Hands-on R&D Engineer — Combustion & Thermal Systems

Nano-C, Inc.; Westwood (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Great benefits

Safe work environment

Job summary

Nano-C is seeking an Experimental Reactor Development Engineer specializing in combustion and thermal systems. The role blends mechanical design, thermal engineering, and experimental science to advance nanocarbon materials.

Expect hands-on work from CAD to shop floor and live experiments, reporting to Upstream Manufacturing and Development leadership. Qualifications include an MS or PhD in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering and 3+ years of hands-on experience with high-temperature systems.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in design, build, commissioning, and operation of high-temperature, combustion, or thermal systems.
• Strong background in thermal system design, heat transfer, fluid flow, combustion, and reaction engineering.
• Experience designing and analyzing high-temperature reactors, furnaces, burners, gas delivery, piping, and related hardware.
• Ability to translate ideas into practical test systems and hardware.
• Proven ability to develop experimental reactor concepts and lab-scale test systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop laboratory-scale reactors, burners, furnaces, gas delivery systems, precursor feeds, collection and exhaust systems.
• Perform engineering calculations for heat transfer, gas flow, pressure drop, residence time, and high-temperature operation.
• Create and update 3D CAD models, fabrication drawings, piping layouts, and mechanical details.
• Specify components including valves, regulators, thermocouples, sensors, and tubing.
• Collaborate with machine shops, fabricators, welders, and vendors to ensure parts meet specifications.
• Review vendor drawings and modify designs based on cost, lead time, or fabrication constraints.
• Receive and inspect parts and assist with assembly and installation of experimental systems.
• Develop experimental procedures and test matrices with defined acceptance criteria.
• Operate reactor systems during campaigns, monitoring temperature, pressure, gas flow, vacuum, and burner performance.
• Troubleshoot startup and operation issues and document data for traceability.
• Collect process data and prepare plots and conclusions to guide design iterations.

Skills

Thermal design

Heat transfer

3D CAD

Experimental design

Lab equipment handling

Education

MS/PhD in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering

Tools

SolidWorks

Inventor

Swagelok

Job description

Nano-C is seeking an Experimental Reactor Development Engineer specializing in combustion and thermal systems. The role blends mechanical design, thermal engineering, and experimental science to advance nanocarbon materials.

Expect hands-on work from CAD to shop floor and live experiments, reporting to Upstream Manufacturing and Development leadership. Qualifications include an MS or PhD in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering and 3+ years of hands-on experience with high-temperature systems.