Senior Mechanical Engineer

Fervo; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 182,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Life and disability insurance

Paid time off & parental leave

Stock options & bonus program

401(k) with company match

Job summary

Fervo Energy is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead design and optimization of mechanical systems for our geothermal power plants. You will apply first-principles analysis, drive cost-effective, high-performance designs, and mentor junior engineers while coordinating with process, electrical, reservoir, and drilling teams.

This role reports to the Mechanical Engineering Manager and emphasizes ownership over cost, safety, and constructability.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline.
• 8+ years of experience in mechanical engineering in large capital projects.
• Proven track record leading projects & design through fabrication and testing.
• Deep expertise in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and structural mechanics.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Own specification generation, design, and analysis of mechanical systems for power generation and surface facilities.
• Drive first-principles tradeoff analysis across mechanical and thermal systems to optimize plant performance.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, accelerate, and standardize mechanical designs while maintaining technical excellence and reliability.
• Inform and support procurement efforts relating to mechanical equipment, systems, and vendor specifications for power plant designs.
• Act as a mentor to junior engineers and help in their development

Skills

Thermodynamics

Fluid mechanics

Structural mechanics

Leadership

Communication

Education

B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline

Job description

Fervo is working to build the most cost-effective, repeatable geothermal power plants in the world. Joining Fervo’s GeoBlock engineering team means solving frontier technical problems with immediate real-world impact, accelerating the clean energy transition and reinventing the way infrastructure is built.

We are seeking engineers who are excited by Fervo’s mission, the opportunity to drive meaningful and impactful innovation, and the prospect of maintaining extreme ownership over the cost and constructability implications of their designs, knowing that each decision they make impacts the speed and scale of Fervo’s mission.

As a Senior Mechanical Engineer, you will be a technical leader in the design and optimization of mechanical systems for Fervo’s innovative power plants. You will apply advanced engineering judgment and first-principles analysis to develop high-performance, cost-effective plant designs, while mentoring junior engineers and influencing cross-disciplinary decision-making. As Fervo transitions from first-of-a-kind projects to scaling deployment of its plants, you will play a key role in driving standardization and efficiency improvements across projects. You will report to the Mechanical Engineering Manager.

Responsibilities

Technical and Execution Leadership

• Own specification generation, design, and analysis of mechanical systems, components, and equipment for power generation and surface facilities
• Drive first-principles tradeoff analysis across mechanical and thermal systems to optimize plant performance
• Identify opportunities to simplify, accelerate, and standardize mechanical designs while maintaining technical excellence and reliability
• Inform and support procurement efforts relating to mechanical equipment, systems, and vendor specifications for power plant designs

Team and Culture

• Demonstrate extreme ownership by taking responsibility for cost, safety, and constructability in addition to design
• Work with urgency and resilience, embracing rapid iteration and maintaining high performance under pressure
• Collaborate closely across disciplines (process, electrical, reservoir, drilling) as well as with external partners to drive integrated solutions
• Contribute to a culture of technical excellence and accountability, modeling the values that define a world-class engineering team
• Act as a mentor to junior engineers and help in their development

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related discipline
• 8+ years of experience in mechanical engineering in large capital projects
• Proven track record leading projects & design through fabrication and testing
• Deep expertise in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and structural mechanics
• Strong communication and leadership skills; ability to translate technical complexity into clear decisions

Preferred Qualifications

• R&D mechanical engineering design experience is a strong plus

Fervo provides a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, short-term and long-term disability, flexible paid time off, and paid parental leave. Additionally, Fervo offers an incentive stock options program, a bonus incentive program, and a 401(k) plan with an employer match.

Fervo Energy is providing the compensation range and general description of other compensation and benefits that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities in addition to internal equity and geographic location. Expected Salary: $115,000 - $182,000 based on California locality and dependent on experience, pay in other locations may vary.

Fervo Energy reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, or federal law.

Location

Fervo Energy has offices in Houston, TX, Golden, CO, Reno, NV, Oakland, CA, and Salt Lake City, UT. This position will be eligible for some hybrid work flexibility, but regular in-office presence at a the Oakland, California office will be required.