Experimental Hardware Design Engineer

Sora Fuel; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Incentive Stock Options

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401k match

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Sora Fuel is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer for Test Stands to design and commission critical hardware testing infrastructure. You will build out sub-scale and full-scale rigs simulating DAC and carbonate electrolyzer environments, balancing innovative engineering with a safety-first mindset.

Join a fast-growing team focused on safe, scalable, carbon-neutral jet fuel tech. Expect hands-on fabrication, rigid validation, and cross-functional collaboration in a dynamic R&D setting.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of mechanical engineering experience with emphasis on building test rigs, fluid loops, R&D hardware.
• Ability to think creatively to solve hardware validation problems without relying on costly facilities.
• Deep understanding of mechanical safety principles including pressure vessel ratings and fail-safes.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks, Inventor or similar 3D CAD tools and basic alignment with manufacturing drawings.

Responsibilities

• Own the full lifecycle of custom test rigs from concept to 3D CAD modeling and drawings.
• Collaborate with chemists and engineers to meet system requirements of test platforms.
• Design structural framing, skid layouts, fluid manifolds, and ducting for test rigs.
• Perform FE analysis and thermal/fluid simulations to ensure reliability under extreme conditions.
• Specify mechanical components such as valves, pumps, sensors, and seals; lead assembly and testing.

Skills

Test stand design

Safety compliance

Prototyping

CAD drafting

Communication

Tools

SolidWorks

Inventor

FEA software

Job description

Sora Fuel

Sora Fuel aims to decarbonize aviation by converting air into affordable, carbon-neutral jet fuel at scale with no feedstock constraints or adverse impacts on agriculture. Our novel electrolysis technology directly converts captured carbon into syngas without regenerating gaseous CO2, reducing the energy required to utilize DAC-sourced CO2 by up to 90%. This provides an economical pathway to carbon-neutral flight, potentially addressing >2% of challenging-to-abate global emissions.

The company was founded in early 2024 and has closed over $20M of funding from renowned toughtech investors including Engine Ventures, Spero Ventures, and Inspired Capital. Since founding, the team has grown to include scientists and engineers with a broad range of skill sets from electrochemistry and catalysis to polymer science and mechanical engineering. Together, this team has scaled our technology >800-fold, demonstrated a true prototype employing commercial-scale cells, and developed scalable manufacturing processes for key materials. We seek to continue building a diverse, collaborative team that shares our enthusiasm and drive to meaningfully address climate change.

Role

As our Senior Mechanical Engineer for Test Stands, you will design, build, and commission the critical hardware testing infrastructure needed to de-risk our core technology. You will engineer creative, out-of-the-box sub-scale and full-scale test stands that accurately simulate the thermal, fluid, and chemical environments of our DAC and carbonate electrolyzer systems. This role bridges the gap between R&D physics and rugged industrial reality. You must balance creative engineering with an uncompromising commitment to system safety.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: 8+ years of mechanical engineering experience, with heavy emphasis on building custom test stands, fluid loops, R&D rigs, or automated hardware.
• Creative Agility: A proven track record of thinking out of the box to solve complex hardware validation problems quickly, without relying on expensive test facility infrastructure.
• Safety Mindset: Deep understanding of mechanical safety principles, including pressure vessel ratings, line sizing, proper material compatibility, and automated fail-safes.
• CAD & Drafting Mastery: Proficiency in SolidWorks, Inventor, or similar 3D modeling tools, including standard structural framing and weldment design.
• Practical Prototyping Skills: Hands-on experience with plumbing (Swagelok, NPT, flanged systems), electrical wiring basics, and mechanical fabrication tools.
• Communication: Ability to communicate effectively and work in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment.
• Core Values: Alignment with our core values of transparency, diversity, collaboration, valuing people and development, and work ethic.

Preferred Skills

• Prior experience in a battery, fuel cell, electrolyzer, or carbon capture (DAC) hardware environment.
• Experience with LabVIEW, MATLAB/Simulink, or Python for data acquisition and basic rig Automation.

Key Responsibilities

Mechanical Design and Engineering

• Own the full lifecycle of custom test rigs and experimental platforms from initial concept through detailed 3D CAD modeling and manufacturing drawings.
• Work closely with the chemists and chemical engineers to ensure test designs meet system requirements.
• Design structural framing, skid layouts, fluid manifolds, and specialized ducting/piping systems.
• Perform structural (FEA) and thermal/fluid analysis to ensure test rigs survive operating temperatures, pressures, and corrosive environments typical of carbonate chemistries.
• Specify and select mechanical components including valves, pumps, blowers, mass flow controllers, sensors and seals.

Fabrication & Hands-on Assembly

• Manage the physical fabrication, machining and assembly of test platforms, working closely with internal technicians and external machine shops.
• Implement design-for-manufacturing (DFM) principles to optimize assembly time and minimize lead times for rapid R&D iterations.
• Integrate test platforms with instrumentation (temperature, pressure, gas analysis sensors) and control hardware.

Testing & Validation

• Formulate test plans, mechanical commissioning procedures, and safety checklists for newly fabricated platforms.
• Lead mechanical troubleshooting during pilot operations, diagnosing failures in seals, structural joints, fluid loops and sensing systems.
• Analyze physical test data to iterate and optimize subsequent hardware designs.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Incentive Stock Options
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401k match
• Commuter benefits