Sr. Development Engineer

Air Company; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Paid time off

Wellness program

Meal stipend

Short-Term Disability

Paid family leave

HSA/FSA

Job summary

AIRCO is developing advanced fuels technologies and seeks leaders in chemical/process engineering to drive scale-up from development to demonstration and commercial deployment. You will work with cross-functional teams to translate laboratory results into design information and performance projections for SAF production systems.

The role emphasizes first-principles modeling, experimental strategy, and techno-economic understanding to reduce commercialization risk and accelerate impactful

Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Significant experience in process development, process modeling, simulation, and scale-up engineering within chemical process industries.
• Strong grounding in thermodynamics, reaction engineering, and separation fundamentals.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze large datasets and extract mechanistic insight, not just empirical fits.
• Advanced experience with numerical tools, simulation software, or data analysis platforms (e.g., Aspen, MATLAB, Python, similar).
• Demonstrated experience developing first-principles, mechanistic, or hybrid process models for chemical reaction and separation systems.
• Experience applying simulation and modeling tools to technology scale-up, process design, and commercialization decisions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain first-principles process simulations and mechanistic models for reaction, separation, and integrated SAF production systems.
• Apply modeling, simulation, and data analytics to predict performance, support scale-up decisions, optimize process design, and reduce commercialization risk.
• Convert laboratory and pilot-scale results into Engineering Design Information (EDI), process design inputs, and technology performance projections.
• Lead the development of experimental strategies and pilot campaigns required to validate models, resolve technical uncertainties, and strengthen scale-up confidence.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to advance technology from development through demonstration and commercial deployment, while identifying opportunities for innovation and process improvement.

Skills

Process development

Process modeling

Simulation

Data analytics

Scale-up engineering

Thermodynamics

Experimentation

Python

MATLAB

First-principles modeling

Education

M.S. or Ph.D. in Chemical/Mechanical Engineering or related

Tools

Aspen

MATLAB

Python

Data analysis tools

Job description

About AIRCO

AIRCO™ develops advanced technologies for energy security and global resiliency. The company makes drop-in e-fuels that can power transportation across air, land, sea and space. Its modular MAD Fuel System™ combines the company's proprietary catalysts, compact hardware, and locally available power to produce fuels to spec wherever they’re needed, turning distributed energy into ready-to-use fuel.

Led by co-founder and CEO Gregory Constantine (a 2026 EY Entrepreneur of the Year), the company has been awarded government contracts, including from the U.S. Department of War, NASA and the Department of Energy (DoE), and has investment and commercial partners with groups such as In-Q-Tel, GE Aerospace, Toyota Ventures, Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines among others.

What you get to do

• Develop and maintain first-principles process simulations and mechanistic models for reaction, separation, and integrated SAF production systems.
• Apply modeling, simulation, and data analytics to predict performance, support scale-up decisions, optimize process design, and reduce commercialization risk.
• Convert laboratory and pilot-scale results into Engineering Design Information (EDI), process design inputs, and technology performance projections.
• Lead the development of experimental strategies and pilot campaigns required to validate models, resolve technical uncertainties, and strengthen scale-up confidence.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to advance technology from development through demonstration and commercial deployment, while identifying opportunities for innovation and process improvement.

What you bring to AIRCO

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related discipline
• Significant experience in process development, process modeling, simulation, and scale-up engineering within chemical process industries.
• Strong grounding in thermodynamics, reaction engineering, and separation fundamentals
• Demonstrated ability to analyze large datasets and extract mechanistic insight, not just empirical fits
• Advanced experience with numerical tools, simulation software, or data analysis platforms (e.g., Aspen, MATLAB, Python, similar)
• Demonstrated experience developing first-principles, mechanistic, or hybrid process models for chemical reaction and separation systems.
• Experience applying simulation and modeling tools to technology scale-up, process design, and commercialization decisions.
• Ability to bridge experimental observations and engineering models to generate predictive process understanding.
• Proven ability to use engineering fundamentals, experimental data, and simulation tools to diagnose process behavior and resolve technical challenges.
• Experience in fuels, petrochemicals, refining, catalysis, or sustainable energy technologies
• Familiarity with scale-up challenges, process modeling, and commercialization workflows
• Experience supporting or delivering EDI / FEL engineering packages

Working at AIRCO - In addition to standard medical and dental benefits, that kick in Day 1, we provide:

Comprehensive Health Benefits

• Full coverage for employee base premiums on health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 70% coverage for spouse and dependent base premiums.
• Choose between base plans or enhanced options to fit your needs.

Health Savings & Flexibility

• Access company-sponsored HSA and FSA accounts to save on healthcare and dependent care expenses.

Income Protection & Insurance

• Company-paid Short-Term Disability insurance.
• Optional Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance plans.

Time Off & Leave

• Flexible and generous paid time off, with opportunities to carry over unused PTO.
• Paid family leave to support you during important life moments.

Retirement Savings

• Tax-deferred 401(k) plan with a 3% company match to help you invest in your future.

Lifestyle & Commuter Benefits

• Monthly Lifestyle Spending Account: Company-funded monthly benefit that can be used toward eligible work-from-home and commuting expenses, including gas, parking, and public transit.
• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits: Access to pre-tax savings through Navia for eligible transit and parking expenses.

Additional Perks

• Ancillary benefits through Sequoia, including pet insurance and financial wellness programs.
• Employee wellness program to support your well-being. Inclusive of Wellhub & One Medical.
• Company-sponsored events and programs that promote an inclusive and values-driven workplace.
• Weekly company-funded meal stipend that can be used toward meals from restaurants and food delivery services.

At AIRCO we value employees for their unique perspectives. We are an inclusive affirmative action Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We consider applicants without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions, and lactation), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, present or past history of intellectual, learning, mental, or physical disability (including but not limited to blindness) unless AIRCO determines that such disability prevents performance of the work involved, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, marginalized genders and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At AIRCO we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls, security classification and/or designation as Controlled Unclassified Information. Employment in this position is conditioned on the candidate’s ability to obtain and maintain appropriate government authorization to access technology or information, to the extent required, including without limitation a security clearance, export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items technology or information.

We may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as we deem appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

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