Sr. Combustion Engineer (Syngas Oxyfuel)

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

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Health savings account

Flexible savings account

Unlimited PTO

Company holidays

401(k)

Commuter benefits

Learning stipend

Job summary

Arbor Energy in El Segundo, CA is seeking a Sr. Combustion Engineer (Syngas Oxyfuel) to pioneer high‑pressure combustion systems for carbon‑negative power cycles using biomass syngas.

You will move from lab‑scale characterization to full implementation within a year, partnering with test engineers and designers to deliver breakthrough performance. This onsite role requires 5+ years in combustion design and a strong command of thermodynamics, with hands‑on experience in high‑pressure systems or

Qualifications

• 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).
• Curious, inventive, and entrepreneurial mindset.

Responsibilities

• Develop the kinetics that the envelope demands: reduced H₂/CO/CO₂ mechanisms, flame-speed, autoignition and blowout limits.
• Plan, execute, and analyze high‑pressure and temperature test campaigns with actionable insights.
• Own rapid hardware development cycles—from manufacturing and assembly through testing and iteration.
• Leverage additive manufacturing and advanced simulation tools to accelerate innovation.

Skills

5+ years experience

combustion system design

thermodynamics

fluid mechanics

high‑pressure combustion

entrepreneurial mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical engineering

Advanced degree (MS/PhD) preferred

Tools

Python

MATLAB

Job description

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.

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.