Senior Fluid Systems Engineer

Lazarus Energy; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Meaningful equity ownership

Company-wide medical, dental, and vis​

Fully stocked kitchen with snacks, tea

Job summary

Lazarus Energy is building the next generation of power conversion technologies and is seeking a systems-focused engineer to own the thermodynamic cycle and fluid systems for a MW pilot project in California. You will define cycle statepoints, lock them into a buildable fluid system, and collaborate across turbomachinery, structures, and controls teams.

You will lead design of MW-level P&ID and fluid infrastructure, specify valves and instrumentation, and carry the cycle and P&ID through

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in mechanical, aerospace, chemical, or similar engineering.
• Strong fundamentals in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
• Experience with cycle/process modeling using Python and REFPROP/CoolProp, pyCycle, Aspen, NPSS, or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of fluid-system components and sizing.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills and a willingness to learn/teach.

Responsibilities

• Lead 1D cycle analysis and fluid simulation of the MW pilot. This includes defining and locking state points, mass flows, and the steady-state and transient operating envelope.
• Serve as the systems owner across the design, communicating and holding interfaces with the turbomachinery, structures, and controls teams.
• Lead design of the MW-level P&ID and associated fluid infrastructure.
• Own end-to-end specification of valves, instrumentation, and balance-of-plant hardware
• Carry the cycle and P&ID design through commissioning and test, resolving differences between predicted and measured behavior

Skills

1D cycle analysis

Thermodynamics

Fluid mechanics

Heat transfer

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in mechanical, aerospace, chemical, or similar engineering

Tools

Python

REFPROP/CoolProp

pyCycle

Aspen

NPSS

Job description

Industrial power turbines haven't seen meaningful innovation in over a century. We believe that the modern world should not be limited by energy. Lazarus is a team with over 50 years of turbomachinery analysis, design, and testing experience. We are building the next generation of power conversion technologies that will solve today’s power demands and tomorrow’s renewable energy future. This is a rare chance to help define a new era of hardware energy products by leading core technology development from concept to test and production.

Lazarus is post-stealth and pre-series A. We are moving incredibly fast with a talented team in place, hardware in the door, and active testing underway. We are currently building a MW-class system to fire with natural gas and then integrate with nuclear heat before the end of 2027.

Role Overview

This role owns the thermodynamic cycle and the fluid systems that realize it. It is one of the most foundational roles at Lazarus: the cycle and system you define are the backbone the entire machine is designed around, and every other discipline builds from the operating points you set. Working directly with the founding team, you will define and lock the cycle statepoints for the MW pilot and translate them into a buildable, instrumented fluid system. This role blends 1D cycle modeling with P&ID design, component specking, and systems-level thinking.

Responsibilities

• Lead 1D cycle analysis and fluid simulation of the MW pilot. This includes defining and locking state points, mass flows, and the steady-state and transient operating envelope.
• Serve as the systems owner across the design, communicating and holding interfaces with the turbomachinery, structures, and controls teams.
• Lead design of the MW-level P&ID and associated fluid infrastructure.
• Own end-to-end specification of valves, instrumentation, and balance-of-plant hardware
• Carry the cycle and P&ID design through commissioning and test, resolving differences between predicted and measured behavior

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in mechanical, aerospace, chemical, or similar engineering.
• Strong fundamentals in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
• Experience with cycle/process modeling (e.g., Python + REFPROP/CoolProp, pyCycle, Aspen, NPSS, or equivalent)
• Working knowledge of fluid-system components (valves, piping, tubing, instrumentation, fittings, etc.) and how they’re selected and sized
• Excellent communication and leadership skills and a willingness to learn / teach

Preferred Qualifications

• Supercritical CO₂ or other real-gas / near-critical cycle modeling.
• Power-cycle or process-plant P&ID development and equipment specification.
• Overpressure protection and relief design for high-pressure systems (PRV/rupture-disc sizing, relief scenarios)
• ASME B31.3 process piping and/or B31.1 power piping familiarity.
• Dynamic / transient system simulation
• Turbomachinery off‑design analysis and cycle/map matching
• Early stage or start-up experience
• US salary range: $150,000 - $230,000
• Meaningful equity ownership
• Company wide medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Fully stocked kitchen with snacks, coffee, and lunch