Sr. Combustion Engineer (Syngas Oxyfuel) El Segundo, CA

Arbor; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pre-IPO stock options

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k)

Unlimited PTO

Annual learning and development stipend

Job summary

Arbor is seeking a Sr. Combustion Engineer for our El Segundo office to develop high-pressure combustion systems using biomass-produced syngas. In this role, you'll lead the design and testing processes, ensuring performance meets our carbon-negative power goals.

Ideal candidates have a strong knowledge of combustion principles, with 5+ years of relevant experience and a Bachelor's degree in engineering. Competitive salary and generous benefits package including stock options and unlimited PTO are offered.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in combustion system design, analysis, and testing.
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
• Experience with high-pressure/real-fluid combustion systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop combustion kinetics and anchor models to hot-fire data.
• Plan and analyze high-pressure test campaigns for actionable insights.
• Own rapid hardware development from manufacturing to testing.

Skills

Combustion system design

Thermodynamics

Fluid mechanics

Heat transfer

Programming (Python, MATLAB)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical engineering or related field

Tools

Additive manufacturing

High-pressure systems

Job description

Sr. Combustion Engineer (Syngas Oxyfuel)

About Us

At Arbor Energy & Resources Corporation ("Arbor Energy"), we’re creating technology to power our lives while protecting the planet that sustains them. Our advanced power systems deliver clean, reliable baseload electricity with zero operating emissions—modular, fuel-flexible, and engineered for the realities of today’s energy demand. At the core is a supercritical CO₂ turbine with integrated carbon capture, designed to bring carbon‑neutral power online quickly at meaningful scale.

Our team includes aerospace engineers, combustion experts, and systems thinkers with a shared goal: to build technology worthy of the world we want to live in. While many of us began our journeys looking to the stars, we’re applying that expertise here at home to deliver dependable, emission‑free baseload power and a future of lasting abundance.

If you share our values and are drawn to rigorous work with lasting impact, we’d love to learn more about you. Come build what the future will run on.

Steward our planet: We build for tomorrow, ensuring every bolt we tighten and every hand we lend leaves our environment stronger than we found it.

Lead with Love: We champion the success of our people, partners, and planet, nurturing excellence through camaraderie and rigor.

Explore the Uncharted: We embrace the unknown with curiosity, using courage and discipline to transform uncertainty into opportunity.

Role Overview

The Sr. Combustion Engineer (Syngas Oxyfuel) helps pioneer our rocket‑derived, high‑pressure combustion systems for carbon‑negative power cycles, burning our biomass‑produced syngas in a high‑efficiency combustor. In this role, you’ll take syngas oxy‑combustion from lab‑scale characterization to implementation running off of gasifier syngas within a year and carry what you learn into the development of fuel‑flexible combustors at the heart of our commercial product. You will partner closely with test engineers, analysts, and designers to push boundaries—delivering breakthrough performance that powers a sustainable future.

From conceptual design and modeling to hands‑on testing and rapid iteration, you'll own the full hardware lifecycle.

This is an onsite opportunity in our El Segundo, CA office.

Responsibilities

• Develop the kinetics that the envelope demands: reduced H₂/CO/CO₂ mechanisms, flame‑speed, autoignition and blowout limits across composition; anchor models to hot‑fire data
• Plan, execute, and analyze high‑pressure and temperature test campaigns, delivering actionable insights to accelerate progress
• Own rapid hardware development cycles—from manufacturing and assembly through testing and iterative improvements
• Leverage additive manufacturing and state‑of‑the‑art simulation tools to accelerate innovation and reduce development timelines

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in combustion system design, analysis, and testing
• Strong understanding of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer
• Comfort in high‑pressure / real‑fluid combustion (supercritical reactants, CO₂ dilution) and/or a demonstrated track record of ramping into an unfamiliar regime fast
• Curious, inventive, and entrepreneurial mindset comfortable driving progress

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Mechanical, Aerospace or Chemical engineering
• Hands‑on experience with hot‑fire testing and high‑pressure systems in rocket or gas turbine environments
• Programming or scripting skills for data reduction and automation (Python, MATLAB, etc.)
• Background in startup environments or agile hardware development cycles

Benefits & Compensation

• Pre‑IPO stock options
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (Arbor covers 90% for employees)
• Basic life insurance fully covered
• Health savings account (HSA) with matching
• Flexible savings account (FSA)
• Unlimited PTO
• 12+ company holidays, including Earth Day!
• 401(k)
• Commuter benefits
• Annual learning and development stipend
• And more!

Base Pay: $150,000 - $175,000 USD/year. The salary is subject to the applicant's skills, qualifications, experience, and geographic location.

Our Commitment

Arbor Energy is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Solving global energy challenges requires a wide range of perspectives and experiences, and we are committed to building a team that reflects the world we serve.

Our hiring process is designed to be accessible, fair, and focused on the work that matters most for this role. Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the hiring process and employment—please let us know if you need one.