Senior Fluid Systems Engineer - Power Cycle Modeling & P&ID

Senior Fluid Systems Engineer - Define the Cycle Every Other Discipline Designs Around

El Segundo, CA | On-site

Opportunity Summary

A seed-stage power generation startup is hiring a Senior Fluid Systems Engineer to own its thermodynamic cycle and the fluid systems that bring it to life. The cycle state points you set become the foundation that the turbomachinery, structures, and controls teams all design against.

Working directly with the founders, you will define and freeze the operating points for the company's megawatt-class pilot and turn them into a buildable, fully instrumented fluid system. The role combines 1D cycle modeling, P&ID development, component specification, and system-level ownership through commissioning and test.

About Us

We are a venture-backed, seed-stage energy company developing next-generation turbine-based power conversion systems for growing industrial power demand and future clean energy applications. Our team brings deep experience in turbomachinery design, analysis, and testing. Our near-term roadmap includes a natural gas fired MW-class system followed by integration with advanced heat sources. We are based in El Segundo, California, and operate as a small team moving quickly from design to test.

Job Duties

• Lead 1D cycle analysis and fluid system simulation for the megawatt-class pilot, setting state points, mass flows, and the steady-state and transient operating envelope.
• Act as the system owner, defining and holding interfaces with the turbomachinery, structures, and controls teams.
• Lead development of the system-level P&ID and supporting fluid infrastructure.
• Own specification of valves, instrumentation, and balance-of-plant equipment from requirements through procurement.
• Carry the cycle and P&ID through commissioning and test, and reconcile measured behavior against predictions.

Qualifications

• BS or higher in mechanical, aerospace, or chemical engineering, or a related field.
• Strong foundation in thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics.
• Experience with cycle or process modeling tools (Python with CoolProp or REFPROP, NPSS, Aspen, pyCycle, or comparable).
• Working knowledge of how fluid system components such as piping, tubing, valves, fittings, and instrumentation are selected and sized.
• Strong communicator and leader who enjoys learning and teaching.

Preferred Experience

• Modeling real-gas or near-critical cycles, such as supercritical CO2.
• P&ID development and equipment specification for power cycles or process plants.
• Relief and overpressure protection design for high-pressure systems, including relief valve and rupture disc sizing.
• Familiarity with ASME B31.1 power piping and/or B31.3 process piping.
• Transient and dynamic system simulation.
• Turbomachinery off-design analysis and component map matching.
• Startup or early-stage company experience.

Why Join Us

• Own one of the most foundational technical roles in the company, with your cycle definition shaping the entire machine.
• Follow your design from model to P&ID to live test data on a system already in active testing.
• Work directly with founders who bring decades of combined turbomachinery experience.
• Meaningful equity ownership.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) plan.
• Fully stocked kitchen with snacks, coffee, and lunch.

Compensation Details

$150,000 - $230,000 + equity