Director of Engineering

BlueShift; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Equity ownership

Direct collaboration with CEO

Job summary

BlueShift seeks a Director of Engineering to bridge lab science and multi-megawatt deployment. You will own the full engineering lifecycle, from cell stack scale-up to BOP design, process engineering, and field commissioning.

You will shape safety culture, drive manufacturability, and partner with the CEO and board to optimize budgets and technology roadmaps. A hands-on leader will manage a growing team in Cambridge, MA.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive engineering leadership in hardware/startup environments.
• PhD/advanced degree in Chemical/Mechanical/Electrochemical Engineering or related field.
• Deep technical background in electrochemical systems such as electrolyzers or fuel cells.
• Proven track record moving lab-scale tech to pilot and commercial production.

Responsibilities

• Oversee evolution of electrochemical cell technology from lab to multi-cell commercial stacks.
• Lead safety culture through PHA/HAZOP across lab, pilot, and commercial systems.
• Direct process engineering to design, simulate, and build BOP fluid, thermal, and electrical control systems.
• Ensure designs enable mass production, supply chain resilience, and automated assembly.
• Interface with EPC firms to manage large-scale system build, scheduling, and delivery.
• Supervise on-site deployment, testing, and commissioning of first commercial pilots with partners.
• Refine TEA and system cost models to drive down levelized costs.
• Align technology roadmaps with business milestones and present progress to executives.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Electrochemical engineering

Scale-up experience

Process integration

Tech-economic modeling

Education

PhD/Advanced degree in related field

Tools

Process simulation tools

Job description

At BlueShift, we are rebuilding mineral processing for a world that needs more critical minerals. Our mission is to make previously uneconomic resources viable using low-cost electrochemical processing, on-site reagent generation, modular systems, and data-driven process design. We are a team of engineers and operators advancing from integrated pilots to first commercial plants with industrial partners. Joining BlueShift means helping turn electrochemical science into reliable industrial systems that can be built, operated, and scaled.

About the role

We are a fast-growing startup commercializing next-generation electrochemical technology. We are seeking a visionary, hands-on Director of Engineering to join our executive leadership team. In this role, you will bridge the gap between breakthrough laboratory science and multi-megawatt commercial deployment. You will own the entire engineering lifecycle: from multi-cell electrochemical stack scale-up to BOP design, process engineering, and ultimate field commissioning. As a key strategic partner to the CEO and Board, you will ensure our systems are uncompromisingly safe, cost-optimized, and strictly built for manufacturability.

Responsibilities:

• You will oversee the evolution of our electrochemical cell technology as it scales from lab-bench discovery, through pilot-scale testing, to robust multi-cell commercial stacks.
• You will instill a strong culture of safety across all engineering operations by leading PHA and HAZOP reviews for all lab, pilot and commercial systems.
• You will lead the process engineering team in designing, simulating, and building the BOP fluid, thermal, and electrical control systems.
• You will ensure all engineering designs pivot early toward mass production, supply chain resilience, and automated assembly to minimize custom, non-scalable components.
• You will act as the primary technical interface with EPC firms to manage large-scale system build and integration, scheduling, and delivery.
• You will personally supervise and build the team responsible for the on-site deployment, testing, and commissioning of our first-of-a-kind commercial pilots, with extensive partner interface.
• You will continually perform and refine rigorous TEA and system cost optimization models to drive down levelized costs.
• You will serve as the primary engineering voice at the C-suite level by aligning technology roadmaps with business milestones, managing budgets, and presenting technical progress to investors and board members.
• You will work alongside external legal counsel to build and strengthen our IP portfolio.

Required Qualifications & Skills

• 10 or more years of progressive engineering leadership experience, ideally within a high-growth startup or a fast-paced hardware development environment.
• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrochemical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Deep technical background in electrochemical systems like electrolyzers, fuel cells, or chlor-alkali.
• Proven track record of taking a complex chemical or hardware technology out of the lab, through a pilot plant phase, and into successful commercial production.
• Strong experience in process engineering and electrochemical system integration.
• Familiarity with process simulation tools and techno-economic modeling practices.
• You thrive in a startup environment, with rapid iterations and wearing multiple hats from high-level board decks to turning wrenches on a pilot skid.

What we offer

• Competitive salary and equity ownership.
• A high-impact role leading the engineering of first-of-a-kind electrochemical mineral processing systems.
• Direct collaboration with the CEO, engineers, operators, customers, investors, and industrial partners.
• Significant ownership over system architecture, engineering execution, team development, and the path from pilot to commercial scale.
• A fast-moving, mission-driven environment with substantial autonomy and room to grow with the company.

Equal employment opportunity

BlueShift Carbon, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. We are committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment and to providing reasonable accommodations as required by law.