Senior Mechanical/Thermal Engineer

Austin Community College; Somerville (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance coverage

401(k) plan

Flexible PTO policy

Access to entrepreneurial programs

Job summary

Orien Energy is seeking a Senior Mechanical / Thermal Systems Engineer to lead the prototyping of advanced heat pump systems at Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA. This position offers a competitive salary of $110,000–$150,000 and the opportunity for equity ownership as a founding engineer.

The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or over 5 years of relevant R&D experience. Responsibilities include designing thermofluid systems, building prototypes, and analyzing data as part of a dynamic and innovative team.

Qualifications

• Strong background in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics.
• Experience with experimental design and prototyping.
• Hands-on experience in lab or industrial settings.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop thermofluid systems and components like heat exchangers.
• Build and test prototypes for system optimization.
• Analyze experimental data to iterate on designs.

Skills

Heat transfer

Thermodynamics

Fluid mechanics

Experimental design

Prototyping

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Mentoring experience

Education

PhD in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience

Job description

Orien Energy is an early‑stage climate tech startup developing advanced sorption heat pumps that convert low‑grade waste heat from water or humid air into high‑temperature steam. Initially focused on enhancing energy efficiency of the energy‑intensive industrial drying, we are now expanding into data center waste heat reuse. Our mission is to unlock industrial‑scale energy efficiency and decarbonization across both industrial processes and data centers. We are backed by leading energy & climate programs/investors, including the Activate Fellowship, Harvard Climate Circle Incubator, and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.

Role Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Mechanical / Thermal Systems Engineer to join our founding team. This role will lead the prototyping of our benchtop heat pump system, spanning both modeling and experimental efforts. On the modeling side, you will refine an existing heat and mass transfer model in MATLAB to guide experimental design and system optimization. On the experimental side, you will design and fabricate heat exchangers, integrate the full‑loop system, and lead testing to characterize key performance metrics, including coefficient of performance and energy recovery ratio. You will work closely with other founding team members to develop prototypes, generate critical data, and advance the system toward pilot deployment.

This role offers a clear path to senior technical leadership, with the potential to grow into a CTO‑level position.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop thermofluid systems and components (heat exchangers, heat pump cycles, vacuum systems)
• Build and test prototypes
• Analyze experimental data and iterate on designs
• Support scale‑up from lab to pilot systems
• Collaborate with industrial partners on system integration
• Document results and contribute to technical reports and presentations

Qualifications

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering or at least 5 years of engineering R&D experience in related fields
• Strong background in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics
• Experience with experimental design and prototyping
• Hands‑on experience in lab or industrial settings
• Strong problem‑solving and communication skills
• Mentoring experience
• Being able to work onsite at Greentown Labs in Somerville

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with sorption heat pumps
• Experience with vacuum systems
• Startup or fast‑paced R&D environment experience

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive salary ($110,000–$150,000 depending on experience) and equity package (significant ownership as a founding engineer).

• Health insurance coverage
• 401(k) plan
• Flexible PTO policy
• Access to Greentown Labs, CIC Cambridge, and other world‑class entrepreneurial programs

Location & Start Time

Somerville, MA (Greentown Labs)

Interested in Applying?

Please send a cover letter and your resume to Dr. Yajing Zhao ([e-mail]) directly!