Product Development Engineer – Direct Air Capture

Ore Energy; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ore Energy in Amsterdam is seeking a hands-on Mechanical Engineer to advance Direct Air Capture technologies and integrate air-processing subsystems with battery modules.

You will prototype, test, and optimize gas-management components, document design data, and collaborate with electrochemical and controls teams in a fast-paced hardware scale-up.

Strong practical experience with pumps, valves, tubing, and sensors, plus MATLAB or Python skills, are valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (strongly preferred).
• Direct Air Capture (DAC) background with hands-on experience in gas adsorption.
• Prototyping and plumbing mastery; comfortable with pumps, valves, tubing, and sensors.
• Ability to interpret process data and perform basic thermodynamic calculations.

Responsibilities

• Design and size active air-treatment, gas-separation, and conditioning subsystems.
• Select and source sorbents, filters, membranes, reactors, valves, pumps, and blowers.
• Prototype lab-scale units and pilot-scale air-handling rigs from scratch.
• Plan and execute test campaigns for adsorption capacity and pressure drop.
• Diagnose issues and translate data into mechanical design improvements.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrochemical, and controls teams for integration.
• Document architecture, P&IDs, concepts, and validation outcomes.

Skills

Direct Air Capture

Prototyping

Plumbing Mastery

Analytical skills

English communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Control systems

Job description

At Ore Energy, we are on a mission to fundamentally expand the amount of energy society can reliably harness and use, helping move civilization toward a more abundant energy future. We are doing this by developing long-duration, utility-scale iron-air batteries that provide safe, low-cost, multi-day energy storage for electricity grids and data centers.

We are expanding our product development capabilities and are looking for a Product Development Engineer – Direct Air Capture to join our team in Amsterdam. Our iron-air batteries "breathe" air, meaning that conditioning and purifying incoming air and managing gases internally is a critical subsystem of our product. In this role, you will lead the design, process calculation, prototyping, and validation of our air-processing and gas-management support systems.

We are looking for a highly resourceful, hands-on Mechanical Engineer who has practical experience in Direct Air Capture (DAC) or advanced gas-adsorption technologies. You will bridge the gap between process concepts (mass balance, pressure drop, sorbents) and physical mechanical reality, building functional physical systems that protect and optimize our battery chemistry.

Key Responsibilities

• System Design & Sizing: Design and develop active air-treatment, gas-separation, and humidity/temperature conditioning subsystems. Perform key process calculations, mass balances, flow dynamics, and system sizing.
• Component Selection: Evaluate, specify, and source active mechanical components, including sorbents, filters, gas membranes, reactors, valves, pumps, and blower systems.
• Hands-on Prototyping: Build, plumb, and wire laboratory-scale proof-of-concept units and pilot-scale air-handling rigs from scratch.
• Experimental Testing: Design and execute test campaigns to evaluate gas-adsorption capacity, pressure drop across beds, regeneration behavior, and thermal/energy efficiency.
• Root-Cause Analysis: Diagnose technical issues, trace failure modes in air/gas handling loops, and convert experimental data into clear mechanical design improvements.
• Subsystem Integration: Collaborate closely with mechanical, electrochemical, and controls teams to integrate air systems with cell modules, sensors, and structural housings.
• Technical Documentation: Document system architecture requirements, piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), process concepts, and validation outcomes.

Your Profile

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (strongly preferred) or a highly related discipline (such as Process/Chemical Engineering with a heavy, proven focus on physical machine design and plumbing).
• Direct Air Capture (DAC) Background: Practical, hands-on experience in Direct Air Capture (DAC), gas-adsorption systems, or closely related gas-purification technologies.
• Prototyping & Plumbing Mastery: Strong physical troubleshooting and assembly skills. You must be completely comfortable working with pumps, pneumatic valves, compression fittings, tubing, vessels, and gas sensors in a workshop or laboratory environment.
• Analytical Skills: Strong ability to interpret process data, model flow behaviors, and perform thermodynamic or mass-transfer calculations. Experience with MATLAB, Python, or automated control systems is an advantage.
• Pragmatic and Autonomous: Highly self-directed, resourceful, and excited to build experimental setups from scratch in a fast-paced hardware scale-up environment.
• Communication: Flawless professional English. Able to explain complex air-processing dynamics clearly to cross-functional battery development teams.

About Us

The Challenge We Are Solving

Do you want to contribute to one of the most important challenges of our time: accelerating the energy transition? Are you excited by breakthrough energy storage technology with real-world impact? Would you like to be part of a mission-driven company where your work directly contributes to building the future of clean energy?

Then we are looking for you!

Ore Energy develops long-duration energy storage solutions to support a reliable, zero-carbon electricity system.

Powering the Next Generation of Infrastructure

The electricity grid is undergoing its most significant transformation in a century. As renewables become the cheapest source of new power, the challenge is no longer producing clean energy, it is making it reliably available when and where it is needed, regardless of when the sun shines or the wind blows. Our iron-air batteries are uniquely designed to store renewable energy over multi-day periods, allowing clean electricity to become a dependable, around-the-clock backbone of the grid while reducing reliance on fossil-fuel peaker plants and building a more resilient, fully decarbonized power system.

This is a rare opportunity to join a company at the moment when technology readiness, customer traction, and market demand are converging. Ore Energy has already raised significant capital, built and tested its technology under real-world conditions, and is now moving toward large-scale commercial deployment. As we transition into this industrial implementation phase, we are building the team, systems, and capabilities required to scale our solution and help define how long-duration storage powers both the future grid and the next generation of industry and data infrastructure.

Our Culture & Beliefs

We believe impactful technology is built by talented people who are motivated by complex challenges, scientific rigour and strong execution. That is why we are looking for dedicated professionals who want to help shape a cleaner and more resilient energy future.

At Ore Energy, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. We believe that diversity of thought, background, and experience drives innovation and success.