Lead Electrical Design & Instrumentations and Control Engineer

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

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, dental & vision

401k match

Commuter benefits

Competitive salary

Job summary

Sora Fuel in Cambridge, MA is seeking a Principal Electrical and I&C Engineer to own electrical architectures, control narratives, and safety systems across test stands and the pilot plant.

You will lead lifecycles from concept through commissioning, serving as the regulatory code authority for NFPA 70/79/2 and guiding hazardous area classifications and SIS design while collaborating with Process, Mechanical, and Chemical teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• 15+ years in electrical design and instrumentation/control systems.
• Experience with hazardous locations and safety standards.

Responsibilities

• Design Ownership: author and approve full-lifecycle electrical infrastructure and I&C designs.
• Control Narratives: develop sequences, logic, and cause-and-effect matrices for safe automation.
• FOAK Architecture: design resilient electrical systems for unproven technologies.
• Code Compliance Authority: ensure NFPA 70/79/2 adherence across systems.
• Hazardous Area Classification: map and specify equipment for hazardous areas.

Skills

Electrical design

I&C engineering

NFPA codes

Hazardous locations

SIS compliance

SLD documentation

Project leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering

Tools

PLC/SCADA

Job description

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.

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

Sora Fuel is seeking an experienced, technically accomplished Principal Electrical and Instrumentation & Control (I&C) Engineer to take full engineering ownership of the electrical architectures, control narratives, and functional safety systems across our custom test stands, modular integrated test skids, and inaugural pilot plant. As a primary technical leader, you will manage complex engineering lifecycles for First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) systems from conceptual design through physical commissioning. This role acts as the ultimate authority for regulatory code compliance and process integration, establishing the electrical and I&C foundations for Sora's scaled commercial deployments.

Responsibilities

• Design Ownership: Author, review, and formally approve full-lifecycle electrical infrastructure and I&C engineering designs for novel test setups and pilot facilities.
• Control Narratives: Develop detailed control narratives, operational sequences, logic definitions, and cause-and-effect matrices to govern process automation safely.
• FOAK Architecture: Architect resilient electrical systems engineered for unproven, highly iterative technology pathways, successfully mitigating early-stage deployment risks.
• Code Compliance Authority: Maintain absolute adherence to institutional safety standards, serving as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 79, and NFPA 2.
• Hazardous Area Classification: Define, map, and specify equipment configurations for hazardous (classified) areas, ensuring code-compliant integration of explosion-proof and intrinsically safe designs.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Partner closely with Process, Mechanical, and Chemical teams to tie physical instrumentation safely into top-layer PLC/SCADA networks.
• Commissioning Leadership: Drive on-site testing (FAT/SAT), loop checks, functional interlock validation, and direct physical troubleshooting during live system startup.
• EPC/Third Party Collaboration: Collaborate with EPCs and Third parties to deliver electrical panels and control systems in support of Sora's pilot systems.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or a highly relevant discipline.
• Experience: 15+ years of progressive industry experience in electrical design and instrumentation/control systems engineering.
• FOAK Mastery: Proven track record of taking unproven R&D concepts or pilot systems from initial ideation to fully operational, physical hardware installations.
• Regulatory & Code Fluency: Deep, authoritative working knowledge of NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code), NFPA 79 (Industrial Machinery), and NFPA 2 (Hydrogen Technologies Code).
• Classified Environments: Extensive experience designing and installing electrical equipment inside classified hazardous locations (e.g., Class I, Div 1/Div 2 or Zone architectures).
• Technical Documentation: Mastery in producing/approving single-line diagrams, wiring schematics, panel layouts, load lists, and instrument indexes.
• 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

Preferred Qualifications

• Electrochemical Experience: Direct technical familiarity with industrial electrochemical operations (e.g., electrolyzers, fuel cells, or advanced grid-scale batteries).
• Functional Safety: Direct experience leading or participating in HAZOP studies and designing Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) matching IEC 61508 / IEC 61511 compliance.

Benefits

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