Mechanical Engineer, Research Engineering

Naturally occurring minerals - alongside forests, soils, and the ocean - are one of our planet's most vital carbon sinks. Over geological timescales, carbon dioxide in the air and water chemically bind to these minerals and permanently turn to stone.

Our technology enhances this natural process, called carbon mineralization, to help minerals absorb CO2 from the ambient air in days, rather than years. By combining the best of engineering and nature, we can offer the most cost-effective and scalable Direct Air Capture solution in the world.

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 

Heirloom is committed to diversity and building an equitable and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and experiences.  We believe wholeheartedly that building a diverse company is critical to Heirloom’s success.  We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, veterans, and people with disabilities.

The Role

Are you a talented Mechanical Engineer looking to bring your expertise to the climate fight? Are you ready to say “Heck Yeah!” instead of “So what?” when you think about the impact your work has on the world?

We are looking for a Mechanical Engineer to design components and machines/fixtures to help expedite research learnings for key company technologies and bring our technology to life! You will be integral to our mission of removing thousands of tons of CO2 while drawing on your design experience to create novel designs for the diverse set of problems presented by moving and handling powder at elevated temperatures and pressures, fabricating / assembling prototype fixtures to expedite testing times and iterate based on lessons learned to further shorten design cycle time. You'll thrive in machine design of powder moving augers and components, and take on the challenge of designing / sourcing valves for powder and high heat environments.

About You

Whether you’re working solo at a small start up, or owning projects on a larger team, this much is clear: 

You will be an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer with a background in machine design, component design, prototyping and fabrication. You know the mechanical engineering fundamentals, and thrive in an environment that encourages innovation and curiosity. You enjoy building self designed prototypes, and have experience creating drawings and using GD&T. Technically - you are proficient to expert with Solidworks (or similar CAD experience) and have material selection experience for a wide range of temperature profiles (from cold to very hot 0-900*C). Your High temperature design experience is your speciality, whether it be in aerospace component or propulsion design or high temperature structural design and fluid dynamics. 

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.

Continual Discovery means we maximize our learning rate.  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.

Target compensation for this role is between $115,000 and $170,000 depending on level and experience.

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 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.  

Covered health, dental and vision.  Health, dental and vision insurance covered by Heirloom

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

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

Stay healthy.  Monthly health and wellness reimbursement.

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