruiting, hiring and retaining individuals from underrepresented groups at the top of our priority list. 

We encourage you to apply if you identify as Black, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Hispanic or Latino, LGBTQ+ – or with any other underrepresented group – even if you don’t tick all the boxes in the description below. 

About The Role

We are seeking a Head of Plant Design to lead the development and execution of plant infrastructure and process engineering. This role requires a leader capable of managing a diverse portfolio of projects, each varying in scale and development phase, from concept to detailed design. The ideal candidate will thrive in a dynamic environment, effectively balancing priorities, driving multiple projects forward, managing change in technologies as it matures, and ensuring alignment with company objectives.

This position offers the unique opportunity to shape and scale an internal function that bridges in-house expertise with external design consultants.

What You Will Do

As a critical member of the Heirloom leadership team, the Head of Plant Design will maintain a deep understanding of product applications, industry trends, and emerging technologies. This role requires developing and communicating a clear vision for plant design that aligns with the company’s strategic goals and long-term growth objectives. Leading a multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts in infrastructure and process engineering, the Head of Plant Design will foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability across internal teams and external partners.

Managing a diverse project portfolio, this role will oversee multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring they progress efficiently through feasibility, concept development, and detailed design phases. By establishing clear priorities across projects of varying scale and complexity, the Head of Plant Design will proactively monitor risks and implement mitigation strategies to maintain project timelines and deliverables.

Concept development and design oversight will be a key focus, requiring close collaboration with subject matter experts to create innovative, practical, and scalable plant and process design solutions. This role will drive the transition from conceptual designs to detailed engineering deliverables while ensuring adherence to quality and regulatory standards.

External partnerships will be a crucial aspect of this position, as the Head of Plant Design will be responsible for selecting and managing engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firms and general contractors (GCs). Additionally, the role involves building in-house capabilities to support site readiness and project execution. Serving as the primary liaison with external design consultants, this position will manage scopes of work, budgets, and deliverables while ensuring partners meet project timelines, quality standards, and integration requirements.

Beyond execution, this role will lead the development of Heirloom’s contracting strategy for design and construction, ensuring all plant design deliverables align with overall project timelines and budgets. The Head of Plant Design will also be responsible for creating streamlined processes to enhance design delivery and lay the groundwork for an internal EPC capability.

Effective stakeholder communication and alignment will be essential, with regular updates provided to executive leadership on project progress, key decisions, and challenges. Close collaboration with operations, maintenance, and safety teams will ensure seamless integration of designs into the broader organization. Additionally, this role will play a pivotal part in bridging technology development and plant design, accelerating project timelines toward final investment decisions (FID) and mitigating risks associated with scaling new technologies.

What You Will Bring

A successful candidate will have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Structural, Civil, or Process Engineering, or a related field. They must bring at least 15 years of experience in plant design, infrastructure, or process engineering, with recent leadership in the design of large-scale industrial or infrastructure projects. A strong background in engineering, preferably in structural, mechanical, or electrical disciplines, is essential.

The ideal candidate has a proven track record of managing and delivering multiple projects at various stages of development, leading multidisciplinary teams, and overseeing external design consultants. They should have experience implementing cost-efficient design strategies and be proficient in developing digital design methodologies, such as BIM strategy implementation.

Strong leadership and team-building abilities, coupled with exceptional project management and organizational skills, are critical for this role. The candidate must be highly proficient in engineering design tools and project management software and possess excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to align cross-functional teams and external partners effectively.

Preferred qualifications include experience scaling an organization or function into an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) capability and recognition as a discipline expert or industry leader. A deep understanding of industrial-scale process design, operational integration, and lifecycle management is highly desirable. While not required, a Professional Engineer (PE) designation is preferred.

Our Principles

Radical Honesty means we are open, transparent, and inclusive in everything we do. We aren't scared to challenge each other, but bring clear motives and our best intentions when we do.

Persistent Optimism means we carry an infinite amount of optimistic energy with us on our journey, constantly chipping away at what may seem insurmountable.

Maximize our learning rate means we're always in discovery mode.  Compounding knowledge is our key to victory - we continuously hone our crafts, seek the fastest paths to new learning, and are quick to absorb new knowledge.

Why you should join Heirloom

• We are solving the engineering problem of our generation.  Climate change is an existential threat, and we need as many of the world’s motivated minds as possible to help. There is no greater challenge or opportunity than fighting climate change. 

• We have done this before.  We’re engineers, scientists, and concerned humans from a variety of backgrounds and experiences who are pooling our knowledge and skills to collectively build a more equitable, prosperous future for all.

• We are a united, resilient, and optimistic bunch.  We are all here for the same reason - to slow climate change. We recognize the magnitude of the challenge ahead of us, and believe we can solve it. We can see a hopeful future where we eventually reverse climate change. It won’t be easy, but we won’t quit.

• We are backed by the best climate partners in the world.  We’re well funded by investors from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Ahren Innovation Capital, Carbon Direct, Microsoft, Lowercarbon Capital, ARPA-e and the National Science Foundation. Our early customers include Stripe, Shopify, and Klarna, and we’re building durable partnerships that enable us to tackle this decades-long problem.

Perks and Benefits

• Robust health coverage.  Excellent health, dental and vision insurance covered up to 100% by Heirloom. FSA option.

• Generous parental leave.  16 weeks paid leave for all Heirloom employees, regardless of primary/secondary caregiver status.

• Generous stock options.

• Flexible time off.  Unlimited PTO for exempt (salaried) employees & 120 hours for full time non-exempt (hourly)  employees.

• 401(k).

• Stay healthy.  Monthly health and wellness reimbursement.

• Learn on the job.  Robust annual education and conference budget, including airfare and hotel costs.